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

Caley, 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 Caley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caley in America

Caley is the 16881st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caley surname appeared 1,688 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 Caley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Caley 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 Caley

The surname Caley has its origins in England, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name, likely derived from the Old English words "calu" meaning "bald" or "bare," and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a bare or bald clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caley can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Calueleia, which is thought to be an early spelling variation of the name Caley.

During the 13th century, the surname Caley began to appear more frequently in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273 and the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. These documents provide valuable insights into the distribution and variations of the name across different regions of England.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Caley throughout history include:

1. Sir John Caley (1763-1834), an English antiquarian and officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.
2. Robert Caley (1579-1658), an English clergyman and author, known for his work on the history of the Church of England.
3. Agnes Caley (b. 1921), a British actress who appeared in numerous television shows and films during the mid-20th century.
4. William Caley (1798-1876), an English botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of Australian flora.
5. Thomas Caley (1827-1893), a British businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Wolverhampton from 1883 to 1884.

Throughout its history, the surname Caley has been subject to various spelling variations, including Calley, Cayley, and Cailey. These variations often reflected regional dialects and pronunciation differences across England. Place names such as Calverley and Cawley in Yorkshire may also have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caley

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

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

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

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