2000
#39,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 517
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Goatley
A surname derived from a place name associated with goats or goat herding.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 542 Americans carry the last name Goatley. That puts it at #48,236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 632,388 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goatley 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 Goatley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
542
1 in 632,388
Census rank
#48,236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
473
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 473 bearers of the surname Goatley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goatley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goatley
The surname Goatley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place called Goatley, which was likely a small village or hamlet that no longer exists. The name itself suggests a connection to goats, with the suffix "-ley" indicating a clearing or meadow where goats may have grazed.
The earliest recorded mention of the name Goatley can be traced back to the 13th century. In 1275, a Richard de Gotelay was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. This spelling variation, "Gotelay," provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John de Goteley was mentioned in 1348. This suggests that the name was present in different parts of England during this period.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Goatley was William Goatley, who was born around 1500 in Somerset, England. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to live in the Somerset area for generations.
Another notable figure was John Goatley, born in 1632 in Gloucestershire. He was a renowned clockmaker and is credited with introducing the anchor escapement mechanism, which greatly improved the accuracy of clocks.
In the 18th century, the name Goatley was associated with a prominent family in Staffordshire. Samuel Goatley (1720-1802) was a successful merchant and landowner, and his son, Thomas Goatley (1754-1828), was a respected clergyman and author.
During the 19th century, the Goatley family had a strong presence in the county of Wiltshire. One of the most notable members was Charles Goatley (1814-1888), who was a successful businessman and philanthropist. He established several charitable organizations and contributed significantly to the development of local infrastructure.
Another interesting individual was Emily Goatley (1856-1932), an accomplished artist and sculptor from Yorkshire. Her works were exhibited at prestigious galleries, and she is remembered for her intricate depictions of rural life and landscapes.
While the surname Goatley is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history spanning several centuries. The name's origins and evolution provide a glimpse into the lives and contributions of various individuals who bore this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goatley
Among Census respondents with the surname Goatley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Goatley 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 Goatley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.1% · 379
- Black or African American11.0% · 52
- Two or more races4.2% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goatley
Goatley 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
#43,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 501
-16 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 3,205 places
2020
#48,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 473
-28 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 5,085 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,946 | 517 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #43,151 | 501 | 0.17 | -16 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 3,205 places |
| 2020 | #48,236 | 473 | 0.16 | -28 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 5,085 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 Goatley 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 | #43,151 | #48,236 | -11.8% |
| Count | 501 | 473 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.16 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goatley bearers went from 501 to 473 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 5,085 positions in the national ranking, going from #43,151 to #48,236.
FAQ
Goatley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goatley?
Name Census estimates that about 542 living Americans carry the surname Goatley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 632,388 residents.
How common is Goatley?
Goatley ranks #48,236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 473 people with the surname Goatley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (542), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Goatley.
Has Goatley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goatley went from 501 recorded bearers to 473. That is a decrease of 28 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #43,151 to #48,236.
What does the Census say about the background of Goatley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goatley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Goatley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.1% (379 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goatley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.1%), Black (11.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Goatley (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 Goatley mean?
A surname derived from a place name associated with goats or goat herding. 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 Goatley (0.16 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 common is the surname Goatley?
You can see how many people have the surname Goatley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.