Find out how popular the last name Alley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Alley.

Alley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Alley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alley in America

Alley is the 2529th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alley surname appeared 14,323 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Alley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Alley

The surname Alley has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ealā" or "alleye," which referred to a narrow lane or passageway between buildings or walls. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near or worked in an alley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land holdings and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman period.

In the 13th century, the surname Alley appeared in various records and legal documents, often spelled as "Aley," "Aleye," or "Alye." Some early examples include John de Alye, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272, and Robert Alye, recorded in the Patent Rolls of Berkshire in 1291.

The name Alley was particularly prevalent in certain regions of England, such as Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. This may be due to the abundance of small alleys and narrow streets in the towns and villages of these areas.

One notable figure bearing the surname Alley was William Alley, an English prelate who served as Bishop of Exeter from 1560 to 1570. He was a respected scholar and played a significant role in the English Reformation under Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent individual was John Alley, a Puritan minister who lived from 1596 to 1670. He was a prominent figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and served as a minister in several churches, including the First Church of Boston.

In the realm of literature, William Alley (1572-1634) was an English playwright and actor who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. He is known for his play "The Worke for Weavers," which was performed in London in the early 17th century.

Sir Samuel Alley (1662-1737) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the War of the Spanish Succession. He commanded several ships and achieved the rank of Vice Admiral.

Lastly, Bette Alley (1898-1989) was an American actress and vaudeville performer who had a successful career on Broadway and in films during the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Alley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Alley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Alley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Alley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alley, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!