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

Ley, 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 Ley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ley in America

Ley is the 6704th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ley surname appeared 5,037 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Ley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ley 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 Ley

The surname Ley has its origins in England and dates back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'leah', meaning a meadow, clearing, or woodland glade. The name was originally used as a topographic surname, given to people who lived in or near a meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as 'de la Ley', 'atte Ley', and 'de la Leye'.

During the medieval period, the surname Ley was particularly prevalent in the counties of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. It was also associated with several place names, such as Ley Hill in Buckinghamshire and Ley Green in Hertfordshire.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John de la Ley, a prominent landowner and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born around 1320 and died in 1386.

Another historical figure with the surname Ley was Sir James Ley (1552-1628), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 1625 to 1628.

In the 17th century, John Ley (1583-1662) was an English clergyman and author who served as a chaplain to King Charles I and wrote several religious works.

During the 18th century, James Ley (1737-1808) was an English botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification.

In the 19th century, Clement Ley (1823-1904) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Courts of Justice.

While the Ley surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to immigration and migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ley

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

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

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

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