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

Straley, 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 Straley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Straley in America

Straley is the 12536th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Straley surname appeared 2,472 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Straley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Straley 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 Straley

The surname STRALEY has its roots in the German language and originated in the central regions of Germany. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "strâle," which means "arrow" or "ray of light." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an archer, fletcher, or someone associated with weaponry or the production of arrows.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hermann Straler was mentioned as a resident in the year 1349. This indicates that the name was already in use during the 14th century in the German territories.

During the Middle Ages, the STRALEY surname was also documented in various regions of present-day Switzerland, particularly in the canton of Bern. In the Bernese municipal records from the 15th century, there are mentions of individuals with the surname Strahler, which is a variant spelling of STRALEY.

In the 16th century, the name STRALEY appeared in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the Franconian region of Bavaria. Historical records from this period mention a prominent citizen named Hans Straley, who was a successful merchant and guild member.

As the centuries progressed, the STRALEY surname spread across various parts of Europe due to migration and trade. One notable individual bearing this name was Johann Straley, a German-born composer and organist who lived from 1675 to 1737. He is renowned for his contributions to sacred music and his work as the Kapellmeister at the court of Saxe-Weissenfels.

Another significant figure with the STRALEY surname was Friedrich Wilhelm Straley, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1726 to 1801. He was a prominent figure in the field of Protestant theology and served as a professor at the University of Giessen.

In more recent history, the name STRALEY has been associated with several notable individuals, including the American writer and journalist Joseph Straley (1838-1916), who was a prominent figure in the publishing industry of the late 19th century.

Overall, the surname STRALEY has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its German origins. While the name has evolved and spread across various regions, it continues to carry the legacy of its early associations with archery, craftsmanship, and prominent figures in fields such as music, theology, and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Straley

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

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

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

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