Explore the Family Name Haley
The meaning of Haley
1. English: habitational name from Hailey (Oxfordshire), Heylee in Chapel en le Frith (Derbyshire), Haley in Northowram (Yorkshire), or one or other of the places called Highley in Parracombe and Upottery (Devon). All the placenames derive from Old English hēg ‘hay’ + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’, except Highley in Upottery, whose first element may be Old English hēah ‘high’. 2. English (southeastern): aspirated pronunciation of Ayley, a variant of Aylett. 3. Irish: adopted form of Mac Céile, see McHale.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Haley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Haley" in the United States has seen mild fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Haley ranked as the 869th most popular surname, while it fell slightly to the 917th position in 2010, indicating a decline in popularity of 5.52%. However, the overall count of individuals with this surname increased from 36,433 in 2000 to 37,858 in 2010, marking a growth of 3.91%. The proportion of the population with this surname per 100,000 people also saw a slight decrease from 13.51 to 12.83 during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #869 | #917 | -5.52% |
| Count | 36,433 | 37,858 | 3.91% |
| Proportion per 100k | 13.51 | 12.83 | -5.03% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Haley
As for ethnic identity, the distribution among those carrying the surname "Haley" also shifted between 2000 and 2010. According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the largest ethnicity group identified was White, which decreased from representing 83.27% of Haleys in 2000 to 81.27% in 2010. The next most common ethnicity was Black, growing slightly from 12.90% to 13.23%. There was notable growth in the Hispanic representation among the Haley surname, rising from 1.41% to 2.24%, a change of nearly 59%. Similarly, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those claiming two or more races also saw increases of 35% and 47.06% respectively. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group grew modestly, from 0.66% to 0.72%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.27% | 81.27% | -2.4% |
| Black | 12.9% | 13.23% | 2.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.41% | 2.24% | 58.87% |
| Two or More Races | 1.36% | 2% | 47.06% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.66% | 0.72% | 9.09% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.54% | 35% |
Haley 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 Haley is British & Irish, which comprises 57.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.3%) and Scandinavian (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.0% |
| French & German | 19.3% |
| Scandinavian | 4.0% |
| Other | 19.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Haley
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 Haley have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
What Haley 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 Haley is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-S660, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dennis, Bradshaw, Knight, Ingram, Ackerman, Ott, Noel, Ritchie, Weaver, Clayton.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Haley surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Haley 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.
"Haley" Surname 36.9%
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.
"Haley" Surname 27.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Haley" Surname 22.7%
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.
"Haley" Surname 18.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Haley?
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 Haley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition