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

Welly, 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 Welly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Welly in America

Welly is the 76768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Welly surname appeared 250 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 Welly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Welly to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Welly

The surname WELLY is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "well," which referred to a spring or a source of water. This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, given to someone who lived near a natural well or spring.

The earliest recorded instances of the name WELLY can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable example is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1275, where a person named Robert de Welle is mentioned. This spelling variation, "de Welle," further supports the theory that the name was initially locational, with the "de" prefix indicating "of" or "from" a particular place.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John atte Welle is listed. The use of the "atte" prefix in this instance also suggests a locational connection, meaning "at the well" or "near the well."

One of the earliest known bearers of the WELLY surname was Sir Thomas Welly, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in Nottinghamshire during the late 14th century. He is mentioned in the Calendars of Inquisitions Post Mortem from 1391, which documented the transfer of property after his death.

Another notable figure was Richard Welly, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol during the 15th century. He is recorded in the Mayor's Registers of Bristol from 1467, where he is described as a respected member of the local community.

In the 16th century, the WELLY surname appears to have been more widespread across England. One example is William Welly, who was born in Gloucestershire around 1520 and served as a member of the local gentry. He is mentioned in the Gloucestershire Lay Subsidy Rolls from 1545.

Throughout the centuries, variations in spelling have emerged, including Welley, Wely, and Welli. These variations can often be attributed to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in recordkeeping during earlier periods.

While the WELLY surname is not among the most common in England, it has persisted over time and can still be found today, particularly in regions where it has historical roots, such as the West Midlands and parts of southern England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Welly

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

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 Welly 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Welly has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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