The Townley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,947 people carried this name — #8,386 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 74,600 people counted. That is up 1% from 3,921 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Townley surname

Variant of Towneley.

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

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Townley’.

An early record he cites: Johannes de Townlay, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 760 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Townley was counted together with Townsley: 24 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 111 people lived in those households, 4.6 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Townsley, Townley, Townsly. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 7
Maryland 5
North Carolina 3
Maine 2
Massachusetts 2
Virginia 2
New Hampshire 1
New York 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 265 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Townley in American newspapers,
1920.

Newspaper page from The Glasgow Courier carrying the name Townley
The Glasgow Courier 1920-10-29
Newspaper page from The Glasgow Courier carrying the name Townley
The Glasgow Courier 1920-10-08
Newspaper page from The Glasgow Courier carrying the name Townley
The Glasgow Courier 1920-10-22

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 39,977 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Townley in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

29,051 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Townley. The most, 16,620, date from the 1950s. Queensland 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 Tasmania, at 5.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 10,125
Tasmania 8,466
New South Wales 4,244
Victoria 2,031
South Australia 1,495
Western Australia 1,471
ACT (Canberra) 1,091
Northern Territory 51

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

Who carried it

People named Townley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Richard Townley d. 1711
  • Margaret Evelyn Townley d. 1933
  • Vincentia Townley d. 1763
  • James Thomas Townley d. 1944
  • unknown Townley 1479–1528
  • Margaret Davenant 1585–1634

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

In the public record

People named Townley,
in the records of 6 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 States457 records

457 records of the Townley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 156
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 91
  • Other U.S. records 210
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Horace D. Townley

    Born 1917 in Alabama. Enlisted 1941 at Fort McPherson Atlanta, Georgia; farm hand. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Randolph Memory Gardens, Roanoke, Alabama.

    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 Cyril Harris Townley

    Born 1950; from New York, New York. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    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 Mary Townley

    Arrived at New York in 1856 aboard the John J. Boyd from Liverpool, aged 27; servant. From England.

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

Showing 3 of 457 records for Townley in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · 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); 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).

Australia366 records

366 records of the Townley name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 151
  • Tasmanian Names Index 140
  • Other Australian records 75
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Sarah Ann Townley

    Died 1878 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 34. Will registered in Tasmania in 1878.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Reginald George Townley

    Married 1898 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 25. Died 1906 in Tasmania, aged 33.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Donald George Townley

    Born 1909 in New Town, Hobart, Tasmania. Died 1938 in Tasmania, aged 29.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 366 records for Townley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada35 records

35 records of the Townley name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 24
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 3
  • Other Canadian records 8
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Sidney Townley

    Buried in 1982 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 86.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Samuel Townley

    Listed at Halifax, Nova Scotia in the census and tax rolls of 1838.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Max Mingaye Townley

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 35 records for Townley in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom12 records

12 records of the Townley 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 H. Townley

    Lancashire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    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 H. R. Townley

    King's (Liverpool Regiment). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    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 J. Townley

    Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 12 records for Townley 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).

New Zealand11 records

11 records of the Townley name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 6
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 4
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Richard Bruce Townley

    Died 1947, aged 66; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alexander Townley

    Died 1964, aged 67; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record W. Townley

    Lance Corporal, New Zealand Infantry. 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 11 records for Townley in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Townley name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Mary Alice Townley

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Townley.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Townley 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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