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Wanley Family History

Wanley Surname Meaning

variant of Wanless with loss of final -s.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Wanley family from?

You can see how Wanley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Wanley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Wanley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 13 Wanley families living in British Columbia. This was about 59% of all the recorded Wanley's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Wanley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Wanley 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 Wanley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Wanley. 50% of Wanley men worked as a Farmer and 28% of Wanley women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Wanley were Farm Laborer and Teacher.

View Census Data for Wanley | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    50%
  • Laborer
    22%
  • Clerk
    15%
  • Farm Laborer
    15%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    28%
  • Farm Laborer
    19%
  • Clerk
    19%
  • Teacher
    19%

What Wanley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Wanley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Wanley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Wanley

Passenger Lists

There are 230 immigration records available for the last name Wanley. 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 Wanley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 176 military records available for the last name Wanley. For the veterans among your Wanley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Wanley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Wanley family history

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What is the average Wanley lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2003, in the United States, Wanley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Wanley in 1952 was 44, and 80 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Wanley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Wanley 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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