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

Oxley, 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 Oxley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oxley in America

Oxley is the 7694th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oxley surname appeared 4,315 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Oxley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oxley 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 Oxley

The surname Oxley originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "oxa" meaning ox and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow, indicating that the name likely referred to a person living near an ox-meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oxley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Oxenholeia" in Norfolk. This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "de Oxenley" and "Oxenleye," reflecting the evolving spellings and pronunciations of the time. The earliest known bearer of the name was Richard de Oxenley, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1190.

The Oxley family had a notable presence in Staffordshire, where they owned lands and estates. One of the most prominent figures from this lineage was Sir James Oxley (1554-1625), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Another notable bearer of the name was John Oxley (1785-1828), an English explorer and surveyor who led several expeditions in Australia. He is best known for his exploration of the Tweed River and the Oxley Creek in Queensland, which was named after him.

In literature, the name Oxley is associated with the character of Mr. Oxley in Jane Austen's novel "Emma," published in 1815. Mr. Oxley is described as a wealthy landowner and a member of the local gentry.

Other notable individuals with the surname Oxley include Joseph Oxley (1715-1786), an English portrait painter and member of the Royal Academy, and Sir Henry Oxley (1808-1896), a British naval officer and politician who served as the Governor of Antigua.

While the surname Oxley is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a long and rich history dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. Its origins and meanings are deeply rooted in the English landscape and the lives of those who bore this name throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oxley

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

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

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

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