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

Braley, 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 Braley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Braley in America

Braley is the 8423rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Braley surname appeared 3,924 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Braley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Braley 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 Braley

The surname Braley is of English origin, derived from a place name in the county of Buckinghamshire. It is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century, with the earliest known spelling recorded as "de Bradelai" in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1195.

The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "brad" and "leah," which together mean "broad meadow" or "broad clearing." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a broad meadow or clearing in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1275, which mentions a "Robertus de Bradelay." This document provides valuable insight into the early use and spelling variations of the surname.

During the Middle Ages, the Braley surname appeared in various records and documents across England. For example, in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, a "Willelmus de Bradelay" is mentioned, indicating the spread of the name beyond Buckinghamshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Braley include Sir John Braley (c. 1480-1548), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another notable figure was William Braley (1590-1662), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Taunton, Massachusetts, in the early American colonies.

In the 17th century, the surname appears in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, with individuals such as Thomas Braley (c. 1620-1686), who settled in Barnstable, Massachusetts, and became a prominent figure in the local community.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Braley surname continued to be found across various parts of England and the United States. Notable individuals from this period include John Braley (1745-1818), an American Revolutionary War soldier, and James Braley (1794-1880), a Methodist minister and author from England.

Throughout its history, the Braley surname has maintained its connection to its English roots, with various spelling variations emerging over time, including Bradelay, Bradeley, and Bradly, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Braley

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

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

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

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