2000
#13,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Watley
Derived from a place name meaning "woodland clearing near a stream" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,397 Americans carry the last name Watley. That puts it at #13,851 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Watley 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 Watley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,993
Census rank
#13,851
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,090 bearers of the surname Watley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13851st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Watley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.6%. The next largest groups are White (35.0%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Watley
The surname Watley has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from an Old English place name, possibly referring to a waterly or marshy area. One theory suggests that it may have evolved from the Old English words "waet" meaning wet and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow, thus indicating a wet meadow or marshy area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. In 1273, a John de Wateley is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, indicating that the name was already established by that time. Similar spellings such as Watleigh, Watleye, and Watteley are also found in various medieval records.
While the name does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, it is likely that it originated from a location or settlement that existed during that period or shortly after. Some historians have suggested that the name may be connected to the village of Watley in Northamptonshire, which could have given rise to the surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Watley. One of the earliest recorded was John Watley (c. 1450-1520), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Leicestershire. Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Watley (1572-1638), a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire during the reign of King Charles I.
In the 18th century, Thomas Watley (1720-1786) was a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Bedfordshire, known for his innovative timepiece designs. Additionally, William Watley (1772-1845) was a prominent author and poet from Warwickshire, who published several works during the Romantic era.
One of the most notable individuals with the surname was Sir Edward Watley (1819-1887), a successful businessman and philanthropist from London. He made significant contributions to various charitable causes and was knighted for his services to the community.
These are just a few examples of the individuals who have carried the surname Watley throughout history, demonstrating its enduring presence and significance within the English cultural landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Watley
Among Census respondents with the surname Watley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.6%. The next largest groups are White (35.0%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Watley 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 Watley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American52.6% · 1,100
- White35.0% · 731
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 145
- Two or more races4.7% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Watley
Watley 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
#13,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,361
+231 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 156 places
2020
#13,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,090
-271 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 849 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,158 | 2,130 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,002 | 2,361 | 0.80 | +231 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 156 places |
| 2020 | #13,851 | 2,090 | 0.70 | -271 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 849 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 Watley 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 | #13,002 | #13,851 | -6.5% |
| Count | 2,361 | 2,090 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.70 | -12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Watley bearers went from 2,361 to 2,090 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 849 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,002 to #13,851.
FAQ
Watley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Watley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,397 living Americans carry the surname Watley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,993 residents.
How common is Watley?
Watley ranks #13,851 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,090 people with the surname Watley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,397), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Watley.
Has Watley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Watley went from 2,361 recorded bearers to 2,090. That is a decrease of 271 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,002 to #13,851.
What does the Census say about the background of Watley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Watley, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.6%. The next largest groups are White (35.0%) and Hispanic (6.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Watley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.6% (1,100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Watley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (52.6%), White (35.0%), Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Watley (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 Watley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "woodland clearing near a stream" 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 Watley (0.70 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 Watley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.