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

Halley, 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 Halley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Halley in America

Halley is the 8394th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Halley surname appeared 3,943 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 Halley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Halley 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 Halley

The surname Halley is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "halh" or "halig", which means "holy". It is thought to have initially been a topographic name for someone who lived near a holy place, such as a church or a sacred site.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century, with mentions in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk and the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire. These early records often show variations in spelling, such as "Hali", "Halie", and "Haly".

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called "Halla" is mentioned, which could be related to the name's origin. Additionally, there are several place names in England that may have contributed to the surname, such as Halley in Buckinghamshire and Halle in Lincolnshire.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Halley was the English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742), best known for his work on the comet that bears his name, Halley's Comet. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Henry Halley (1828-1904), a British naval officer and colonial administrator.

Other historical figures with the Halley surname include William Halley (c. 1495-1554), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the reign of Queen Mary I, and Robert Halley (1796-1876), an English physician and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of zoology.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the Halley surname was John Halley, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Another early bearer of the name was Samuel Halley, who settled in Barbados in 1678.

Throughout history, the Halley surname has been associated with various professions, including astronomy, naval service, medicine, and religion, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Halley

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

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

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

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