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Origins of the Dale surname

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What does the name Dale mean?

Dale is an English surname, being found in records from as early as the 1200s. It is a toponymical name and refers to those who lived in or near a dale or valley. This comes from the Old English 'dael', with the same meaning.

Alternative variations of the name Dale

Dale, Dail, Daill, Daile, Dayle

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Where do most Dales live?

In 1921, most Dales lived in West Midlands.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Dales

How common is your surname?

289th most common surname in the UK

We have 131,000 records for the Dale surname. The oldest one dates back to 1086.

Who were Dales most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Browns

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Dales.

What are the most common Dale first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Dale family members

Common jobs for Dales

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Dales in 1921
Dressmaker

559

Domestic Servant

361

General Servant Domestic

332

Laundress

300

General Servant

255

Common Male occupations for Dales in 1921
Farmer

658

Agricultural Labourer

625

Coal Miner

449

General Labourer

419

Farm Labourer

398

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 310,000 family trees with the Dale surname

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