2000
#1,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,609
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.53
Uncommon Last name
Corley
Derived from the Irish surname "Mac Thoirdealbhaigh," meaning "son of Toirdhealbhach," which translates to "instigator" or "troublemaker."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,468 Americans carry the last name Corley. That puts it at #2,074 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,606 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corley 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 Corley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 17,606
Census rank
#2,074
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,977 bearers of the surname Corley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2074th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corley, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corley
The surname Corley has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Corley, which is located in the county of Warwickshire. The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "cor" meaning a bend or curve, and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where a Robert de Corleye is mentioned. The name also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Warwickshire from 1221, with a reference to a Hugo de Corleye.
In the 13th century, the name was spelled in various ways, including Corleye, Corlie, and Corleigh, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain an entry for a Richard de Corley in Warwickshire.
A notable figure in history with the surname Corley was Sir John Corley (c. 1530–1592), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire in the latter half of the 16th century.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain Francis Corley (c. 1610–1670) fought on the Parliamentarian side and is mentioned in several dispatches and records from the conflict.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure was the Reverend Samuel Corley (1717–1801), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwick.
In the 19th century, Elizabeth Corley (1823–1892) gained recognition as an English painter and watercolorist, known for her landscapes and still-life works.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Herbert Corley (1875–1945), a British military officer who served in the Boer War and World War I, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant-General.
Over the centuries, the surname Corley has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Corley Ash, Corley Rocks, and Corley Moor, all located in the vicinity of the original village of Corley in Warwickshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corley
Among Census respondents with the surname Corley, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Corley 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 Corley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8% · 12,189
- Black or African American19.1% · 3,243
- Two or more races4.5% · 767
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 589
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 85
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corley
Corley 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
#2,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,931
+322 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 6.08
Rank movement Down 140 places
2020
#2,074
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,977
-954 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 5.68
Rank movement Down 62 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,872 | 17,609 | 6.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,012 | 17,931 | 6.08 | +322 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 140 places |
| 2020 | #2,074 | 16,977 | 5.68 | -954 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 62 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 Corley 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 | #2,012 | #2,074 | -3.1% |
| Count | 17,931 | 16,977 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 6.08 | 5.68 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corley bearers went from 17,931 to 16,977 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 62 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,012 to #2,074.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Corley
FAQ
Corley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corley?
Name Census estimates that about 19,468 living Americans carry the surname Corley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,606 residents.
How common is Corley?
Corley ranks #2,074 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,977 people with the surname Corley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,468), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Corley.
Has Corley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corley went from 17,931 recorded bearers to 16,977. That is a decrease of 954 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,012 to #2,074.
What does the Census say about the background of Corley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corley, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Corley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.8% (12,189 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.8%), Black (19.1%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Corley (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 Corley mean?
Derived from the Irish surname "Mac Thoirdealbhaigh," meaning "son of Toirdhealbhach," which translates to "instigator" or "troublemaker." 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 Corley (5.68 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 Corley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.