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

Haley, 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 Haley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Haley in America

Haley is the 917th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Haley surname appeared 37,858 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Haley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Haley 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 Haley

The surname Haley is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a hayfield or meadow. It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.

The name is thought to stem from the Old English words 'haeg' meaning hedge or enclosure, and 'leah' meaning a clearing or meadow. It was common practice during this time for individuals to adopt surnames based on their place of residence or association with a particular location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Haley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Halegh' in reference to a settlement in the county of Kent. This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as 'de Halegh' and 'atte Hale', indicating that it was still closely tied to specific localities. Over time, the spelling evolved into the modern form of 'Haley'.

Notable individuals with the surname Haley include Sir William Haley (c.1459-1516), an English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another early bearer of the name was John Haley (c.1575-1654), an English Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Rowley, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, William Haley (1741-1819) was a prominent English printer and publisher, while in the 19th century, John Haley (1828-1912) was an American Civil War veteran and recipient of the Medal of Honor.

More recently, the name has been associated with individuals such as the American author and journalist Alex Haley (1921-1992), best known for his novel 'Roots', and the English actor and comedian Brendan Haley (1932-2016).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Haley

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

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

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

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