2000
#3,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.38
Uncommon Last name
Jolley
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "joyful clearing" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,569 Americans carry the last name Jolley. That puts it at #3,749 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,430 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jolley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Jolley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,430
Census rank
#3,749
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.2K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,217 bearers of the surname Jolley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3749th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jolley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jolley
The surname Jolley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old French personal name "Jollif," which means "cheerful" or "merry." This name was often adopted as a surname by the descendants of those who bore it as a nickname or personal descriptor.
The earliest recorded instances of the Jolley surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. In some instances, the name appears in historical records with alternative spellings, such as "Jollye" or "Jolly."
One notable early reference to the Jolley name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded individuals for tax purposes. This document mentions a "William Jolie" residing in Cambridgeshire. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a "Thomas Joly" in Suffolk.
The Jolley surname was also associated with various locations in England, particularly in areas where the name was prevalent. For example, the village of Jolley in Cheshire may have derived its name from the surname, although the exact connection is unclear.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Jolley surname. One of the earliest recorded was John Jolley (c. 1555-1622), an English Puritan minister who served as the rector of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Jolley (1629-1703), an English Quaker who emigrated to New Jersey in the late 17th century and became a prominent landowner and businessman in the colony.
In the 18th century, Benjamin Jolley (1732-1809) was an English engraver and portrait painter who worked in London and gained recognition for his skills in mezzotint engraving.
During the Victorian era, Philip Gough Jolley (1809-1868) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in various parts of the country.
Lastly, a more recent figure was Sir William Jolley (1876-1959), a British politician and businessman who served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1951 to 1952.
While the Jolley surname has remained relatively uncommon compared to some other English surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back through various regions of England, with connections to notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jolley
Among Census respondents with the surname Jolley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Jolley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Jolley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 7,874
- Black or African American5.8% · 537
- Two or more races4.1% · 374
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 324
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jolley
Jolley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,392
+266 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 3.18
Rank movement Down 196 places
2020
#3,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,217
-175 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 3.08
Rank movement Up 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,574 | 9,126 | 3.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,770 | 9,392 | 3.18 | +266 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 196 places |
| 2020 | #3,749 | 9,217 | 3.08 | -175 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 21 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Jolley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,770 | #3,749 | 0.6% |
| Count | 9,392 | 9,217 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.18 | 3.08 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jolley bearers went from 9,392 to 9,217 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,770 to #3,749.
FAQ
Jolley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jolley?
Name Census estimates that about 10,569 living Americans carry the surname Jolley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,430 residents.
How common is Jolley?
Jolley ranks #3,749 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,217 people with the surname Jolley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,569), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Jolley.
Has Jolley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jolley went from 9,392 recorded bearers to 9,217. That is a decrease of 175 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,770 to #3,749.
What does the Census say about the background of Jolley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jolley, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jolley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (7,874 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jolley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Black (5.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Jolley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Jolley mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "joyful clearing" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Jolley (3.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Jolley?
See how common the surname Jolley is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.