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

Shetley, 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 Shetley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shetley in America

Shetley is the 39004th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shetley surname appeared 565 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 Shetley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shetley 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 Shetley

The surname SHETLEY is of English origin, emerging in the late 12th century from the Anglo-Saxon settlement areas of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "scet" meaning a shallow area of water or marsh, and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing. The name likely referred to someone who resided near a marshy forest clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 1273 Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire, where it is spelled "de Shettelay". This suggests the name may have initially developed as a toponymic surname, referring to a specific place called Shetley or a similar name.

By the 14th century, variations like Shetlegh, Sheteley, and Shetleye appeared in Lancashire tax records and parish registers. The name seems to have been concentrated in the northern counties during this period.

In 1524, a Richard Shetley is recorded as a landowner in the village of Clitheroe, Lancashire. Around the same time, a John Shetley of Yorkshire is mentioned in a 1538 legal document.

The SHETLEY surname experienced some prominence in the 17th century. Sir Ralph Shetley (1609-1677) was a wealthy English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lancashire. His son, also named Ralph Shetley (1638-1701), served as High Sheriff of Lancashire.

Other notable bearers include William Shetley (1772-1848), an English inventor and engineer who patented improvements to steam engines, and Reverend Thomas Shetley (1803-1872), an Anglican priest and author from Yorkshire.

In the 19th century, the surname spread more widely across England, with small populations emerging in areas like London and the West Midlands. However, it remained most prevalent in its traditional northern heartlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shetley

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

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

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

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