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

Likely, 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 Likely surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Likely in America

Likely is the 38532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Likely surname appeared 574 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 Likely.

We can also compare 2010 data for Likely 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 Likely

The surname LIKELY is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "lēac" meaning "leek" and "lēah" meaning "a meadow or clearing". This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow where leeks were grown.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LIKELY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated around 1170. These rolls document a person named Willelmus de Lekelay, which is likely an early spelling variation of the modern LIKELY name.

In the 13th century, records show a Richard de Lekelay residing in the village of Lekeley, now known as Leekley, in the county of Derbyshire. This place name is directly related to the LIKELY surname and provides evidence of its geographic origins.

The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a John de Lekelay, further solidifying the presence of the LIKELY surname in medieval England.

Notable individuals with the surname LIKELY throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Likely (c. 1490-1562), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1554.

2. Elizabeth Likely (1605-1672), an English Puritan author and poet known for her religious writings.

3. John Likely (1670-1743), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

4. William Likely (1756-1828), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

5. Margaret Likely (1818-1897), an English philanthropist and social reformer who advocated for better living conditions for the working class in Manchester.

While the LIKELY surname has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English words related to leeks and meadows, reflecting the agricultural and geographic roots of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Likely

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!