2000
#9,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Longley
Derived from a place name meaning "long meadow" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such a feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,486 Americans carry the last name Longley. That puts it at #10,105 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,323 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Longley 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 Longley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,323
Census rank
#10,105
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,040 bearers of the surname Longley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10105th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Longley, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Longley
The surname Longley is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "lang" and "leah," which together signify a long meadow or clearing. This name likely originated in areas where such landscapes were prevalent, such as the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Longley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources commissioned by William the Conqueror. This ancient document contains references to individuals bearing variations of the name, including Langelei and Longelei, indicating its long-standing presence in England.
During the 13th century, the name Longley appeared in various legal and ecclesiastical records, such as the Pipe Rolls and the Chartularies of religious houses. One notable example is Robert de Longeleia, a landowner mentioned in the Chartulary of Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire in 1240.
By the 16th century, the spelling of the name had evolved closer to its modern form. In 1563, the marriage of John Longley and Agnes Browne was recorded in the parish registers of Ecclesfield, Yorkshire. This region, along with Lancashire and Derbyshire, remained strongholds for the Longley surname throughout the subsequent centuries.
Among the notable individuals who bore the Longley name, Sir Henry Longley (1549-1611) stands out as a distinguished lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Longley (1794-1868), who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1862 until his death, playing a significant role in the Church of England during the Victorian era.
In the realm of literature, the English poet and writer William Longley (1813-1881) made his mark with works such as "The Midnight Watch" and "The Sailing of King Olaf." Additionally, the American artist and educator Earl Longley (1894-1980) gained recognition for his landscape paintings and his role as a professor at the University of Oregon.
The Longley surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Longley Lane in Huddersfield and Longley Village in Sheffield, both located in Yorkshire. These toponyms further reinforce the connection between the name and the geographical features from which it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Longley
Among Census respondents with the surname Longley, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Longley 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 Longley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 2,581
- Black or African American5.4% · 165
- Two or more races4.9% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Longley
Longley 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
#10,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,204
+56 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 585 places
2020
#10,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,040
-164 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 46 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,474 | 3,148 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,059 | 3,204 | 1.09 | +56 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 585 places |
| 2020 | #10,105 | 3,040 | 1.02 | -164 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 46 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 Longley 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 | #10,059 | #10,105 | -0.5% |
| Count | 3,204 | 3,040 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.02 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Longley bearers went from 3,204 to 3,040 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 46 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,059 to #10,105.
FAQ
Longley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Longley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,486 living Americans carry the surname Longley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,323 residents.
How common is Longley?
Longley ranks #10,105 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,040 people with the surname Longley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,486), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Longley.
Has Longley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Longley went from 3,204 recorded bearers to 3,040. That is a decrease of 164 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,059 to #10,105.
What does the Census say about the background of Longley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Longley, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Longley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (2,581 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Longley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Black (5.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Longley (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 Longley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "long meadow" in Old English, referring to someone who lived near such a feature. 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 Longley (1.02 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 surname Longley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.