2000
#1,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,407
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.42
Uncommon Last name
Worley
Derived from a place name meaning "wood clearing" or "wood meadow" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 27,917 Americans carry the last name Worley. That puts it at #1,425 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,278 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Worley 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 Worley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
28K
1 in 12,278
Census rank
#1,425
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
24K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,345 bearers of the surname Worley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1425th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Worley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Worley
The surname Worley is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "worl," which means "mound" or "small hill." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived on or near a small hill or raised ground.
The earliest known record of the name Worley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was documented as "Worlay" and referred to a location or settlement near the present-day county of Derbyshire.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Worley, Worleigh, Worlie, and Wourley. These variations can be attributed to regional dialects, scribal errors, and the lack of standardized spelling practices in earlier times.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Worley was John Worley, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1525. He was a prominent landowner and served as a local magistrate during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure in history was Sir Robert Worley (1592-1669), an English diplomat and politician who served as the ambassador to the Netherlands during the Commonwealth period. He played a significant role in negotiating treaties and maintaining diplomatic relations between England and the Dutch Republic.
In the 18th century, Thomas Worley (1709-1781) was a renowned clockmaker from Nottingham, England. His timepieces were highly valued for their craftsmanship and precision, and some of his clocks are still preserved in museums and private collections today.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Mary Worley (1817-1895), a British author and activist who wrote extensively on women's rights and education. Her works, such as "The Rights and Wrongs of Women" and "Thoughts on the Education of Girls," were influential in advocating for gender equality and educational opportunities for women.
Another notable figure was John Worley (1865-1941), a British architect who designed several iconic buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House and the Savoy Hotel. His architectural style was heavily influenced by the Baroque and Renaissance periods, and his works are considered significant contributions to the cityscape of London.
While the Worley surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, as a result of migration and emigration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Worley
Among Census respondents with the surname Worley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Worley 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 Worley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 21,044
- Black or African American5.2% · 1,260
- Two or more races4.2% · 1,028
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 720
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 151
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 142
Timeline
Historical Census data for Worley
Worley 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
#1,370
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,758
+351 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 8.73
Rank movement Down 99 places
2020
#1,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,345
-1,413 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 8.14
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,271 | 25,407 | 9.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,370 | 25,758 | 8.73 | +351 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 99 places |
| 2020 | #1,425 | 24,345 | 8.14 | -1,413 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 55 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 Worley 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 | #1,370 | #1,425 | -4.0% |
| Count | 25,758 | 24,345 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 8.73 | 8.14 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Worley bearers went from 25,758 to 24,345 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,370 to #1,425.
FAQ
Worley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Worley?
Name Census estimates that about 27,917 living Americans carry the surname Worley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,278 residents.
How common is Worley?
Worley ranks #1,425 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,345 people with the surname Worley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (27,917), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Worley.
Has Worley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Worley went from 25,758 recorded bearers to 24,345. That is a decrease of 1,413 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,370 to #1,425.
What does the Census say about the background of Worley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Worley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Worley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (21,044 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Worley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Black (5.2%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Worley (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 Worley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "wood clearing" or "wood meadow" in Old English. 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 Worley (8.14 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 Americans have the surname Worley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.