2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Akerly
Derived from a place name meaning "ploughed field" or "acre clearing" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Akerly. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Akerly surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Akerly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Akerly, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Akerly
The surname Akerly is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ac" meaning oak and "leah" meaning meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near an oak-filled meadow or clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Acreleia." This entry indicates that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Acrelye" and "Akyrley" began to emerge in various historical records and documents. These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name over time.
One notable individual bearing the Akerly name was Sir John Akerly, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. Another was William Akerly, a merchant and alderman in London during the 16th century.
The name Akerly is also associated with certain place names in England, such as Acerly in Gloucestershire and Acerly Hill in Shropshire. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over the centuries.
In the 17th century, the name Akerly appeared in various parish records and registries across England. One example is John Akerly, who was born in 1635 in the village of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.
Another notable figure was Samuel Akerly, a prominent English clergyman who lived in the 18th century. He was known for his scholarly works and served as the Rector of Leigh in Worcestershire.
Throughout history, the Akerly surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, soldiers, clergymen, and landowners. While not as common as some other English surnames, it has persisted over the centuries and continues to be found in various parts of the world today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Akerly
Among Census respondents with the surname Akerly, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Akerly bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Akerly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino11.3% · 12
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Akerly
Akerly appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-25 bearers (-18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 29,097 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-18.0%) | Down 29,097 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 7,119 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Akerly surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #152,339 | -4.9% |
| Count | 114 | 106 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Akerly bearers went from 114 to 106 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 7,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,339.
FAQ
Akerly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Akerly?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Akerly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Akerly?
Akerly ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Akerly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Akerly.
Has Akerly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Akerly went from 114 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Akerly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Akerly, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Akerly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Akerly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Hispanic (11.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Akerly (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Akerly mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "ploughed field" or "acre clearing" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Akerly (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Akerly?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.