Whalley
A topographic surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Whalley Valley or Whalley Town.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 754 Americans carry the last name Whalley. That puts it at #35,016 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 454,581 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whalley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
754
1 in 454,581
Census rank
#35,016
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
644
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 644 bearers of the surname Whalley in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35016th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whalley, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whalley
The surname Whalley is of English origin and dates back to at least the medieval period. It is a locational name deriving from the village of Whalley in Lancashire, England. The name Whalley is believed to have originated from the Old English elements "hwæl," meaning "a hill" and "léah," meaning "a woodland clearing," suggesting that Whalley originally meant "the woodland clearing by the hill."
Historical records show the surname Whalley appearing in various documents. For instance, the village of Whalley is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a great survey of England ordered by King William the Conqueror. The varied spellings over time included "Wallege," "Waley," and "Wallei," reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional dialects.
One of the earliest records of the surname used in a personal context is Henry de Whalley, who is documented in Lancashire in the year 1246. Another notable historical figure is Richard Whalley, born in 1499 and died in 1583. He served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire. A third individual of note is Sir James Whalley, mentioned in historical records from the early 17th century, who was a notable English landowner.
In the 17th century, Edward Whalley, born in 1607 and died around 1675 in Massachusetts, was another prominent figure. He was a regicide, one of the judges who signed the death warrant for King Charles I, and later fled to North America following the restoration of the monarchy. Another remarkable person was Major-General Edward Whalley, born around 1615 and died in 1674, an English military leader during the Civil War and the Commonwealth period.
Throughout history, Whalley has consistently been linked to the Lancashire region and its surrounding areas, maintaining its roots in the north of England. The name's endurance through centuries underscores both its geographical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whalley
Among Census respondents with the surname Whalley, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Whalley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Whalley surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2%
- Hispanic or Latino2.2%
- Black or African American2.0%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Whalley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,016 | #35,016 | 0.0% |
| Count | 644 | 644 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Whalley bearers went from 644 to 644 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #35,016 to #35,016.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Whalley
FAQ
Whalley surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Whalley?
The surname Whalley holds position #35,016 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 754 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Whalley surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whalley, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Black (2.0%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.