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

Pauley, 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 Pauley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pauley in America

Pauley is the 3317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pauley surname appeared 10,809 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Pauley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pauley 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 Pauley

The surname Pauley originated in England, specifically in the county of Lincolnshire, during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French name "Paueli," which itself comes from the Latin name "Paulus," meaning "small" or "humble."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named William Paueli is mentioned. The name was also found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1208, referring to a Robertus Pauley.

In medieval England, the name was often associated with places like Pauley's Bridge in Lincolnshire and Pauley's Hill in Hertfordshire. These place names likely contributed to the development of the surname.

During the 13th century, the name evolved to its more modern spelling of "Pauley." In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a John Pauley is recorded as residing in Lincolnshire.

One notable early bearer of the surname was Sir William Pauley (c. 1290-1349), a prominent English soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.

Another historical figure was Thomas Pauley (1515-1582), an English Protestant reformer and scholar who served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, John Pauley (1642-1712) was a successful merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, where he served as a city alderman.

During the American Revolutionary War, Captain James Pauley (1740-1818) fought for the Continental Army and was present at several key battles, including Saratoga and Yorktown.

In the 19th century, Mary Ann Pauley (1828-1891) was a well-known educator and advocate for women's rights, establishing several schools for girls in New England.

Throughout its history, the Pauley surname has maintained its connection to its English roots, with many bearers tracing their ancestry back to the county of Lincolnshire and the surrounding areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pauley

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

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

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

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