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

Layer, 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 Layer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Layer in America

Layer is the 20165th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Layer surname appeared 1,323 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 Layer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Layer 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 Layer

The surname Layer is of English origin, dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "leah", meaning a meadow, woodland, or clearing, and was initially used as a toponymic name to identify someone who lived near a meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Layer surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1198, where a Richard de la Leyere is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a Roger de la Laye is listed.

The Layer surname is closely associated with several place names in England, such as Layer Breton and Layer Marney in Essex, and Layer de la Haye in Hertfordshire. These place names likely originated from the Old English words "leah" and "breten" (Briton), "leah" and "mere" (boundary or lake), and "leah" and "haye" (enclosure), respectively.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the Layer surname was John Layer, a prominent merchant and alderman from London, who lived from around 1310 to 1375. Another early bearer was Thomas Layer, a landowner and member of the gentry from Cambridgeshire, who was born in the late 15th century.

During the English Civil War in the mid-17th century, Christopher Layer (1633-1694) was a notable Royalist soldier who fought for King Charles I. He was later knighted for his services.

In the late 17th century, John Layer (1670-1720) was a prominent English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and buildings in London, including St. James' Church in Piccadilly.

In the 18th century, Edward Layer (1692-1737) was a notable but ill-fated Jacobite conspirator who was convicted of treason and executed for his role in the Atterbury Plot, a plan to overthrow King George I and restore the Stuart monarchy.

Throughout history, the Layer surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, landowners, soldiers, architects, and even conspirators, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Layer

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

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

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

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