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

Eckley, 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 Eckley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eckley in America

Eckley is the 15033rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eckley surname appeared 1,965 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Eckley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eckley 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 Eckley

The surname Eckley traces its origins to the English counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it first emerged in the late Middle Ages. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "ęcce," meaning "oak," and "leah," meaning "clearing" or "meadow," thus referring to an oak clearing or meadow inhabited by the name's early bearers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eckley can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a John de Eckeley from the village of Eckeley, near present-day Bradford. This village's name likely evolved from the Old English "Ęccelēah," further supporting the name's etymological roots.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Eckly, Eckeley, and Eckeley, reflecting the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. A notable figure from this period was Thomas Eckley (c. 1550-1624), a prominent merchant and landowner in Yorkshire, whose family held substantial estates in the region.

The 17th century saw the name spread beyond its original Yorkshire and Lancashire heartlands. One notable bearer was Robert Eckley (1614-1688), a Puritan minister and author who served as the Vicar of Hawkesworth in Yorkshire and published several theological works.

During the 18th century, the Eckley name continued to be found across northern England, with several individuals achieving notable status. These included John Eckley (1719-1795), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Lancashire, and Elizabeth Eckley (1753-1832), a renowned philanthropist and benefactor in Yorkshire.

In the 19th century, the name spread further afield as Eckley families emigrated to various parts of the British Empire and beyond. One prominent figure was Samuel Eckley (1825-1899), a successful industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Eckley Mining Company in Pennsylvania, establishing a mining town that bore his name.

Throughout its history, the Eckley surname has been borne by a diverse array of individuals, including clergymen, merchants, landowners, industrialists, and philanthropists. While its origins lie in the oak clearings of medieval Yorkshire and Lancashire, the name has since dispersed across the globe, carried by generations of Eckleys who have left their mark on the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eckley

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!