2000
#13,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,084
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Kirkley
From a place name meaning "church clearing" in Old English, referring to a meadow near a church.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,314 Americans carry the last name Kirkley. That puts it at #14,280 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,122 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kirkley 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 Kirkley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,122
Census rank
#14,280
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,018 bearers of the surname Kirkley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14280th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kirkley
The surname Kirkley is of English origin, derived from an Old English place name that means "church lea" or "church meadow." The first recorded instances of the name date back to the 11th century in counties like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire.
One of the earliest documented references to the surname Kirkley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Chircheleie" and "Chirchelai." These entries indicate that the name was already established in specific locations within England.
The name Kirkley is closely associated with the village of Kirkley in Suffolk, which was first mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Cherchelie." This village likely served as the primary source for the surname, with early bearers originating from or residing in this area.
In the 13th century, records show a William de Kirkley who held lands in Norfolk and Suffolk. Another notable early bearer of the name was John Kirkley, a member of the English Parliament who represented Lincolnshire in 1327.
During the 16th century, the surname Kirkley gained prominence through individuals like Sir William Kirkley (c. 1505-1573), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Suffolk. Sir William's son, Edward Kirkley (1546-1613), was a prominent lawyer and served as the Recorder of Ipswich.
Other notable individuals with the surname Kirkley include the English poet and author John Kirkley (1682-1743), known for his satirical works, and Thomas Kirkley (1702-1786), a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker from Nottinghamshire.
In the 19th century, Joseph Kirkley (1811-1885) was a prominent English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Town Hall in Nottingham and the Charing Cross Hotel in London.
Throughout its history, the surname Kirkley has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. While variations in spelling have occurred over time, the name's connection to the Old English "church lea" has remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kirkley
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kirkley 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 Kirkley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 1,701
- Black or African American8.7% · 176
- Two or more races3.4% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kirkley
Kirkley 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
#13,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,197
+113 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 371 places
2020
#14,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,018
-179 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 509 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,400 | 2,084 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,771 | 2,197 | 0.74 | +113 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 371 places |
| 2020 | #14,280 | 2,018 | 0.68 | -179 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 509 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 Kirkley 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 | #13,771 | #14,280 | -3.7% |
| Count | 2,197 | 2,018 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.68 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kirkley bearers went from 2,197 to 2,018 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 509 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,771 to #14,280.
FAQ
Kirkley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kirkley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,314 living Americans carry the surname Kirkley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,122 residents.
How common is Kirkley?
Kirkley ranks #14,280 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,018 people with the surname Kirkley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,314), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kirkley.
Has Kirkley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kirkley went from 2,197 recorded bearers to 2,018. That is a decrease of 179 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,771 to #14,280.
What does the Census say about the background of Kirkley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Kirkley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (1,701 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kirkley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Black (8.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Kirkley (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 Kirkley mean?
From a place name meaning "church clearing" in Old English, referring to a meadow near a church. 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 Kirkley (0.68 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 many people have the last name Kirkley?
See how many people have the last name Kirkley on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.