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

Bagley, 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 Bagley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bagley in America

Bagley is the 2089th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bagley surname appeared 17,324 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Bagley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bagley 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 Bagley

The surname Bagley is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, specifically in the counties of Worcestershire and Shropshire. It is derived from the Old English words "baec" meaning "ridge" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a ridge or clearing in the landscape.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bagley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bageleia" in reference to a place in Worcestershire. This suggests that the surname may have initially been a place name before becoming a hereditary surname.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Baggelay," "Bageleye," and "Bagelie," reflecting the phonetic variations common in that era. Records from this time period mention individuals with the name Bagley living in various parts of Worcestershire and Shropshire.

One notable figure from history bearing the surname Bagley was Sir William Bagley (c. 1380-1456), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire. Another was John Bagley (c. 1490-1560), a wealthy merchant and benefactor from Bristol, who endowed several charitable institutions in the city.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Bagley was found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. During this period, the spelling "Bagley" became more standardized.

One famous bearer of the name was Sir Edward Bagley (1616-1673), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Southwark, who played a significant role during the English Civil War and the Commonwealth period.

Another notable figure was John Bagley (1678-1737), a prominent English merchant and philanthropist from Bristol, who founded several charitable institutions and bequeathed substantial sums for the education of poor children.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Bagley surname continued to be prevalent in various parts of England, particularly in the Midlands and the West Country. Some notable individuals from this period include Sir Richard Bagley (1733-1811), a successful English merchant and landowner, and William Bagley (1769-1846), an English clergyman and author of several theological works.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bagley

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

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 Bagley 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 Bagley 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 Bagley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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