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

Oakley, 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 Oakley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oakley in America

Oakley is the 2099th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oakley surname appeared 17,238 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Oakley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oakley 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 Oakley

The surname Oakley originated from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'ac' meaning oak and 'leah' meaning a woodland clearing or meadow. Thus, the name literally means 'oak clearing' or 'oak meadow'.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire in 1195, where it was written as 'de Ackeley'. In the 13th century, the spelling evolved to 'Ockley' and 'Okeley', before eventually becoming 'Oakley'.

The name is closely associated with various places in England, particularly Oakley in Staffordshire, Oakley in Hampshire, and Oakley in Buckinghamshire. These place names are derived from the same Old English roots as the surname and were recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Aclei', 'Acelie', and 'Achelei', respectively.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir William Oakley, who was born in 1285 and served as a Member of Parliament for Staffordshire in the early 14th century. Another notable figure was Thomas Oakley, a 16th-century English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Essex from 1558 to 1574.

In the 17th century, John Oakley (1609-1678) was a prominent English lawyer and politician who served as the Recorder of London from 1671 until his death. His contemporary, Sir Thomas Oakley (1626-1692), was a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1666.

The 18th century saw the rise of Sir Charles Oakley (1751-1826), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He later served as the Governor of Antigua and Barbuda from 1810 to 1815.

Throughout history, the Oakley surname has been associated with various occupations, including agriculture, law, politics, and military service. Its enduring presence in England for over eight centuries reflects its deep roots and historical significance within the country's cultural fabric.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oakley

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

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

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

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