2000
#62,046
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 302
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Whiley
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "clearing" or "glade."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 391 Americans carry the last name Whiley. That puts it at #63,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 876,610 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whiley 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 Whiley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
391
1 in 876,610
Census rank
#63,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
341
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 341 bearers of the surname Whiley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 63263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiley, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whiley
The surname Whiley is an intriguing English surname with roots that can be traced back to medieval Britain. Originating from England, the surname Whiley appears to have developed during the Middle Ages, most likely around the 12th or 13th century. The name was predominantly found in the northern parts of England, primarily in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Whiley is derived from the Old English word "wile," which means a cunning trick or craft. Another possible root may be the Old English "hwil," which referred to a period or interval of time, though this is less certain. Both of these etymologies suggest a name that could have been derived from personal characteristics or occupational roles associated with craftiness or timing.
Historical references to the surname Whiley can be found as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded examples appears in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1251, where a William de Wile was mentioned. The Assize Rolls were judicial records that documented legal proceedings and are invaluable for tracing the history of surnames.
The place names associated with the surname Whiley include Willey in Warwickshire and Wyley in Staffordshire. Both of these locations have ancient origins and were mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 under slightly different spellings. These place names likely contributed to the use of Whiley as a surname, as individuals would often adopt the name of their place of origin.
One notable individual with the surname Whiley was John Whiley, a landowner in Yorkshire during the 16th century. Born in 1520, John Whiley played a significant role in local affairs and left a number of records in property and legal documents of the time.
Another individual of interest is Thomas Whiley, a merchant from Lancashire, born in 1575. Thomas Whiley was known for his trading activities throughout England and into the Low Countries, reflecting the gradually expanding reach of English commerce in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In the 18th century, the name appears again, with Robert Whiley, born in 1742 in Cumberland. Robert Whiley was a farmer and a modest landowner whose records have survived in local tax documents and parish registers. His contributions to agricultural society highlight the rural and agrarian roots of many in this family line.
James Whiley, born in 1801 in Derbyshire, was a notable industrial figure of the early 19th century. He owned and operated several milling endeavors during the height of the Industrial Revolution, emphasizing the transition of the Whiley name from its rural origins to industrial significances.
Lastly, Martha Whiley, born in 1834, was a prominent educator in Liverpool. Her contributions to the education sector were recognized by the local community, and she is remembered for her efforts to improve literacy and education among the working class in that area during the mid to late 19th century.
The surname Whiley has thus traversed through various layers of English society, reflecting the dynamic history of England itself from medieval origins, through the Renaissance and Industrial Revolution, and into modern times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whiley
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiley, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Whiley 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 Whiley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.7% · 207
- Black or African American26.1% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 23
- Two or more races5.0% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whiley
Whiley 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
#66,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 297
-5 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 4,507 places
2020
#63,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 341
+44 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 3,290 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,046 | 302 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #66,553 | 297 | 0.10 | -5 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,507 places |
| 2020 | #63,263 | 341 | 0.11 | +44 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 3,290 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 Whiley 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 | #66,553 | #63,263 | 4.9% |
| Count | 297 | 341 | 14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.11 | 14.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whiley bearers went from 297 to 341 (+14.8% change). The surname moved up 3,290 positions in the national ranking, going from #66,553 to #63,263.
FAQ
Whiley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whiley?
Name Census estimates that about 391 living Americans carry the surname Whiley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 876,610 residents.
How common is Whiley?
Whiley ranks #63,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 341 people with the surname Whiley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (391), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Whiley.
Has Whiley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whiley went from 297 recorded bearers to 341. That is an increase of 44 (+14.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #66,553 to #63,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Whiley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whiley, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Whiley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.7% (207 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whiley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.7%), Black (26.1%), Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Whiley (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 Whiley mean?
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "clearing" or "glade." 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 Whiley (0.11 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 Whiley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.