2000
#4,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,718
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.49
Rare Last name
Weatherly
Derived from a place name referring to a clearing or meadow exposed to the elements.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,433 Americans carry the last name Weatherly. That puts it at #5,206 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,113 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weatherly 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 Weatherly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.4K
1 in 46,113
Census rank
#5,206
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,482 bearers of the surname Weatherly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5206th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weatherly, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weatherly
The surname Weatherly is of English origin, derived from a place name that refers to a location where the weather was particularly prominent or noticeable. It likely emerged during the medieval period, when surnames began to be adopted by families.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Weatherly can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
The name Weatherly is believed to have originated from the Old English words "weder" (weather) and "leah" (meadow or clearing), indicating a location where the weather conditions were notable, such as a clearing or meadow exposed to the elements.
In the 13th century, records show a John de Wetherley in Buckinghamshire, England, in 1273. This variation in spelling, "Wetherley," highlights the evolution of the name over time.
During the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Wetherely, Wetherly, and Weatherly. One notable person from this period was Sir Edward Weatherly (1515-1588), an English landowner and member of Parliament.
In the 18th century, the name Weatherly gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Weatherly (1722-1796), an English clergyman and author. He was known for his work titled "A Defence of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England."
Another well-known figure with the surname Weatherly was Sir Frederick Weatherly (1848-1929), an English lyricist and songwriter. He wrote the lyrics to numerous popular songs, including the famous ballad "Danny Boy."
In the 20th century, Jimmie Weatherly (1925-1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter. He is best known for writing the hit song "The Midnight Hour," which was recorded by Wilson Pickett and later became a classic in the soul music genre.
While the surname Weatherly is not as common as some other English names, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period and has been associated with notable individuals in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weatherly
Among Census respondents with the surname Weatherly, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Weatherly 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 Weatherly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.7% · 5,165
- Black or African American12.7% · 822
- Two or more races3.6% · 231
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 201
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weatherly
Weatherly 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
#5,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,926
+208 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 2.35
Rank movement Down 259 places
2020
#5,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,482
-444 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 2.17
Rank movement Down 142 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,805 | 6,718 | 2.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,064 | 6,926 | 2.35 | +208 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 259 places |
| 2020 | #5,206 | 6,482 | 2.17 | -444 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 142 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 Weatherly 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 | #5,064 | #5,206 | -2.8% |
| Count | 6,926 | 6,482 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.35 | 2.17 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weatherly bearers went from 6,926 to 6,482 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 142 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,064 to #5,206.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Weatherly
FAQ
Weatherly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weatherly?
Name Census estimates that about 7,433 living Americans carry the surname Weatherly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,113 residents.
How common is Weatherly?
Weatherly ranks #5,206 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,482 people with the surname Weatherly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,433), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Weatherly.
Has Weatherly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weatherly went from 6,926 recorded bearers to 6,482. That is a decrease of 444 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,064 to #5,206.
What does the Census say about the background of Weatherly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weatherly, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Weatherly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (5,165 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weatherly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.7%), Black (12.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Weatherly (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 Weatherly mean?
Derived from a place name referring to a clearing or meadow exposed to the elements. 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 Weatherly (2.17 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 Weatherly?
Find out how many people are called Weatherly on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.