Origins of the Motley surname

About the Motleys

We have a total of 5382 records for people with the last name Motley.

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search
    Start free trial
    “
    I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
    SS
    Stuart
    Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
    1 of 3

    Start your family tree

    Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Motleys.

    Sign up to get started

    Delve deeper into the Motley family's history

    OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth EastNorth West 28Isle of ManYorkshire 92East Midlands 156West Midlands 7East 25London 109South East 35South West 12South Wales 7Mid WalesWest WalesNorth Wales 1Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

    In 1921, most Motleys lived in east-midlands

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

    1,000 Motley Travel & migration records
    4,300 Motleys found in all Census records

    Interesting facts about Motley

    How common is your surname?

    You have a rare surname! It's not in the top 1000 UK surnames!

    We have for the Motley surname. The oldest one dates back to 1820.

    Who were Motleys most likely to marry?

    Our tell us which families married Motleys.

    What are the most common Motley first names?

    John

    William

    Mary

    Elizabeth

    Our tell us the names of Motley family members
    Man with milk churns and census card collage
    Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

    Common jobs for Motleys

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

    Common female occupations for Motleys in 1921

    General Servant

    17

    Dressmaker

    12

    Laundress

    12

    House Keeper

    11

    General Servant Domestic

    10

    Common male occupations for Motleys in 1921

    Farmer

    43

    Agricultural Labourer

    28

    Farm Hands

    21

    General Farmers

    16

    Semiskilled Chauffeurs And Drivers

    16

    We found over 17,000 family trees with the Motley surname

    Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Motleys.

    Search for a relative in our family trees

    Learn more about the lives of Motley family members

    How rare is your surname?

    Have you ever wondered if your family na...

    The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

    Could your surname be on the brink of di...

    English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

    Ever wondered where our last names come...

    How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

    Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

    4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

    Starting your family history journey is...

    Share your discoveries

    Share to WhatsApp

    Share to Facebook

    Look for a different surname