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

Cilley, 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 Cilley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cilley in America

Cilley is the 27081st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cilley surname appeared 894 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 Cilley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cilley 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 Cilley

The surname Cilley is believed to have originated in Normandy, France, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "cillier," meaning "cellar" or "storehouse." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked in or lived near a cellar or storehouse.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cilley appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "de Cillei," which likely refers to a place name in Normandy where the family originated.

In the 13th century, a branch of the Cilley family migrated to England, where they established themselves in various parts of the country. The name appeared in various spellings, including Cilley, Cilly, and Cylly, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that era.

One notable figure with the surname Cilley was Sir John Cilley, who was born around 1350 and served as a military commander during the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He is recorded as having fought in several battles, including the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Another historical figure with the surname Cilley was Joseph Cilley, born in 1734 in Nottingham, New Hampshire. He served as a captain in the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent politician, serving as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1801 to 1805.

In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Jonathan Cilley, who was born in 1802 in Nottingham, New Hampshire. He was a lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1837 until his untimely death in 1838 during a duel with William J. Graves.

Another individual of note was Joseph Bradish Cilley, born in 1822 in Nottingham, New Hampshire. He was a lawyer and served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1865 to 1867.

Lastly, Winston Cilley, born in 1892 in Nottingham, New Hampshire, was a businessman and politician who served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1923 to 1925.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cilley

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

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

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

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