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

Staley, 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 Staley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Staley in America

Staley is the 1998th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Staley surname appeared 18,080 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Staley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Staley 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 Staley

The surname Staley is of English origin and dates back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "stæli" or "stali," which translates to "a stallion" or "a stout, strong person." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone of a robust or hardy nature.

Staley is also thought to be a locational name, derived from places in England called Staveley or Stayley. These place names stem from the Old English words "stæf" meaning "staff" or "stave," and "leah" meaning "a meadow" or "a clearing." Thus, the name could have originated from someone who resided in such a location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Staley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Staueleia" and "Stavelei." This was a survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

In the 13th century, the name was documented as "Staveley" in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire, which were records of financial transactions related to taxes and rents paid to the Crown.

Notable individuals with the surname Staley throughout history include:

1. Robert Staley (c. 1395-1460), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in 1447.
2. John Staley (c. 1590-1657), an English clergyman and controversialist known for his writings against Puritan theology.
3. William Staley (1809-1867), an English industrialist and founder of the Staley Ironworks in Staffordshire.
4. Walter Staley (1859-1933), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Los Angeles from 1897 to 1899.
5. Edmund Staley (1867-1944), an English artist and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes.

The name Staley has also been associated with various place names, such as Staveley in Derbyshire, Stayley in Cheshire, and Staveley in Cumbria, all of which trace their origins to the Old English words mentioned earlier.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Staley

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

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

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

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