2000
#8,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,665
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Charley
Derived from Old English "ceorl" or "churl," meaning a free peasant of low birth or a person of low status.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,282 Americans carry the last name Charley. That puts it at #8,480 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,045 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Charley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Charley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,045
Census rank
#8,480
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,734 bearers of the surname Charley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8480th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Charley, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.3%) and White (15.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Charley
The surname Charley originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Ceorl," which referred to a free peasant or common man. The name Ceorl was often used as a distinguishing name to identify individuals from a particular region or village.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the name Ceorl or its variations, such as Cherl, Cherle, and Charle. This suggests that the name was already well-established in various parts of the country by the late 11th century.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Charley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a man named Radulfus Charle is mentioned. This spelling variation indicates that the name had already evolved from its Old English roots.
During the Middle Ages, the name Charley was often associated with places or settlements where these individuals resided. For example, in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a village called "Charleye" in Buckinghamshire, which likely took its name from a local landholder or prominent resident with the surname Charley.
One notable historical figure with the surname Charley was Sir John Charley (c. 1350-1418), a member of the English gentry from Somerset. He served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the early 15th century and was involved in local governance and administration.
Another individual of note was William Charley (c. 1475-1539), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire. He was a prominent figure in the wool trade and owned several properties in the region.
In the 16th century, the surname Charley appeared in various spelling variations, such as Charleigh, Charlay, and Charlie. One example is Thomas Charleigh (c. 1530-1592), a clergyman who served as the Dean of Lincoln Cathedral from 1579 until his death.
During the 17th century, the surname Charley gained prominence in London and the surrounding areas. One notable figure was Richard Charley (1617-1680), a successful merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Grocers in the City of London.
In the 18th century, the name Charley was also found in other parts of England, such as the north and the Midlands. For instance, John Charley (1737-1813) was a prominent industrialist from Yorkshire who owned several textile mills and played a significant role in the region's industrial development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Charley
Among Census respondents with the surname Charley, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.3%) and White (15.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Charley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Charley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native59.1% · 2,208
- Black or African American15.3% · 572
- White15.1% · 562
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.0% · 150
- Two or more races3.9% · 144
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 98
Timeline
Historical Census data for Charley
Charley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,201
+536 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Up 438 places
2020
#8,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,734
-467 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 604 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,314 | 3,665 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,876 | 4,201 | 1.42 | +536 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 438 places |
| 2020 | #8,480 | 3,734 | 1.25 | -467 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 604 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Charley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,876 | #8,480 | -7.7% |
| Count | 4,201 | 3,734 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.42 | 1.25 | -12.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Charley bearers went from 4,201 to 3,734 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 604 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,876 to #8,480.
FAQ
Charley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Charley?
Name Census estimates that about 4,282 living Americans carry the surname Charley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,045 residents.
How common is Charley?
Charley ranks #8,480 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,734 people with the surname Charley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,282), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Charley.
Has Charley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Charley went from 4,201 recorded bearers to 3,734. That is a decrease of 467 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,876 to #8,480.
What does the Census say about the background of Charley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Charley, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 59.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.3%) and White (15.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Charley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.1% (2,208 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Charley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (59.1%), Black (15.3%), White (15.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Charley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Charley mean?
Derived from Old English "ceorl" or "churl," meaning a free peasant of low birth or a person of low status. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Charley (1.25 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Charley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.