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

Hooley, 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 Hooley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hooley in America

Hooley is the 16359th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hooley surname appeared 1,761 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 Hooley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hooley 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 Hooley

The surname Hooley is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hol," meaning a hollow or depression in the ground, and the suffix "-ley," which means a clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a hollow or depression in a meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a Thomas de Holeye is mentioned. The "de" prefix indicates that the name was likely originally a locational surname, referring to someone from a specific place.

In the 15th century, the surname appears in various records with slightly different spellings, such as Holley, Holey, and Holle. This variation in spelling was common during this time period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One notable bearer of the Hooley surname was John Hooley, a 16th-century English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lostwithiel in Cornwall during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another person of historical significance was William Hooley, a 17th-century English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts, including "A Modest Defence of the Solemn League and Covenant" (1644).

In the 18th century, the name appears in various parish records across England, including in the county of Lancashire, where a family of Hooleys resided in the town of Ormskirk.

One of the more famous bearers of the Hooley surname was Sir William Hooley (1780-1854), a British businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the coal industry. He was knighted for his contributions to the city of Sheffield and his support of various charitable causes.

Another notable figure was Thomas Hooley (1824-1898), a British engineer and inventor who held several patents for improvements to steam engines and other industrial machinery.

Overall, the surname Hooley has a long and diverse history in England, with bearers hailing from various regions and backgrounds, including politicians, clergymen, industrialists, and inventors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hooley

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

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

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

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