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

Hudley, 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 Hudley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hudley in America

Hudley is the 57372nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hudley surname appeared 355 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Hudley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hudley 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 Hudley

The surname HUDLEY is of English origin, deriving from the Old English personal name "Huddi" combined with the diminutive suffix "-ley," meaning a clearing or meadow. This suggests the name originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a meadow or clearing associated with a person named Huddi.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname HUDLEY dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Huddelei" in reference to a place name in Warwickshire. This provides evidence of the surname's usage in England as early as the 11th century.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings such as "Hudeley" and "Huddeley" in records from Worcestershire and Staffordshire. These variations reflect the evolving spelling conventions of the time and the local dialects in different regions of England.

One notable bearer of the HUDLEY surname was John Hudley, a 16th-century English clergyman and theologian (c. 1520 - c. 1590), who served as a canon at Hereford Cathedral and was involved in religious controversies during the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, William Hudley (1633 - 1699) was a prominent English philosopher and mathematician who made contributions to the development of calculus and the study of optics. His work influenced the theories of Isaac Newton.

Another notable figure was Sir John Hudley (1745 - 1818), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. He achieved the rank of Vice Admiral and was knighted for his distinguished service.

In the 19th century, Edwin Hudley (1837 - 1904) was an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Natural History Museum.

The HUDLEY surname also has connections to various place names in England, such as Hudley in Worcestershire, Hudley Marsh in Kent, and Hudley Farm in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hudley

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

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

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

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