2000
#6,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,206
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.93
Rare Last name
Rackley
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "woodland clearing frequented by roe deer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,656 Americans carry the last name Rackley. That puts it at #6,594 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,600 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rackley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rackley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.7K
1 in 60,600
Census rank
#6,594
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,932 bearers of the surname Rackley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6594th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rackley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rackley
The surname Rackley is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "racu" or "racca," meaning a ridge, and "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a ridge or clearing.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Rackley can be found in medieval records from the county of Worcestershire, England. Some of the earliest variations of the spelling include "Rakeleia," "Rakuley," and "Rakelye." These variations were likely due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time period.
One notable historical reference to the surname Rackley is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1327, which mentions a "Robertus de Rakelye." This record suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the surname Rackley began to spread beyond Worcestershire to other parts of England. One notable individual from this period was William Rackley (c. 1530-1595), a prominent landowner and merchant from the village of Alvechurch, Worcestershire.
During the 17th century, the Rackley family continued to establish itself in various parts of England. One prominent member was John Rackley (1612-1680), a wealthy landowner and magistrate from the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.
In the 18th century, the surname Rackley made its way across the Atlantic to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Thomas Rackley (1725-1802), a farmer and Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia.
Another notable individual with the surname Rackley was Sir Ralph Rackley (1770-1842), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was later knighted for his services.
Throughout the 19th century, the Rackley name continued to be found in various parts of England and the United States. One notable figure was Elizabeth Rackley (1832-1906), an English writer and activist who was a prominent advocate for women's rights and education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rackley
Among Census respondents with the surname Rackley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rackley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rackley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.2% · 3,955
- Black or African American10.9% · 539
- Two or more races4.0% · 198
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 174
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rackley
Rackley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,488
+282 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.86
Rank movement Down 152 places
2020
#6,594
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,932
-556 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Down 365 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,077 | 5,206 | 1.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,229 | 5,488 | 1.86 | +282 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 152 places |
| 2020 | #6,594 | 4,932 | 1.65 | -556 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 365 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rackley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,229 | #6,594 | -5.9% |
| Count | 5,488 | 4,932 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.86 | 1.65 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rackley bearers went from 5,488 to 4,932 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 365 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,229 to #6,594.
FAQ
Rackley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rackley?
Name Census estimates that about 5,656 living Americans carry the surname Rackley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,600 residents.
How common is Rackley?
Rackley ranks #6,594 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,932 people with the surname Rackley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,656), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Rackley.
Has Rackley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rackley went from 5,488 recorded bearers to 4,932. That is a decrease of 556 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,229 to #6,594.
What does the Census say about the background of Rackley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rackley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rackley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.2% (3,955 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rackley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.2%), Black (10.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rackley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rackley mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "woodland clearing frequented by roe deer." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rackley (1.65 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Rackley?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Rackley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.