2000
#3,008
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,039
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.09
Uncommon Last name
Whatley
An English habitational surname derived from places in Essex and Somerset, likely meaning "wheat meadow" or "woodland clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,521 Americans carry the last name Whatley. That puts it at #3,223 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,374 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whatley 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 Whatley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 27,374
Census rank
#3,223
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,919 bearers of the surname Whatley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3223rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whatley, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.4%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whatley
The surname Whatley is of English origin, with its earliest roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, derived from a place name. The most likely origin is the village of Whatley in Somerset, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Watelie."
The name Whatley is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hwæt" meaning "wheat" and "leah" meaning "a clearing or meadow." This suggests that the original bearer of the surname may have lived near a wheat field or a clearing where wheat was grown.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Whatley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset from 1196, where a person named Robert de Whateleg is mentioned. This spelling variation reflects the evolution of the name over time.
In the 13th century, records show the name appearing as "de Whateleye" and "de Whatelie," further indicating its locational origins. During this period, the use of surnames was becoming more widespread, and individuals often took their surnames from the place where they lived or were born.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Whatley throughout history include Sir William Whatley (1583-1639), an English Member of Parliament and landowner in Somerset. Another prominent figure was Robert Whatley (1661-1720), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Stockton-on-Tees.
In the 18th century, Archibald Whatley (1726-1805) was a renowned English banker and merchant who played a significant role in the financial affairs of the British East India Company. During the same period, Samuel Whatley (1768-1837) was a Church of England clergyman and author, known for his sermons and religious writings.
Moving into the 19th century, John Whatley (1795-1860) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several notable battles during the Napoleonic Wars. He later became a prolific writer and published works on naval history and strategy.
These examples showcase the widespread presence of the surname Whatley throughout English history, with individuals from various professions and backgrounds bearing this name. While the exact origins may be shrouded in the mists of time, the locational roots and connections to the village of Whatley in Somerset remain a plausible and widely accepted explanation for the surname's origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whatley
Among Census respondents with the surname Whatley, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.4%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Whatley 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 Whatley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.4% · 7,137
- Black or African American22.9% · 2,505
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 625
- Two or more races4.7% · 512
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 80
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whatley
Whatley 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
#3,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,579
+540 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 3.93
Rank movement Down 101 places
2020
#3,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,919
-660 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 3.65
Rank movement Down 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,008 | 11,039 | 4.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,109 | 11,579 | 3.93 | +540 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 101 places |
| 2020 | #3,223 | 10,919 | 3.65 | -660 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 114 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 Whatley 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 | #3,109 | #3,223 | -3.7% |
| Count | 11,579 | 10,919 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.93 | 3.65 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whatley bearers went from 11,579 to 10,919 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,109 to #3,223.
FAQ
Whatley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whatley?
Name Census estimates that about 12,521 living Americans carry the surname Whatley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,374 residents.
How common is Whatley?
Whatley ranks #3,223 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,919 people with the surname Whatley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,521), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Whatley.
Has Whatley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whatley went from 11,579 recorded bearers to 10,919. That is a decrease of 660 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,109 to #3,223.
What does the Census say about the background of Whatley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whatley, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.4%. The next largest groups are Black (22.9%) and Hispanic (5.7%). 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 Whatley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.4% (7,137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whatley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.4%), Black (22.9%), Hispanic (5.7%). 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 Whatley (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 Whatley mean?
An English habitational surname derived from places in Essex and Somerset, likely meaning "wheat meadow" or "woodland clearing." 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 Whatley (3.65 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 surname Whatley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.