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

Carley, 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 Carley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Carley in America

Carley is the 6886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Carley surname appeared 4,880 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 Carley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Carley 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 Carley

The surname Carley is an English name that originated in the county of Yorkshire, England, in the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "carr," meaning a rocky hill or crag, and the word "ley," meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a rocky hill or meadow.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Carley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where a person named Willelmus de Carleya is listed. This indicates that the name was already in use in the 12th century and had likely been established in the region for some time before that.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a few place names similar to Carley can be found, such as Carleton and Carlisle, which further supports the theory that the name is derived from the Old English words "carr" and "ley."

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Carley was Sir John Carley, who was born in Yorkshire in the late 13th century and served as a knight during the Scottish Wars of Independence under King Edward I.

Another notable figure was William Carley, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived in the 15th century and was mentioned in several city records from that time.

In the 16th century, a family of Carleys resided in the village of Huddersfield, Yorkshire, where they were prominent landowners and farmers. One member of this family, Richard Carley (1534-1602), was a renowned wool merchant and benefactor who funded the construction of several buildings in the town.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain Thomas Carley (1615-1683) served in the Parliamentarian army and was noted for his bravery in several battles against the Royalist forces.

In the 18th century, the Carley surname spread to other parts of England, with notable individuals such as the poet and satirist John Carley (1738-1803), who was born in Oxfordshire and published several popular works during his lifetime.

Throughout its history, the surname Carley has maintained a strong presence in Yorkshire and other parts of northern England, with various branches of the family contributing to the cultural and economic fabric of the region over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Carley

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

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

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

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