2000
#8,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,615
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.34
Rare Last name
Epley
An English occupational surname for an apple grower or seller, derived from Middle English "appel" meaning "apple."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,082 Americans carry the last name Epley. That puts it at #8,835 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,967 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Epley 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
4.1K
1 in 83,967
Census rank
#8,835
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,560 bearers of the surname Epley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8835th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Epley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Epley
The surname Epley has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "epp" meaning a hill, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a meadow on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Epley can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals residing in various counties of England. The name was spelled as "Eppelegh" in these records, indicating its evolution from the original Old English roots.
During the medieval period, the Epley name appeared in various manorial records and legal documents across England. For instance, a Robert Epley was listed as a landowner in the village of Epworth, Lincolnshire, in the late 14th century.
As the name spread across different regions of England, it underwent several spelling variations, including Epley, Eppelee, Eppley, and Eppelie. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of individual scribes who recorded the name.
One notable figure bearing the Epley surname was Sir John Epley, a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century. Born in 1521, he served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1572 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I for his contributions to the city's governance and trade.
Another prominent individual was William Epley, a noted clergyman and scholar who lived in the late 17th century. Born in 1642 in Nottinghamshire, he was educated at Cambridge University and later became the rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire, where he served for over three decades until his death in 1712.
In the 18th century, the Epley name gained recognition through the work of Thomas Epley, a renowned architect and builder. Born in 1701 in Yorkshire, he was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings, including the grand manor house of Epley Hall in Lincolnshire, which still stands today as a testament to his architectural skills.
Moving into the 19th century, one cannot overlook the contributions of Elizabeth Epley, a pioneering educator and women's rights activist. Born in 1818 in Oxfordshire, she founded one of the first schools for girls in London and played a pivotal role in advocating for equal educational opportunities for women during the Victorian era.
Another significant figure was Charles Epley, a renowned naturalist and explorer who lived from 1832 to 1912. Born in Dorset, he embarked on numerous expeditions to remote regions of the world, documenting and studying various plant and animal species. His extensive collections and writings made significant contributions to the field of natural history during his lifetime.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Epley
Among Census respondents with the surname Epley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Epley 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 Epley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 3,239
- Two or more races4.2% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 22
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Epley
Epley 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
#8,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,667
+52 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 523 places
2020
#8,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,560
-107 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,402 | 3,615 | 1.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,925 | 3,667 | 1.24 | +52 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 523 places |
| 2020 | #8,835 | 3,560 | 1.19 | -107 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 90 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 Epley 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 | #8,925 | #8,835 | 1.0% |
| Count | 3,667 | 3,560 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.19 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Epley bearers went from 3,667 to 3,560 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,925 to #8,835.
FAQ
Epley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Epley?
Name Census estimates that about 4,082 living Americans carry the surname Epley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,967 residents.
How common is Epley?
Epley ranks #8,835 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.19 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 3,560 people with the surname Epley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,082), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.19 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 Epley.
Has Epley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Epley went from 3,667 recorded bearers to 3,560. That is a decrease of 107 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,925 to #8,835.
What does the Census say about the background of Epley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Epley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Epley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (3,239 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Epley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Epley (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 Epley mean?
An English occupational surname for an apple grower or seller, derived from Middle English "appel" meaning "apple." 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 Epley (1.19 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 have the last name Epley?
Find out how many people have the surname Epley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.