Explore the Family Name Alley
The meaning of Alley
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Ally, Alli, as forms such as Johannes filius Alli (Norfolk, 1205) make clear. It may be a pet form of Alexander, Alan, Alice, or Alison, or a survival of Old Danish Alli, Old Swedish Alle, found as Alli in Domesday Book. 2. In some cases also an altered form of French Hallé (see Halle 2) or of some other similar (like-sounding) surname. 3. Variant of Allee 2, a surname of French origin. History: This surname (see 3 above) is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors (along with several variants, including Allée and Alyea, and the original form d’Ailly).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Alley in the United States?
Based on information from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Alley saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 2,321 in terms of commonality and dipped to rank 2,529 in 2010, representing an 8.96% decrease. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased slightly over the decade, going from 14,285 to 14,323 - an increase of 0.27%. The proportion of people with the Alley surname per 100,000 decreased by 8.3%, from 5.3 in 2000 to 4.86 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,321 | #2,529 | -8.96% |
| Count | 14,285 | 14,323 | 0.27% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.3 | 4.86 | -8.3% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Alley
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the Alley surname. Most notably within the decade, there were increases in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native, growing by 57.14% and 55.81% respectively. Those identifying as part of two or more races also saw an increase of 17.65%. The proportion of individuals of Hispanic ethnicity increased by 31.08%, while the percentage of those identifying as white decreased slightly by 0.69%. Interestingly, the proportion of people with the Alley surname who identified as Black saw a decrease of 18.07%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.94% | 92.3% | -0.69% |
| Black | 3.21% | 2.63% | -18.07% |
| Hispanic | 1.48% | 1.94% | 31.08% |
| Two or More Races | 1.53% | 1.8% | 17.65% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.43% | 0.67% | 55.81% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.66% | 57.14% |
Alley ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Alley is British & Irish, which comprises 58.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.7%) and Eastern European (3.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Levantine.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.7% |
| French & German | 23.7% |
| Eastern European | 3.4% |
| Other | 14.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Alley
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Alley have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 91.90% |
What Alley haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Alley is R-Z11, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z11 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and R-DF101, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Oldham, Fincher, Hodges, Tolbert, Holland, Pointer, Talbert, Wolford, Hodgson, Jackman.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Alley surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Alley have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Alley" Surname 42.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Alley" Surname 25.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Alley" Surname 25.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Alley" Surname 17.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Alley?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Alley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition