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

Woolley, 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 Woolley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woolley in America

Woolley is the 5176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woolley surname appeared 6,749 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Woolley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woolley 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 Woolley

The surname Woolley has its origins in medieval England, deriving from various place names containing the Old English word 'wudu,' meaning wood, and 'leah,' meaning a woodland clearing or meadow. It is believed to have emerged during the 11th or 12th century as a habitational name, given to individuals who resided near such wooded areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Wuluelei' and 'Wulveleia,' referring to locations in Wiltshire and Somerset, respectively. These early spellings highlight the variation in how the name was recorded during that period.

During the 13th century, the name was commonly spelled as 'Wulveley' or 'Wolveley,' reflecting the linguistic evolution of the Old English elements. By the 14th century, the spelling had evolved closer to its modern form, appearing in records as 'Wolley' and 'Woolley.'

Notable individuals bearing the Woolley surname include John Woolley (c. 1537-1594), an English linguist and translator who was one of the earliest scholars to study the Anglo-Saxon language. Another prominent figure was Joseph Woolley (1638-1711), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of Coventry.

In the literary realm, John Woolley (1651-1719) was an English dramatist and poet, best known for his satirical play "The Gentleman Dancing-Master." Meanwhile, Edward Woolley (1807-1882) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons.

One of the most famous individuals with this surname was Sir Leonard Woolley (1880-1960), a British archaeologist renowned for his excavations at ancient sites such as Ur in Mesopotamia and the Royal Cemetery at Ur. His discoveries shed significant light on the Sumerian civilization and influenced our understanding of the region's history.

While the Woolley surname originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by descendants of English emigrants over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woolley

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

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

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

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