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

Hefley, 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 Hefley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hefley in America

Hefley is the 16171st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hefley surname appeared 1,787 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 Hefley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hefley 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 Hefley

The surname Hefley is believed to have originated in England, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "heafod" meaning head and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a prominent headland or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1206, where a William de Heffeleye is mentioned. This spelling variation indicates that the name may have evolved from a place name, possibly referring to a location called Heffeleye or something similar.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various medieval records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1275, where a Richard de Heffeleye is documented in Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name was relatively widespread across different regions of England during this period.

During the 14th century, the surname began to take on a more standardized spelling, with records showing individuals named Hefley in counties such as Staffordshire and Shropshire. One notable example from this era is John Hefley, who was born around 1320 and served as a member of the yeomanry in Staffordshire.

In the 16th century, the name continued to be found in various parts of England, with records indicating individuals named Hefley in counties like Warwickshire and Gloucestershire. One prominent figure from this time was William Hefley, born in 1542 in Warwickshire, who was a wealthy landowner and served as a local magistrate.

As the centuries progressed, the Hefley surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, with records showing individuals bearing the name in Scotland and Ireland. One notable Scottish figure was Robert Hefley, born in 1697 in Aberdeenshire, who was a renowned scholar and author of several treatises on theology.

While the surname Hefley is relatively uncommon, it has endured throughout the centuries, with individuals bearing this name making contributions across various fields. From its likely origins as a place name in medieval England to its spread across the British Isles, the surname Hefley has a rich and fascinating history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hefley

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!