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

Smalley, 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 Smalley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Smalley in America

Smalley is the 3055th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Smalley surname appeared 11,737 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 Smalley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Smalley 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 Smalley

The surname Smalley is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "smæl" meaning "small" or "slender," combined with the Old English word "leah" meaning "a clearing in a forest" or "meadow." It likely originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived in a small clearing or meadow.

The name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Smaleia" and "Smalelei." These early forms suggest that the name was initially applied as a topographic surname, referring to a specific location or settlement.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared as "Smaleleye" and "Smaleye" in various records from Lancashire and Cheshire, indicating that the name was prevalent in these areas of northern England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a person named Richard de Smaleye is mentioned.

During the Middle Ages, the surname was also associated with several notable individuals. In the 14th century, a man named John Smaleleye was recorded as a merchant in the city of York.

In the 15th century, a Robert Smalley (1400-1462) from Yorkshire served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Hedon in 1432 and 1435.

Another notable figure was John Smalley (1530-1591), an English Catholic priest and writer who was born in Derbyshire. He was known for his religious works and his opposition to the Protestant Reformation.

In the 17th century, a prominent bearer of the name was William Smalley (1637-1678), an English clergyman and author who served as a rector in Suffolk.

In the 18th century, John Smalley (1734-1820) was a Baptist minister and author from Connecticut, who played a significant role in the development of the Baptist church in America.

Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, including Smaleley, Smawley, Smaley, and Smallie, among others. The modern spelling of "Smalley" became more standardized in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Smalley

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

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

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

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