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Alley Family History

Alley Surname Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Ally Alli as forms such as Johannes filius Alli (Norfolk 1205) make clear. It may be a pet form of Alexander Alan Alice or Alison or a survival of Old Danish Alli Old Swedish Alle found as Alli in the Domesday Book. In some cases also an altered form of French Hallé (see Halle ) or of some other similar (like-sounding) surname. Variant of Allee 2 a surname of French origin.

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


Similar surnames: Galley, Halley, Alvey, Manley, Axley, Salley, Valley, Apley, Allen

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Alley family from?

You can see how Alley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Alley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Alley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 56 Alley families living in Massachusetts. This was about 21% of all the recorded Alley's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Alley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Alley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Alley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Alley. 15% of Alley men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Alley women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Alley were Truck Driver and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Alley | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    15%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    9%
  • Teacher
    8%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Clerk
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Alley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 74,000 census records available for the last name Alley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Alley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Alley

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Alley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Alley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Alley. For the veterans among your Alley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Alley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Alley family history

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What is the average Alley lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Alley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Alley in 1940 was 37, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Alley

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