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

Conley, 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 Conley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Conley in America

Conley is the 607th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Conley surname appeared 55,917 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Conley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Conley 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 Conley

The surname Conley is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic name "O'Connalaidh" or "O'Conalaidhe," meaning "descendant of the lone brave one." It originated in County Galway, particularly in the region around Connemara, where it was first recorded in the 13th century.

The earliest known bearer of this name was Donnchadh Ó Conalaidhe, a prominent chieftain who lived in the late 12th century. His descendants adopted the anglicized form "Conley" during the 16th and 17th centuries when the use of English became more prevalent in Ireland.

One notable historical reference to the Conley name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions several members of the Ó Conalaidhe clan, including their involvement in local conflicts and power struggles.

In the 16th century, the Conley family held lands in the baronies of Moycullen and Ballynahinch in County Galway. They were among the prominent Gaelic families who resisted the Tudor conquest of Ireland and were eventually dispossessed of their lands during the Cromwellian settlement of the 1650s.

Among the earliest recorded examples of the name Conley are William Conley, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of County Galway in 1635, and Edmond Conley, a landowner in County Mayo mentioned in the Books of Survey and Distribution from the late 17th century.

Some notable individuals with the surname Conley throughout history include:

1. Patrick Conley (1787-1858), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the first Bishop of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
2. John Conley (1843-1924), an American Civil War veteran and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.
3. William G. Conley (1866-1940), an American politician who served as the 28th Governor of West Virginia from 1929 to 1933.
4. Edward Conley (1900-1986), an American actor and comedian who appeared in numerous films and television shows, including The Honeymooners and The Abbott and Costello Show.
5. Nancy Conley (born 1946), an American author and historian known for her books on the history of Alaska and the Arctic region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Conley

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

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

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

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