The Dilley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,692 people carried this name — #6,036 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 51,800 people counted. That is down 1% from 5,739 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Dilley surname

Possibly a pet form of an unrecorded Old English personal name *Dylla, found in placenames such as Dillington or Dilton.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dilley» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In print

Dilley in American newspapers,
1839–1917.

Newspaper page from The Yazoo City Whig And Political Register carrying the name Dilley
The Yazoo City Whig And Political Register 1839-11-15
Newspaper page from The Butte Daily Post carrying the name Dilley
The Butte Daily Post 1917-07-28
Newspaper page from Louisiana Capitolian carrying the name Dilley
Louisiana Capitolian 1880-11-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 22,691 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dilley in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1980s.

2,089 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dilley. The most, 345, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 2.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,226
Western Australia 524
Victoria 139
Queensland 107
South Australia 50
ACT (Canberra) 26
Tasmania 14
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dilley.

Who carried it

People named Dilley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James F. Dilley d. 1919 · politician
  • George W. Dilley 1839–1910 · politician
  • Guy E. Dilley 1881–1933 · politician
  • Bruno Dilley 1913–1968 · aircraft pilot
  • Leslie Dilley 1941–2025 · art director

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dilley,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States354 records

354 records of the Dilley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 205
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 100
  • Other U.S. records 49
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Lyle L. Dilley

    Born 1919 in West Virginia. Enlisted 1942 at Huntington; farm hand from Cabell County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Swan Cemetery, Barboursville, West Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Sarah Dilley

    Arrived at New York in 1872 aboard the California from Glasgow, aged 24; weaver. From Scotland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Clifford A. Dilley

    From Madison County, Illinois. U.S. Army, heavy weapons assault crewman; killed in action 1950 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 354 records for Dilley in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia49 records

49 records of the Dilley name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 23
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 7
  • Other Australian records 19
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Dilley

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Mount Stewart Elphinstone, sailing from London in 1845. Native of Chipping, Hertfordshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Dilley

    Arrived in Queensland in 1852 aboard the Maria Somes, aged 22.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alexander Dilley

    Retired of Mitcham, Victoria; died 1989.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 49 records for Dilley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Germany11 records

11 records of the Dilley name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Richard Dilley

    From Gumbinnen. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 18 September 1914 (Infantry Regiment No. 147).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Franz Dilley

    From Schustern. Reported taken prisoner in the Prussian casualty list of 8 August 1919 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 3).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Fritz Dilley

    From Kurland, Darkehmen. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 5 August 1915 (Grenadier Regiment No. 1).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Dilley in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom10 records

10 records of the Dilley name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Dilley

    Rifle Brigade. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Dilley

    Lance Corporal, Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Dilley

    Bedfordshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Dilley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands5 records

5 records of the Dilley name in the Netherlands Dutch church registers before 1811
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record John Dilley

    Married in 1738 in Rotterdam; born in Coventry.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record John Dilley

    Married in 1743 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Jane Dilley

    Baptised in 1741 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Dilley in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada4 records

4 records of the Dilley name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) cemetery records 1
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Frederick G. Dilley

    Buried in 1972 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 82.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Sidney Dilley

    Buried in 1965 at Lundys Lane Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

    City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ada Dilley

    Buried in 1970 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 86.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 4 records for Dilley in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

France2 records

2 records of the Dilley name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jack Walter Dilley

    Born 1914 in Paris; died 1983 in Clichy (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Janine Alice Dilley

    Born 1920 in Paris; died 1974 in Colombie.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dilley.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dilley is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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