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

Medley, 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 Medley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Medley in America

Medley is the 2641st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Medley surname appeared 13,630 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Medley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Medley 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 Medley

The surname Medley is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "med-leah," which translates to "meadow clearing" or "meadow enclosure." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have resided in or near a meadow or clearing in a woodland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where it appears as "de Medlei." This spelling variation indicates that the name was likely associated with a specific place name or location during that time.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it is recorded as "Medeleye." This further supports the connection between the name and a particular place or settlement.

The Medley surname has also been linked to the village of Medley in Buckinghamshire, which was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Medelai." This suggests that some early bearers of the name may have originated from or lived in this area.

Notable individuals with the surname Medley throughout history include:

1. John Medley (c. 1608-1666), an English Puritan clergyman and author who served as the Provost of Eton College.
2. Samuel Medley (1738-1799), an English Baptist minister and hymn writer, known for compositions like "O Could I Speak the Matchless Worth."
3. George Webb Medley (1828-1898), an English-born Canadian statesman and Premier of the Colony of Newfoundland from 1885 to 1886.
4. Sir John Medley (1804-1892), an English judge and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.
5. William Medley (1834-1920), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire and represented the Marylebone Cricket Club.

While the Medley surname has maintained a presence throughout the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it was likely derived from a place name associated with a meadow or clearing in a wooded area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Medley

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

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

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

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