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

Browley, 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 Browley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Browley in America

Browley is the 82317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Browley surname appeared 229 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Browley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Browley 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 Browley

The surname Browley has its origins in England, originating sometime during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place name, possibly referring to a particular town or village. One possibility is that it comes from the Old English words "brun" meaning brown and "leah" meaning a woodland or clearing, potentially indicating a location with brown woodlands.

The earliest known recorded instances of the surname Browley can be traced back to the 13th century in various historical records and documents. One notable example is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a Robert de Browley is listed as a landowner. This suggests that the name was already well-established by that time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1332, where a John Browley is mentioned as a taxpayer. This record provides further evidence of the name's presence in different parts of England during the medieval period.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Browley was Sir William Browley, who lived in the 15th century. He was a knight and landowner in Warwickshire, and his name is documented in various legal and property records from that time.

Another notable figure with this surname was Thomas Browley, born in 1580 in Gloucestershire. He was a prominent merchant and trader who played a significant role in the development of the English wool trade with the Netherlands during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the 17th century, the name Browley appeared in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where several families with this surname are recorded as residing in the area. One such individual was John Browley, born in 1625, who was a successful farmer and landowner.

During the 18th century, a well-known individual with the Browley surname was William Browley, born in 1732 in Shropshire. He was a respected scholar and author who wrote several books on English literature and history, including a highly acclaimed work on the life and writings of William Shakespeare.

Throughout its history, the surname Browley has been associated with various locations and place names across England, such as Browley Manor in Derbyshire, Browley Hill in Worcestershire, and Browley Farm in Oxfordshire. These place names may have contributed to the development and spread of the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Browley

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

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

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

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