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

Marley, 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 Marley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Marley in America

Marley is the 5591st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Marley surname appeared 6,220 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 Marley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Marley 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 Marley

The surname Marley originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the early 13th century. It is likely derived from the Old English words "mere" meaning a lake or pool, and "leah" meaning a woodland or clearing, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a lakeside clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1240, which mentions a Richard de Mereleye. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mentions a William de Merelegh in Oxfordshire.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth completed in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the Marley surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Mereleg in Bedfordshire and Meredene in Wiltshire.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including Merley, Merlegh, and Marleigh, reflecting the evolution of the name over time. One notable figure from this period is John de Merley, a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the early 1300s.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Marley surname continued to spread across England, with several individuals holding positions of prominence. Sir Thomas Marley (1495-1571) was a member of the English nobility who served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. Robert Marley (1576-1644) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

In the 18th century, the surname gained international recognition with the life and work of Christopher Marley (1737-1788), an English botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the Caribbean and South America.

Another notable figure was James Marley (1785-1865), a British industrialist and entrepreneur who played a pivotal role in the development of the cotton industry in Lancashire, England.

Throughout history, the Marley surname has been associated with various place names, including Marley Hill in Tyne and Wear, Marley in West Yorkshire, and Marleyford in Staffordshire, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Marley

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

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

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

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