2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Corbley
A locative surname likely derived from a place name meaning "the dweller by the little crow's wood."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Corbley. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corbley 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.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Corbley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbley, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corbley
The surname Corbley is of English origin, with roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the county of Shropshire, located in the West Midlands region of England, around the 13th or 14th century.
The name Corbley is thought to be a locational surname, derived from the place name "Corby" or "Corbie," which itself is likely derived from the Old English words "corf" or "corfe," meaning a small valley or a hollow. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or was associated with a particular valley or hollow area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Corbley can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1327, where it appears as "Corbyley." This early spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that time period, as they were often adapted and altered based on local dialects and pronunciations.
While there are no known historical references to individuals with the surname Corbley in major manuscripts or records like the Domesday Book, there are several notable figures throughout history who have borne this name.
William Corbley (1675-1748), a British merchant and landowner, was a prominent figure in the early 18th century. He owned substantial properties in Shropshire and was known for his involvement in local affairs.
John Corbley (1733-1803) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Exchange in London, which was completed in 1768.
Elizabeth Corbley (1789-1867) was a celebrated English poet and writer whose works gained popularity during the Romantic era. Her collection of poems, "Musings of the Heart," published in 1822, was particularly well-received.
James Corbley (1845-1921), a British explorer and naturalist, was known for his expeditions to remote regions of Africa and Asia. He made significant contributions to the field of natural history through his discoveries and documentation of various plant and animal species.
Sarah Corbley (1901-1985) was a pioneering female engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of several bridges and infrastructure projects in England during the mid-20th century, paving the way for future generations of women in the field.
It is worth noting that the surname Corbley has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout England, such as Corby in Northamptonshire and Corby Hill in Cumbria, further reinforcing its locational origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corbley
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbley, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Corbley 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 Corbley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corbley
Corbley 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,954 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-11 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,628 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 9,954 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 11,628 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 Corbley 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 | #135,593 | #147,221 | -8.6% |
| Count | 124 | 113 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corbley bearers went from 124 to 113 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 11,628 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #147,221.
FAQ
Corbley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corbley?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Corbley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Corbley?
Corbley ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Corbley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Corbley.
Has Corbley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corbley went from 124 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Corbley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corbley, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Corbley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corbley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Corbley (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 Corbley mean?
A locative surname likely derived from a place name meaning "the dweller by the little crow's wood." 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 Corbley (0.04 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 share the surname Corbley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.