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

Coley, 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 Coley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coley in America

Coley is the 2326th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coley surname appeared 15,671 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Coley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coley 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 Coley

The surname Coley is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word 'cole', which means coal or charcoal burner. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as an occupational surname for those who worked in the coal or charcoal trade.

The earliest known recorded instances of the Coley surname can be traced back to the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a Richard Cole is mentioned. Another early record is from the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1204, which lists a William Cole.

The Coley surname is also found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling in the Domesday Book appears as 'Coli' or 'Colli'.

Over time, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Coli, Coley, Colley, Collie, and Colly. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of record keepers.

One notable historical figure bearing the Coley surname was William Coley (1586-1667), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Yoxford in Suffolk. Another prominent individual was Robert Coley (1592-1639), an English composer and organist who worked at the Chapel Royal during the reign of King Charles I.

In the literary world, Henry Coley (1633-1695) was a notable English writer and translator, best known for his translations of works by French philosopher René Descartes. Additionally, Samuel Coley (1811-1881) was a prominent English architect who designed several important buildings in Birmingham.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of James Coley (1865-1939), a British engineer and inventor who played a significant role in the development of early aircraft and propeller designs, working alongside pioneers like Wilbur and Orville Wright.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coley

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

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

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

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