The Pursley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,091 people carried this name — #8,103 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 71,900 people counted. That is up 1% from 4,046 in 2000.

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In print

Pursley in American newspapers,
1906–1908.

Newspaper page from Okolona Messenger carrying the name Pursley
Okolona Messenger 1906-07-18
Newspaper page from The Semi-weekly Leader carrying the name Pursley
The Semi-weekly Leader 1906-07-07
Newspaper page from The Wibaux Pioneer carrying the name Pursley
The Wibaux Pioneer 1908-10-29

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 8,401 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pursley in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

32 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pursley. The most, 7, date from the 1940s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 14
Victoria 6
Queensland 4
ACT (Canberra) 3
Western Australia 3
Tasmania 2

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

Who carried it

People named Pursley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Robert E. Pursley
    Robert E. Pursley 1927–2025
  • Etta Pursley Barton 1897–1992
  • Leo Aloysius Pursley 1902–1998 · Catholic priest
  • Michael B. Pursley 1945–2025 · university teacher

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 5 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Pursley,
in the records of 3 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 States277 records

277 records of the Pursley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 178
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 68
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 11
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 8
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 4
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 3
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 2
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 2
  • Sacramento County historic burials 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Clarence J. Pursley

    Born 1906 in Missouri. Enlisted 1943 at Jefferson Barracks; store manager from St Louis City. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1995, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record David Elliot Pursley

    Born 1932; from Elko County, Nevada. U.S. Army, pole line foreman; declared dead 1953 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Anna Pursley

    Arrived at New York in 1881 aboard the P. Caland from Rotterdam, aged 29; farmer. From Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 277 records for Pursley 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, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia4 records

4 records of the Pursley name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 2
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 1
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Pursley

    Arrived in Queensland in 1887 aboard the Dacca, aged 20.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas John Pursley

    Retired of Broadmeadows, Victoria; died 1999.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas John Pursley

    Labourer of Broadmeadows, Victoria; died 1975.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Pursley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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).

Canada2 records

2 records of the Pursley name in Canada City of Calgary cemetery records
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Gerrard Pursley

    Buried in 1983 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 64.

    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 Norah Pursley

    Buried in 1986 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 77.

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

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

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pursley.

When the index is not enough

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