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

Colley, 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 Colley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Colley in America

Colley is the 3996th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Colley surname appeared 8,887 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Colley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Colley 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 Colley

The surname Colley originates from England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from a medieval nickname referring to someone with a coal-black complexion or dark features, stemming from the Old English word "col," meaning coal or charcoal.

Early records of the name can be found in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a John Colley. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also lists a William Colley.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Henry Colley, a prominent English knight who lived in the 14th century. He served under King Edward III and participated in the Hundred Years' War against France.

The Colley surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Colley Gate in Yorkshire and Colley Hill in Wiltshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the Colley surname was Sir John Colley (c. 1509-1572), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Henry Colley (1742-1836), an Irish-born British general who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became the Governor of Guernsey.

During the 18th century, the Colley family had a strong presence in County Lincolnshire, England, with several members holding influential positions in the local community.

One of the most famous bearers of the Colley surname was Bâb Eddin Ismail ibn Ibrahim, also known as Nureddin Colley (1475-1567), a renowned Turkish historian and philosopher who authored several influential works on Islamic theology and jurisprudence.

In the 19th century, Lady Constance Colley (1839-1923) was a notable British author and philanthropist who worked to improve education and living conditions for women and children in London's East End.

Overall, the surname Colley has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including knights, politicians, military officers, scholars, and authors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Colley

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

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

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

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