2000
#13,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Varley
Derived from a place name meaning "fern clearing" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,346 Americans carry the last name Varley. That puts it at #14,094 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varley 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 Varley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,102
Census rank
#14,094
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,046 bearers of the surname Varley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14094th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varley
The surname Varley has its origins in England and is derived from a place name referring to a geographical location. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "fearn" meaning fern or bracken, and the word "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. Thus, the name Varley likely referred to a fern-covered clearing or meadow.
The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with early recorded instances found in Yorkshire and Lancashire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Ricardus de Farnley, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230. The name was also recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Fernleia" and "Fernlei."
Over time, the name evolved and took on various spellings, such as Fernley, Farnley, Ferneley, and Verneley, before settling on the modern spelling of Varley. The different spellings were often influenced by regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Varley family became well-established in Yorkshire, particularly in the areas around Leeds and Bradford. Notable individuals from this period include John Varley (1553-1623), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Leeds, and Thomas Varley (1628-1701), a prominent clergyman and author born in Bradford.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Varley name gained prominence in the arts and sciences. John Varley (1778-1842) was a renowned English landscape painter and astrologer, known for his depictions of the English countryside and celestial scenes. His son, John Varley Jr. (1805-1855), followed in his footsteps and became a successful painter in his own right.
Another notable figure was Cornelius Varley (1781-1873), a British artist and inventor who is credited with developing the Graphic Telescope and the Illustrative Warning Parallelogram, used in perspective drawing.
In the field of science, Frederick Wollaston Varley (1835-1913) was a pioneering British chemist and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of molecular structure and the properties of gases.
The Varley name has also been associated with engineering and industry. Samuel Varley (1828-1909) was a prominent English civil engineer who played a key role in the construction of several important railway lines in England and Wales.
While the Varley surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the name's origins and early history remain firmly rooted in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it first emerged as a place name referring to a fern-covered clearing or meadow.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varley
Among Census respondents with the surname Varley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Varley 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 Varley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 1,873
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 99
- Two or more races2.3% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varley
Varley 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
#14,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,068
-35 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 1,147 places
2020
#14,094
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,046
-22 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,300 | 2,103 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,447 | 2,068 | 0.70 | -35 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 1,147 places |
| 2020 | #14,094 | 2,046 | 0.68 | -22 bearers (-1.1%) | Up 353 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 Varley 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 | #14,447 | #14,094 | 2.4% |
| Count | 2,068 | 2,046 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.68 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varley bearers went from 2,068 to 2,046 (-1.1% change). The surname moved up 353 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,447 to #14,094.
FAQ
Varley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,346 living Americans carry the surname Varley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,102 residents.
How common is Varley?
Varley ranks #14,094 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,046 people with the surname Varley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,346), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Varley.
Has Varley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varley went from 2,068 recorded bearers to 2,046. That is a decrease of 22 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,447 to #14,094.
What does the Census say about the background of Varley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Varley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (1,873 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Varley (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 Varley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "fern clearing" in Old English. 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 Varley (0.68 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 Varley?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Varley, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.