Explore the Family Name Bley
The meaning of Bley
1. German: metonymic occupational name for a lead miner or lead worker, from Middle High German blī ‘lead’. Compare Blei, Bly, and Ply. 2. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from German Blei or Yiddish blaj ‘lead’, due to replacement of -ei or -aj with Russian -ey. 3. Dutch: variant, archaic or Americanized, of Bleij ‘merry, gay, happy’ (see Blei). Compare Bly. Some characteristic forenames: German Hans, Eckhard, Ernst, Fritz, Joerg, Volker.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Bley has seen a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Bley ranked as the 19,727th most popular surname, dropping to the 20,910th spot in 2010, representing a 6% decrease in rank. The number of individuals with the surname Bley remained relatively stable, with only minor fluctuations. There were 1,264 people named Bley in 2000 and this figure slightly fell to 1,260 by 2010, marking a nominal decrease of 0.32%. Proportionally, for every 100,000 people in the U.S., there were 0.47 named Bley in 2000 compared to 0.43 in 2010, indicating an 8.51% drop.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #19,727 | #20,910 | -6% |
| Count | 1,264 | 1,260 | -0.32% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.47 | 0.43 | -8.51% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bley
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Bley also experienced some shifts over the same period. According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the majority of Bleys identified themselves as White, but that percentage decreased from 95.33% in 2000 to 92.14% in 2010. The proportion of Bleys who identified as Hispanic saw a significant increase, rising from 1.34% in 2000 to 3.65% in 2010. Furthermore, those identifying as two or more races also climbed up noticeably, going from 0.55% to 1.51%. Meanwhile, the percentages of Bleys identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native both declined, falling by 21.62% and 20.25% respectively. Lastly, there was a small rise in Black ethnicity within the Bley population, increasing by 36.78% from 2000 to 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.33% | 92.14% | -3.35% |
| Hispanic | 1.34% | 3.65% | 172.39% |
| Two or More Races | 0.55% | 1.51% | 174.55% |
| Black | 0.87% | 1.19% | 36.78% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.11% | 0.87% | -21.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.79% | 0.63% | -20.25% |