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

Utley, 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 Utley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Utley in America

Utley is the 4788th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Utley surname appeared 7,385 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Utley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Utley 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 Utley

The surname Utley is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the place name Utley, a town in West Yorkshire, England. The name itself is thought to stem from the Old English words "ut" meaning "out" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow," suggesting that the name referred to a clearing or meadow located outside of a larger settlement.

The earliest known record of the surname Utley dates back to the late 12th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1190. This ancient document, which recorded financial transactions and taxes, mentions an individual named Willelmus de Utlay, indicating that the name was already in use at that time.

In the 13th century, the surname Utley is found in various medieval records, including the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1246, which mentions a John de Utelay. This variation in spelling was common during this period, as standardized spellings had not yet been established.

The Utley surname has also been connected to several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was John Utley, a prosperous merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, England, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Another was Sir Thomas Utley, a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the King's Bench in the late 17th century (born in 1635, died in 1706).

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Utley surname continued to appear in various records across England, particularly in the northern regions. The Hearth Tax Rolls of Yorkshire from 1672 list several individuals with the Utley surname, indicating their presence in the area.

In the 19th century, one notable figure with the Utley surname was Robert Utley, a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of steam engines and locomotives (born in 1804, died in 1887).

Another individual of note was Thomas Utley, an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the mid-19th century (born in 1832, died in 1876).

As the centuries progressed, the Utley surname spread beyond its Yorkshire origins, with individuals bearing the name found in various parts of England and, later, in other English-speaking countries such as the United States and Canada, as a result of immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Utley

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

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

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

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