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

Dearnley, 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 Dearnley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dearnley in America

Dearnley is the 139228th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dearnley surname appeared 120 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 Dearnley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dearnley 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 Dearnley

The surname Dearnley is of English origin, deriving from a place name located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "deor," meaning deer, and "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing, suggesting it may have once referred to a deer-inhabited meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "de Dernelay." This early spelling variation highlights the name's connection to the area it originated from.

During the 13th century, the name Dearnley was also found in various records and manuscripts from Yorkshire, indicating the family's presence in the region. However, it is not recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, suggesting the name emerged later.

Notable individuals with the surname Dearnley include John Dearnley (1655-1723), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. Another prominent figure was Thomas Dearnley (1788-1865), a British industrialist and textile manufacturer who played a crucial role in the development of the cotton industry in Lancashire.

In the 19th century, William Dearnley (1810-1892), a prominent English architect, designed several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including the Bradford Town Hall. Additionally, James Dearnley (1845-1923) was a renowned English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Lastly, Sir Ralph Dearnley (1867-1945) was a British politician and businessman who served as a Member of Parliament for the Warrington constituency from 1918 to 1945.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dearnley

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

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

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

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