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Manley Family History

Manley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the places in Devon and Cheshire named in Old English as ‘common wood or clearing’ from (ge)mǣne ‘common shared’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. The surname is still chiefly found in the regions around these villages.

English: nickname from Middle English mannly ‘manly virile brave’ (Old English mannlīc originally ‘man-like’).

Irish (County Cork): Anglicized form of Ó Máinle (and often pronounced Mauly) of unexplained etymology. Compare Malley.

Irish (Connacht and Donegal): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Maonghaile ‘descendant of Maonghal’ a personal name derived from words meaning ‘wealth’ and ‘valor’.

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


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Where is the Manley family from?

You can see how Manley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Manley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Manley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 74 Manley families living in Ontario. This was about 46% of all the recorded Manley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Manley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Manley 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 Manley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Manley. 38% of Manley men worked as a Farmer and 47% of Manley women worked as a Student. Some less common occupations for Americans named Manley were Carpenter and Book Keeper.

View Census Data for Manley | 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%
  • Labourer
    16%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Student
    47%
  • Nurse
    14%
  • Typist
    14%
  • Book Keeper
    14%

What Manley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 164,000 census records available for the last name Manley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Manley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Manley

Passenger Lists

There are 24,000 immigration records available for the last name Manley. 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 Manley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 29,000 military records available for the last name Manley. For the veterans among your Manley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Manley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Manley family history

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What is the average Manley lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Manley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Manley in 1940 was 28, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Manley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Manley 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.

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