History of your Surname
Get access to Polley family records.Start a free trial

Polley Family History

Polley Name Meaning

English (mainly southeastern): variant of Pooley . German: variant of Poley . French (northern): variant of Pollet .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Colley, Palley, Poley, Polly, Tolley, Rolley, Pooley, Folley, Jolley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Polley family from?

You can see how Polley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Polley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Polley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 81 Polley families living in Ontario. This was about 53% of all the recorded Polley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Polley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Polley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Polley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Polley. 38% of Polley men worked as a Farmer and 67% of Polley women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Polley were Carpenter and School Teacher. .

View Census Data for Polley | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    38%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Engineer
    9%
  • Carpenter
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    67%
  • School Teacher
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Polley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 35,000 census records available for the last name Polley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Polley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Polley

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Polley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Polley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Polley. For the veterans among your Polley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Polley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Polley family history

Discover More

What is the average Polley lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Polley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Polley in 1942 was 36, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Polley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Polley family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Polley last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial