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Perley Family History

Perley Surname Meaning

English: variant of Purley. This surname is very rare in Britain.

Possibly also a variant of Berley, a surname of Swiss German or German origin.

Possibly also an Americanized form of some similar-sounding Jewish surname.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Perley family from?

You can see how Perley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Perley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Perley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 51 Perley families living in New Brunswick. This was about 46% of all the recorded Perley's in Canada. New Brunswick had the highest population of Perley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Perley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Perley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and School Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Perley. 63% of Perley men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Perley women worked as a School Teacher.

View Census Data for Perley | 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
    63%
  • Labourer
    17%
  • Laborer
    13%
  • Engineer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • School Teacher
    100%

What Perley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 14,000 census records available for the last name Perley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Perley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Perley

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Perley. 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 Perley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Perley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Perley family history

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What is the average Perley lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Perley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Perley in 1955 was 38, and 88 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Perley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Perley ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Perley family tree

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