2000
#7,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,385
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.63
Rare Last name
Nalley
An Irish surname, likely derived from Ó Niallaigh, meaning "descendant of Niallach" (a personal name of unknown meaning).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,390 Americans carry the last name Nalley. That puts it at #6,887 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,591 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nalley 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.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,591
Census rank
#6,887
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,700 bearers of the surname Nalley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6887th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nalley, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nalley
The surname Nalley has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "nafu" meaning "navel" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a meadow or clearing with a distinctive shape resembling a navel.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, where it appears as "William de Naveleye." This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Navelley" and "Naveleye," in records from counties like Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. These variations likely resulted from regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
The Nalley surname is notably associated with the English baronetcy of Nalley of Batsford Park, which was created in 1661 for Sir James Nalley. He was a prominent figure during the English Civil War and served as a member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
Another notable bearer of the name was Robert Nalley (1642-1714), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works, including "A Treatise on the Lawfulness of Instrumental Musick in Holy Offices" (1696).
In the 18th century, John Nalley (1707-1773) gained recognition as a prominent English architect. He designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Exchange in Bristol, which was completed in 1743.
The name also has a connection to the American South, where it is believed to have been introduced by English immigrants in the 17th and 18th centuries. One notable figure was William Nalley (1720-1795), a plantation owner and politician who served as a delegate from South Carolina to the Continental Congress in 1775.
Another prominent American with the surname was James Nalley (1825-1903), a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War. He later became a successful businessman and co-founded the town of Nalley, Georgia, which was named after him.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse bearers of the Nalley surname, spanning centuries and continents, and providing a glimpse into its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nalley
Among Census respondents with the surname Nalley, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nalley 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 Nalley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 4,194
- Two or more races3.6% · 169
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 147
- Black or African American2.8% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nalley
Nalley 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
#6,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,134
+749 bearers (+17.1%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Up 446 places
2020
#6,887
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,700
-434 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,044 | 4,385 | 1.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,598 | 5,134 | 1.74 | +749 bearers (+17.1%) | Up 446 places |
| 2020 | #6,887 | 4,700 | 1.57 | -434 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 289 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 Nalley 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 | #6,598 | #6,887 | -4.4% |
| Count | 5,134 | 4,700 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.74 | 1.57 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nalley bearers went from 5,134 to 4,700 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 289 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,598 to #6,887.
FAQ
Nalley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nalley?
Name Census estimates that about 5,390 living Americans carry the surname Nalley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,591 residents.
How common is Nalley?
Nalley ranks #6,887 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,700 people with the surname Nalley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,390), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nalley.
Has Nalley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nalley went from 5,134 recorded bearers to 4,700. That is a decrease of 434 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,598 to #6,887.
What does the Census say about the background of Nalley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nalley, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Nalley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (4,194 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nalley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Nalley (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 Nalley mean?
An Irish surname, likely derived from Ó Niallaigh, meaning "descendant of Niallach" (a personal name of unknown meaning). 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 Nalley (1.57 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 common is the surname Nalley?
Want to know how common the surname Nalley is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.