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

Offley, 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 Offley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Offley in America

Offley is the 77264th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Offley surname appeared 248 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Offley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Offley 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 Offley

The surname Offley originates from England and can be traced back to the late 11th century. It is believed to derive from the Old English words "ofer" meaning ridge or bank, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow, suggesting its earliest bearers lived near a ridge or bank in a clearing.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Offelie". This entry refers to a settlement in Hertfordshire, indicating the name's geographic origins. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Offelegh, Offley, and Offly.

The Offley family had strong ties to Staffordshire, particularly in the village of Offley Hay, which likely took its name from the surname. In the 13th century, records mention a Richard de Offleye, suggesting the family's prominence in the region during that period.

In the 15th century, a notable figure with the surname was John Offley (c. 1410-1475), a wealthy merchant from Chester who served as the city's mayor in 1457 and 1464. His descendants established themselves as landowners in Staffordshire and Shropshire.

Another prominent individual was Sir Thomas Offley (c. 1530-1582), a wealthy London merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1556. He was a benefactor of several charitable organizations and founded a free grammar school in Bakewell, Derbyshire, which still bears his name.

During the 17th century, Robert Offley (1598-1679) was a renowned English politician and lawyer who served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1660 to 1667. He played a significant role in the Restoration of the monarchy after the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, David Offley (1712-1768) was a notable English politician and Member of Parliament for Derbyshire from 1761 until his death in 1768. He was also a prominent landowner and held the position of High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1753.

Throughout its history, the Offley surname has been associated with various place names, including Offley Hay in Staffordshire, Offley Marsh in Hertfordshire, and Offley Green in Buckinghamshire, further solidifying its connection to specific geographic locations in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Offley

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

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

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

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