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

Heatherly, 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 Heatherly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heatherly in America

Heatherly is the 10701st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heatherly surname appeared 2,987 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 Heatherly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heatherly 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 Heatherly

The surname Heatherly has its roots traced back to England, originating as an old English term used to describe those who lived near heathland or uncultivated areas covered with shrubs and brushwood. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "hæth" meaning "heather" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Hetherleia in Leicestershire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in certain regions of England by the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various forms, including Hetherlye, Hetherly, and Hetherley, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. The Heatherly family is known to have had strongholds in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire, where they held lands and estates.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir Christopher Heatherly (1509-1570), a prominent merchant and alderman of the City of London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1568 and was instrumental in establishing trade links with the Netherlands.

Another significant individual was Sir Thomas Heatherly (1634-1699), a Member of Parliament for Leicestershire and a staunch supporter of the Glorious Revolution of 1688. He played a key role in securing the throne for William III and Mary II.

In the 18th century, George Heatherly (1720-1792) was a renowned landscape architect and garden designer, whose most famous work was the creation of the picturesque gardens at Stourhead in Wiltshire, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The 19th century saw the rise of William Heatherly (1811-1894), a prominent industrialist and philanthropist from Birmingham. He made a fortune in the iron and steel industry and used his wealth to establish several educational institutions and charitable foundations in the city.

Moving into the 20th century, Sir Archibald Heatherly (1892-1978) was a distinguished British diplomat who served as Ambassador to Italy during World War II and played a crucial role in negotiating the Italian surrender in 1943.

While the name Heatherly is not as common today as it once was, it remains a proud part of English heritage, with a rich history spanning centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life, from landowners and merchants to politicians and diplomats.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heatherly

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

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

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

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