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

Volley, 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 Volley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Volley in America

Volley is the 149395th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Volley surname appeared 110 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Volley.

The history of the last name Volley

The surname Volley originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "volée," which means "a flight of birds or arrows." This name likely referred to an occupation or someone who worked with arrows or missiles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Volley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1196, where a Thomas Volley is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with this surname, such as William Volley from Oxfordshire.

In the 14th century, the surname Volley appeared in various forms, including Volay, Volai, and Voley. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period.

The Volley surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Volley's Green in Hertfordshire and Volley's Farm in Wiltshire. These locations may have been named after early bearers of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Volley throughout history include:

1. John Volley (c. 1470 - c. 1530), an English lawyer and member of the Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII.
2. William Volley (1591 - 1665), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
3. Thomas Volley (1619 - 1677), a English military officer who served in the English Civil War and later became a member of Parliament.
4. Elizabeth Volley (1718 - 1792), a notable philanthropist and benefactor from Gloucestershire, who funded the construction of several schools and churches in her local area.
5. Robert Volley (1822 - 1891), a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to steam engines and agricultural machinery.

While the surname Volley is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back to the 12th century, with connections to various occupations, locations, and notable individuals throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Volley

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

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 Volley 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.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!