2000
#7,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,360
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.62
Rare Last name
Valley
An English topographic surname for someone who lived in a valley or near a dale.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,915 Americans carry the last name Valley. That puts it at #7,488 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,736 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valley 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 Valley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,736
Census rank
#7,488
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,286 bearers of the surname Valley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7488th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Hispanic (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valley
The surname Valley is of English origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English word "valley" or "valleye," which refers to a low area of land between hills or mountains. This name was given to people who lived in or near a valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Valley can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "de Valeia," reflecting the French influence on English at that time.
During the 13th century, the surname began to appear in its modern spelling, "Valley." Historical records from this period show various spellings, such as "Valleye," "Valey," and "Valeye," reflecting the evolution of the English language.
The surname Valley was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire, where many valleys and low-lying areas were found. Some notable figures with this surname include:
1. John Valley (c. 1530-1592), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. George Valley (1693-1767), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
3. William Valley (1796-1859), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Southampton.
4. Thomas Valley (1801-1876), an English artist and painter known for his landscapes and seascapes.
5. Henry Valley (1838-1922), a British engineer and inventor who patented several important innovations in the field of steam engines.
The surname Valley has also been associated with various place names, such as Valley End in Berkshire, Valley Road in London, and Valley Park in Hampshire, further reinforcing its geographical origins.
Throughout history, the surname Valley has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, politicians, clergymen, and engineers. Its enduring presence in English records reflects the significance of valleys in the country's landscape and the lasting influence of Old English on the development of modern surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valley
Among Census respondents with the surname Valley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Hispanic (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Valley 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 Valley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.7% · 3,373
- Black or African American7.8% · 336
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 264
- Two or more races4.6% · 198
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valley
Valley 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
#7,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,497
+137 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 325 places
2020
#7,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,286
-211 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 86 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,077 | 4,360 | 1.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,402 | 4,497 | 1.52 | +137 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 325 places |
| 2020 | #7,488 | 4,286 | 1.43 | -211 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 86 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 Valley 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 | #7,402 | #7,488 | -1.2% |
| Count | 4,497 | 4,286 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.43 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valley bearers went from 4,497 to 4,286 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 86 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,402 to #7,488.
FAQ
Valley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valley?
Name Census estimates that about 4,915 living Americans carry the surname Valley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,736 residents.
How common is Valley?
Valley ranks #7,488 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 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 4,286 people with the surname Valley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,915), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 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 Valley.
Has Valley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valley went from 4,497 recorded bearers to 4,286. That is a decrease of 211 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,402 to #7,488.
What does the Census say about the background of Valley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Hispanic (6.2%). 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 Valley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.7% (3,373 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.7%), Black (7.8%), Hispanic (6.2%). 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 Valley (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 Valley mean?
An English topographic surname for someone who lived in a valley or near a dale. 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 Valley (1.43 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 people have the last name Valley?
Find out how many people have the last name Valley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.