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

Briley, 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 Briley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Briley in America

Briley is the 6094th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Briley surname appeared 5,629 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Briley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Briley 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 Briley

The surname Briley is of English origin, derived from a place name in Staffordshire, England. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century from the Old English words "bri" meaning hill or ridge, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Briley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1195, where a person named Walter de Brileye is mentioned. This form of the name suggests a connection to the place name Brileye, which is likely the modern-day Brereley in Staffordshire.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as de Bryley, de Brileygh, and de Brilegh, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. These variations were common in medieval records due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Briley surname is not found in the Domesday Book of 1086, likely because it emerged later from the place name. However, it is possible that the surname's roots can be traced back to landowners or residents of the area during the Norman conquest.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Briley was John Briley, who was born in Staffordshire in 1540. He served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Briley (1618-1681), an English merchant and landowner who played a crucial role in the development of the city of Bristol. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1670 and was knighted by King Charles II for his contributions to the city's prosperity.

In the 18th century, William Briley (1725-1798) was a renowned English author and poet. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Pastures of Parnassus," which celebrated the beauty of the English countryside.

In the 19th century, Mary Briley (1823-1896) was a pioneering educator who established several schools for underprivileged children in London. She was recognized for her efforts in improving access to education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

More recently, James Briley (1920-2005) was an American screenwriter and author. He won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on the 1977 film "The Prince of Tides," based on the novel by Pat Conroy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Briley

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

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

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

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