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Varley Family History

Varley Surname Meaning

English: of Norman origin a habitational name from Vesly (Manche also Eure) Verly (Aisne) or Vrély (Somme).

English: habitational name from Varley in Marwood (Devon) or Varleys in Petrockstow (Devon) from Old English fearn ‘fern’ + lēah ‘wood woodland clearing’.

English: southern variant of Farley.

Irish (Galway and Mayo): possibly a variant of Varrelly a rare Irish surname of uncertain origin.

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


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Where is the Varley family from?

You can see how Varley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Varley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Varley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 116 Varley families living in Ontario. This was about 80% of all the recorded Varley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Varley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Varley 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 Varley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Varley. 34% of Varley men worked as a Farmer and 50% of Varley women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Varley were Machinist and Operator.

View Census Data for Varley | 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
    34%
  • Clerk
    16%
  • Labourer
    13%
  • Machinist
    13%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    50%
  • Operator
    50%

What Varley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 98,000 census records available for the last name Varley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Varley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Varley

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Varley. 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 Varley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Varley. For the veterans among your Varley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Varley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Varley family history

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What is the average Varley lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Varley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Varley in 1957 was 45, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Varley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Varley 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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