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

Yardley Family History

Yardley Name Meaning

English (West Midlands): habitational name from any of various places for example Yardley in the Worcestershire Essex Northamptonshire etc. or Yarley in Somerset. The placenames mean ‘woodland from which spars are taken’ from Old English gerd gyrd ‘rod spar’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. The compound apparently referred to a forest where timber could be gathered.

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


Similar surnames: Eardley, Hadley, Harley, Hartley, Farley, Marley, Barley, Bartley

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 Yardley family from?

You can see how Yardley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Yardley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Yardley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 19 Yardley families living in Saskatchewan. This was about 38% of all the recorded Yardley's in Canada. Saskatchewan had the highest population of Yardley families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Yardley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Yardley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Yardley. 24% of Yardley men worked as a Laborer. .

View Census Data for Yardley | 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

  • Laborer
    24%
  • Labourer
    24%
  • Farmer
    18%
  • Painter
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Yardley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 40,000 census records available for the last name Yardley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Yardley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Yardley

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Yardley. 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 Yardley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Yardley. For the veterans among your Yardley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Yardley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Yardley family history

Discover More

What is the average Yardley lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Yardley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Yardley in 1948 was 25, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Yardley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Yardley family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Yardley last name

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