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

Yardley, 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 Yardley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yardley in America

Yardley is the 13065th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yardley surname appeared 2,350 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Yardley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yardley 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 Yardley

The surname Yardley is of English origin, deriving from the place name Yardley, which can be found in various locations across England. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "gerd" meaning "yard" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing". This suggests that the name was initially used to refer to someone who lived near or owned a meadow or clearing used for a yard or pasture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Yardley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ierdele" in reference to places in Worcestershire and Staffordshire. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 13th century, records show the name spelled as "Yerdeley" and "Yardeley", indicating the gradual shift towards the modern spelling. During this period, the surname was particularly prevalent in the West Midlands region of England.

Notable individuals with the surname Yardley include Sir William Yardley (c. 1520-1589), an English merchant and diplomat who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1572. Another prominent figure was Thomas Yardley (1616-1693), an English immigrant to America who became the deputy governor of the English colony of Virginia in the mid-17th century.

In the 18th century, the Yardley family established themselves as prominent landowners in Staffordshire, with their ancestral home being the Yardley Manor located near the village of Yardley. One member of this family, John Yardley (1718-1784), was a notable English architect who designed several churches and country houses in the region.

The 19th century saw the emergence of William Yardley (1808-1884), an English industrialist who founded the Yardley Soap Company in Birmingham. This company went on to become a successful manufacturer of luxury toiletries and perfumes, continuing to operate under the Yardley name for over a century.

While the surname Yardley has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to emigration and migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English words that described the physical characteristics of the places where the earliest bearers of the name lived.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yardley

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

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

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

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