2000
#13,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Ealey
Derived from a place name meaning "clearing or meadow of eels" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,401 Americans carry the last name Ealey. That puts it at #13,822 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,755 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ealey 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ealey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,755
Census rank
#13,822
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,094 bearers of the surname Ealey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13822nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ealey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.8%. The next largest groups are White (41.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ealey
The surname Ealey is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the region of Worcestershire, during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "ea," meaning river, and "leah," meaning a meadow or woodland clearing. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a river meadow or a clearing by a river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ealey can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it appears as "Eley." This spelling variation highlights the fluid nature of surnames during that period, as they were often written phonetically by clerks.
In the 16th century, the Ealey name appears in various records, such as the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. These records include entries for individuals like John Ealey (born around 1550) and William Ealey (born around 1575).
The Ealey surname has also been linked to certain place names in Worcestershire, such as Eales Green and Eales Meadow, both of which may have influenced the development of the surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Ealey surname. One such person was Richard Ealey (1604-1664), an English Puritan clergyman and author, known for his work "An Antidote Against Heresy." Another was John Ealey (1630-1697), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Worcestershire.
In the 18th century, the Ealey name spread beyond Worcestershire, with individuals like Samuel Ealey (1726-1799), a successful merchant and landowner in Cheshire. The 19th century saw the birth of Thomas Ealey (1828-1899), a well-known architect who designed several notable buildings in London.
During the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the Ealey surname was Kenneth Ealey (1910-1996), a British writer and journalist who covered World War II and authored several books on military history.
Overall, the surname Ealey has a rich history rooted in the English countryside, with its origins dating back to the Middle Ages and a strong connection to the region of Worcestershire. Despite its localized beginnings, the name has since spread to various parts of England and beyond, leaving its mark on various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ealey
Among Census respondents with the surname Ealey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.8%. The next largest groups are White (41.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ealey 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 Ealey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American49.8% · 1,042
- White41.2% · 863
- Two or more races4.7% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ealey
Ealey 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
#13,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,229
+94 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 469 places
2020
#13,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,094
-135 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,128 | 2,135 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,597 | 2,229 | 0.76 | +94 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 469 places |
| 2020 | #13,822 | 2,094 | 0.70 | -135 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 225 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 Ealey 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 | #13,597 | #13,822 | -1.7% |
| Count | 2,229 | 2,094 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.70 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ealey bearers went from 2,229 to 2,094 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 225 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,597 to #13,822.
FAQ
Ealey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ealey?
Name Census estimates that about 2,401 living Americans carry the surname Ealey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,755 residents.
How common is Ealey?
Ealey ranks #13,822 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,094 people with the surname Ealey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,401), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ealey.
Has Ealey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ealey went from 2,229 recorded bearers to 2,094. That is a decrease of 135 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,597 to #13,822.
What does the Census say about the background of Ealey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ealey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.8%. The next largest groups are White (41.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ealey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.8% (1,042 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ealey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (49.8%), White (41.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Ealey (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 Ealey mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "clearing or meadow of eels" in Old English. 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 Ealey (0.70 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 Americans have the surname Ealey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.