2000
#105,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Softley
A toponymic surname derived from a location named for its soft or gentle landscape.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 230 Americans carry the last name Softley. That puts it at #96,965 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,490,236 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Softley 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 Softley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
230
1 in 1,490,236
Census rank
#96,965
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
201
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 201 bearers of the surname Softley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 96965th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Softley, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Softley
The surname Softley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name referring to a soft or low-lying area of land. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the late 13th century, where it appears as "de Softelee" in the Cambridgeshire Assize Rolls of 1260.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Softley name was John de Softelee, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1327. Another early record includes William Softley, who was listed in the Hearth Tax Returns for Yorkshire in 1672. The name also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Softeleia" in reference to a settlement in Cambridgeshire.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the name's spelling began to emerge, such as Softley, Softlie, and Softlay. These variations were likely the result of regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. One notable individual from this period was Robert Softley, a merchant from London who was born in 1587.
In the 19th century, the Softley name continued to be found predominantly in England, with a particular concentration in the counties of Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire, and Norfolk. Notable individuals from this period include William Softley (1794-1871), a farmer from Cambridgeshire, and John Softley (1828-1903), a prominent industrialist from Yorkshire.
Throughout history, the Softley name has also been associated with various place names, such as Softley Hill in Cambridgeshire and Softley Farm in Norfolk. These place names likely derived from the same linguistic roots as the surname itself, further reinforcing the locational origins of the name.
Other notable individuals bearing the Softley surname include Sir Robert Softley (1884-1958), a British politician and Member of Parliament, and Margaret Softley (1904-1986), an English author and poet. These examples demonstrate the enduring presence of the Softley name across various fields and professions throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Softley
Among Census respondents with the surname Softley, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Softley 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 Softley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.2% · 121
- Black or African American33.3% · 67
- Two or more races2.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Softley
Softley 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
#93,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 195
+38 bearers (+24.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 11,453 places
2020
#96,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 201
+6 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 3,044 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #105,374 | 157 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #93,921 | 195 | 0.07 | +38 bearers (+24.2%) | Up 11,453 places |
| 2020 | #96,965 | 201 | 0.07 | +6 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 3,044 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 Softley 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 | #93,921 | #96,965 | -3.2% |
| Count | 195 | 201 | 3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Softley bearers went from 195 to 201 (+3.1% change). The surname moved down 3,044 positions in the national ranking, going from #93,921 to #96,965.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Softley
FAQ
Softley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Softley?
Name Census estimates that about 230 living Americans carry the surname Softley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,490,236 residents.
How common is Softley?
Softley ranks #96,965 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 201 people with the surname Softley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (230), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Softley.
Has Softley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Softley went from 195 recorded bearers to 201. That is an increase of 6 (+3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #93,921 to #96,965.
What does the Census say about the background of Softley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Softley, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Softley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.2% (121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Softley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.2%), Black (33.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Softley (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 Softley mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a location named for its soft or gentle landscape. 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 Softley (0.07 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 Softley?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.