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

Flatley, 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 Flatley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Flatley in America

Flatley is the 19628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Flatley surname appeared 1,374 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 Flatley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Flatley 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 Flatley

The surname Flatley has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "flæt," meaning "flat" or "level ground," and the suffix "-ley," which denotes a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or owned a flat or level piece of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1190, where it appears as "Robertus de Flatteleia." This early spelling variation highlights the name's connection to a specific place.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, where it was written as "Flatele." The Hundred Rolls were a series of inquests conducted in England, providing valuable insights into the lives and landholdings of individuals during that time.

The Flatley surname can also be linked to several place names in England, such as Flatley in Derbyshire and Flatley Hill in Staffordshire. These place names may have contributed to the surname's development and spread across different regions.

One notable individual with the Flatley surname was John Flatley (born around 1524), who served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan, Lancashire, during the reign of Queen Mary I in the 16th century.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir Thomas Flatley (1589-1668), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Orford, Suffolk, during the reign of King Charles I.

In the 18th century, James Flatley (1724-1798) was an English merchant and landowner who made significant contributions to the development of trade and commerce in Liverpool.

Moving into the 19th century, Edward Flatley (1818-1887) was an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate.

Lastly, one of the most well-known individuals with the Flatley surname in recent times is Michael Flatley (born 1958), the renowned Irish-American dancer and choreographer best known for creating and starring in the popular dance shows "Riverdance" and "Lord of the Dance."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Flatley

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

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

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

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