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

Handley, 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 Handley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Handley in America

Handley is the 3657th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Handley surname appeared 9,722 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Handley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Handley 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 Handley

The surname Handley originated in England and derives from the Old English words "hond" meaning hand and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. It is thought to have been an occupational name given to a glove maker or someone who worked with their hands in a meadow or field.

The name can be traced back to the 12th century in Yorkshire and Lancashire. The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where it is spelled Handelay. Other early spellings include Handeley, Hanndeley, and Haundelay.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to places with similar names such as Handeleia in Nottinghamshire and Handelou in Dorset, which may have been the origins of some Handley families.

Notable Handleys throughout history include John Handley (1531-1594), a wealthy merchant and benefactor who founded Handley School in Wigan, Lancashire. William Handley (1686-1754) was an English clergyman and author of several religious works.

Sir Henry Handley (1819-1892) was a British MP and Lord Mayor of Manchester. He was involved in the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal. Elizabeth Handley (1766-1848) was a British Quaker minister and diarist who wrote about her travels and religious experiences.

Arthur Handley (1905-1979) was a British aircraft designer and pioneer in the development of jet engines. He worked for the Handley Page Aircraft Company, which was founded by his cousin Frederick Handley Page (1885-1962), a renowned aircraft designer and manufacturer.

The Handley surname has been well-represented in various fields throughout its long history in England and parts of the United Kingdom.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Handley

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

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

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

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