Find out how popular the last name Ralyea is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ralyea.
An English surname derived from a place name in France.
Ralyea, 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 Ralyea surname is from the 2010 census data.
Ralyea is the 131379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Ralyea surname appeared 129 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 Ralyea.
We can also compare 2010 data for Ralyea 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 131379 | 126400 | 3.86% |
| Count | 129 | 125 | 3.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.04 | 0.05 | -22.22% |
The surname Ralyea has its origins in France, with roots dating back to the early medieval period. It likely derives from the Old French word "railier," meaning "to rally" or "to reassemble." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who played a role in gathering or rallying troops or groups of people.
The earliest known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation conducted in 1086 on the orders of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "de Ralegh," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of Ralyea.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this surname was Sir Walter de Ralegh, a prominent English nobleman who lived from around 1284 to 1346. He served as a knight in the service of King Edward III and was involved in various military campaigns during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
Another notable figure was Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618), an English writer, poet, soldier, courtier, and explorer. He was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I and was instrumental in establishing the first English colony in North America, on the island of Roanoke.
In the 17th century, the name appears in records related to the colonization of the New World. John Ralyea, born around 1620 in England, was one of the early settlers in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (later known as New York). He established a homestead along the Hudson River, and his descendants continued to reside in the region for generations.
During the American Revolutionary War, Joseph Ralyea (1734-1816) served as a captain in the New York militia, fighting alongside the Continental Army against the British forces. He was recognized for his bravery and leadership in several battles, including the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.
In the realm of literature, the name is associated with the American writer and poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950), whose mother's maiden name was Ralyea. Millay was a prominent figure in the literary circles of the early 20th century and was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1923.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ralyea.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ralyea was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 96.12% | 124 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 0.00% | 0 |
| Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Ralyea has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.12% | 95.20% | 0.96% |
| Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Two or More Races | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Ralyea was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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