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

Hartley, 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 Hartley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hartley in America

Hartley is the 1124th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hartley surname appeared 31,221 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Hartley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hartley 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 Hartley

The surname Hartley originated in England and is believed to have derived from the Old English words "heorot" meaning a stag or male deer, and "leah" meaning a meadow or woodland clearing. This suggests that the name originally referred to a person who lived near a deer meadow or forest clearing.

Hartley is an English locational surname, indicating that it was initially taken from the place name of various towns and villages in England, primarily in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire. These place names were often derived from the same Old English roots as the surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hartley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Henricus de Hertleia in Yorkshire. This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Herteley, Hertelay, and Hartlay, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time period.

Notable individuals with the surname Hartley throughout history include:

1. David Hartley (1705-1757), an English philosopher and founder of the associationist school of psychology.
2. Jonathan Scott Hartley (1845-1912), an English-born American inventor and engineer, best known for patenting the first successful glass-blowing machine.
3. Leslie Poles Hartley (1895-1972), an English novelist and critic, whose works include "The Go-Between" and "The Hireling."
4. Dorothy Hartley (1893-1985), an English writer and social historian, known for her works on traditional English country life and customs.
5. Marsden Hartley (1877-1943), an American Modernist painter and leading figure in the early 20th century avant-garde movement.

The surname Hartley is also associated with various place names in England, such as Hartley Wintney in Hampshire, Hartley in Kent, and Great Hartley in Northumberland, among others. These place names likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hartley

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

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

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

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