2000
#3,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,830
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.27
Uncommon Last name
Headley
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a heath or heather-covered meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,413 Americans carry the last name Headley. That puts it at #3,810 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,916 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Headley 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 Headley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 32,916
Census rank
#3,810
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.1K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,081 bearers of the surname Headley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3810th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Headley, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Headley
The surname Headley has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name Headley, which itself comes from the Old English words "hēafod" meaning "head" and "lēah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow." This suggests that the name may have originated from a settlement located at the head of a clearing or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hedelee" and "Hethlei." This renowned survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented the landowners and properties across much of England at the time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Hedlegh" and "Hedleye." During this period, several individuals bearing the name were mentioned in historical records. Among them was Robert de Hedleye, who was listed as a witness in a deed from the county of Hampshire in 1260.
Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Headley, who lived in the 15th century and served as a Member of Parliament for the county of Kent in 1472. He held significant landholdings and was well-regarded in his community.
In the 16th century, the name was further recorded as "Hedley" and "Headley." One prominent individual was Richard Headley, a wealthy merchant from London who was born around 1530 and became a member of the prestigious Worshipful Company of Mercers.
The 17th century saw the rise of Sir John Headley, who was born in 1619 and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Grantham in Lincolnshire. He was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War and played an important role in supporting King Charles I.
In the 18th century, the name continued to be associated with notable figures, including Sir Henry Hedley, a successful businessman and landowner who was born in 1720 and held considerable influence in the county of Kent.
Throughout its history, the surname Headley has been linked to various place names across England, including Headley in Hampshire, Surrey, and Buckinghamshire, as well as other locations with similar names derived from the same Old English roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Headley
Among Census respondents with the surname Headley, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Headley 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 Headley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.4% · 6,752
- Black or African American16.1% · 1,459
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 390
- Two or more races3.7% · 337
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Headley
Headley 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
#3,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,250
+420 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 3.14
Rank movement Down 139 places
2020
#3,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,081
-169 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 3.04
Rank movement Up 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,691 | 8,830 | 3.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,830 | 9,250 | 3.14 | +420 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 139 places |
| 2020 | #3,810 | 9,081 | 3.04 | -169 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 20 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 Headley 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 | #3,830 | #3,810 | 0.5% |
| Count | 9,250 | 9,081 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.14 | 3.04 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Headley bearers went from 9,250 to 9,081 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,830 to #3,810.
FAQ
Headley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Headley?
Name Census estimates that about 10,413 living Americans carry the surname Headley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,916 residents.
How common is Headley?
Headley ranks #3,810 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,081 people with the surname Headley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,413), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Headley.
Has Headley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Headley went from 9,250 recorded bearers to 9,081. That is a decrease of 169 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,830 to #3,810.
What does the Census say about the background of Headley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Headley, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Headley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.4% (6,752 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Headley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.4%), Black (16.1%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Headley (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 Headley mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a heath or heather-covered meadow. 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 Headley (3.04 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 many people have the surname Headley?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.