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

Qualley, 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 Qualley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Qualley in America

Qualley is the 38582nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Qualley surname appeared 573 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 Qualley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Qualley 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 Qualley

The surname Qualley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. The name is thought to have derived from the Old English word "cwalu," which means "slaughter" or "death." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who was associated with a violent or deadly event, such as a soldier or executioner.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and landowners in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Qualey" in this document, indicating that it was already in use during the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Quallay," "Quallay," and "Qualley." These variations likely arose due to differences in pronunciation and regional dialects across England. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name were William Qualley, who lived in Staffordshire in 1275, and John Qualley, who resided in Yorkshire in 1301.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Qualley surname became more widespread and can be found in various records from that period. One notable figure was Thomas Qualley, born in 1568 in Gloucestershire, who was a prominent merchant and landowner.

Another individual of historical significance was Sir Richard Qualley (1620-1692), a military officer who served in the English Civil War and later became a member of Parliament. He was knighted for his contributions to the Royalist cause during the conflict.

In the 19th century, the name Qualley was associated with several notable individuals, including William Qualley (1811-1887), a renowned architect responsible for designing several prominent buildings in London, and Elizabeth Qualley (1832-1912), a pioneering educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in Manchester.

Over the centuries, the Qualley surname has been found in various regions across England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, and Lancashire. While the name has its roots in England, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Qualley

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

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

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

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