2000
#7,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,921
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Townley
From a place name meaning "Tuna's meadow," derived from the Old English personal name "Tuna" combined with "leah" (meadow).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,331 Americans carry the last name Townley. That puts it at #8,397 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,140 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Townley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Townley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,140
Census rank
#8,397
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,777 bearers of the surname Townley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8397th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Townley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Townley
The surname Townley is believed to have originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "tun" meaning "an enclosure or a village" and "leah" meaning "a meadow." It is a locational name, suggesting that the earliest bearers of the name hailed from a settlement or village situated in a meadow.
The name first appeared in historical records during the 12th century, with early variations of the spelling including Tunley, Towneley, and Townlay. The Domesday Book, the remarkable survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Townley. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Tunlei in Derbyshire and Tonlei in Hertfordshire, which may have influenced the development of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1177, which mention a Richard de Towneley. This suggests that the name was already established in Lancashire by the late 12th century. The Townleys of Lancashire were a prominent family, owning lands and estates in the area for several centuries.
Notable bearers of the surname Townley include Sir Richard Townley (1591-1647), a Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the English Civil War, and his son, Sir John Townley (1620-1647), who fought on the Royalist side during the same conflict. Another noteworthy individual was Charles Townley (1737-1805), a renowned art collector and benefactor whose collection formed the foundation of the British Museum's classical sculpture collection.
In the literary realm, Charles Townley (1798-1876), an English author and journalist, gained recognition for his works on British history and his contributions to various publications. Additionally, Reverend James Townley (1774-1833), an English clergyman and author, is remembered for his religious writings and sermons.
While the surname Townley has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to emigration and settlement patterns. However, the earliest recorded examples and historical references undoubtedly trace the name's origins back to its English beginnings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Townley
Among Census respondents with the surname Townley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Townley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Townley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 3,352
- Two or more races4.4% · 167
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 108
- Black or African American2.5% · 94
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Townley
Townley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,947
+26 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 560 places
2020
#8,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,777
-170 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,826 | 3,921 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,386 | 3,947 | 1.34 | +26 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 560 places |
| 2020 | #8,397 | 3,777 | 1.26 | -170 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 11 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Townley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,386 | #8,397 | -0.1% |
| Count | 3,947 | 3,777 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.26 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Townley bearers went from 3,947 to 3,777 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,386 to #8,397.
FAQ
Townley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Townley?
Name Census estimates that about 4,331 living Americans carry the surname Townley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,140 residents.
How common is Townley?
Townley ranks #8,397 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,777 people with the surname Townley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,331), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Townley.
Has Townley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Townley went from 3,947 recorded bearers to 3,777. That is a decrease of 170 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,386 to #8,397.
What does the Census say about the background of Townley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Townley, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Townley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (3,352 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Townley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Townley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Townley mean?
From a place name meaning "Tuna's meadow," derived from the Old English personal name "Tuna" combined with "leah" (meadow). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Townley (1.26 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Townley?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.