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

Higley, 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 Higley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Higley in America

Higley is the 7723rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Higley surname appeared 4,298 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 Higley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Higley 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 Higley

The surname Higley originates from England and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hig" meaning hay and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, suggesting that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a hay meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where it appears as "Hygeley." This suggests that the surname was already established in the northern counties of England by the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name is found in various forms such as "Higgeley," "Higgley," and "Higley" in records from counties like Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. These variations in spelling were common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Higley surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Higley Bank in Cheshire and Higley Hill in Staffordshire. These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname in those regions.

Notable individuals with the surname Higley include:

1. Edward Higley (1611-1690), an English settler in Connecticut, considered one of the founders of the town of Simsbury.
2. Sir Thomas Higley (1635-1708), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1696.
3. George Higley (1718-1789), an American Revolutionary War soldier from Connecticut who fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
4. James Higley (1798-1884), an American businessman and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Maryland.
5. William Higley (1813-1899), an American inventor and manufacturer who patented several improvements to agricultural machinery.

While the Higley surname is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a long and diverse history, with roots stretching back to medieval England and branches extending across the Atlantic to the American colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Higley

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

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

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

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