2000
#107,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 154
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Haffley
A variant spelling of the surname Haffley, derived from a place name or geographic feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 158 Americans carry the last name Haffley. That puts it at #129,045 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,169,331 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Haffley 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.
Bearers in the US
158
1 in 2,169,331
Census rank
#129,045
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
138
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 138 bearers of the surname Haffley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 129045th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Haffley, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Haffley
The surname HAFFLEY originates from the northern English counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hafela" meaning "head or headland" and "leah" meaning "meadow or clearing." This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone who resided near a prominent headland or hill overlooking a meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195, where a Richard de Haffelea is mentioned as a landowner. The spelling evolved over time, with variations like Haffelay, Haffeley, and Haffely appearing in various medieval records from the region.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called "Haffeld" is listed, which could be a precursor to the surname HAFFLEY. This place name likely referred to a location near a headland or prominent hill, further reinforcing the proposed etymology of the surname.
Notable individuals with the surname HAFFLEY throughout history include:
1. Sir William Haffley (c. 1320-1385), a knight and landowner from Yorkshire, who fought in the Hundred Years' War under Edward III.
2. John Haffley (c. 1450-1523), a successful merchant and alderman in the city of Lincoln, known for his philanthropic contributions to the local community.
3. Elizabeth Haffley (c. 1570-1642), a noted herbalist and healer from Yorkshire, renowned for her knowledge of medicinal plants and natural remedies.
4. Thomas Haffley (1625-1699), a Puritan clergyman and author from Lincolnshire, who wrote several influential religious texts in the 17th century.
5. Richard Haffley (1735-1812), a prominent architect from Yorkshire, responsible for designing several notable buildings and churches in the region during the Georgian era.
While the surname HAFFLEY is relatively uncommon today, its long history and connection to the northern English counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire provide a fascinating glimpse into the origins and evolution of this distinctive surname over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haffley
Among Census respondents with the surname Haffley, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Haffley 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 Haffley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 138
Timeline
Historical Census data for Haffley
Haffley 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
-20 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 20,456 places
2020
#129,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+4 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 1,551 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #107,038 | 154 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | -20 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 20,456 places |
| 2020 | #129,045 | 138 | 0.05 | +4 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 1,551 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 Haffley 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 | #127,494 | #129,045 | -1.2% |
| Count | 134 | 138 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Haffley bearers went from 134 to 138 (+3.0% change). The surname moved down 1,551 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #129,045.
FAQ
Haffley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Haffley?
Name Census estimates that about 158 living Americans carry the surname Haffley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,169,331 residents.
How common is Haffley?
Haffley ranks #129,045 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 138 people with the surname Haffley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (158), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Haffley.
Has Haffley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Haffley went from 134 recorded bearers to 138. That is an increase of 4 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #129,045.
What does the Census say about the background of Haffley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Haffley, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Haffley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (138 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Haffley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Haffley (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 Haffley mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Haffley, derived from a place name or geographic feature. 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 Haffley (0.05 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 common is the surname Haffley?
See how many people are called Haffley on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.