Explore the Family Name Halley
The meaning of Halley
1. English and Scottish: either an aspirated variant of Alley or a variant of Hawley. 2. Scottish: habitational name from Halley in Deerness (Orkney). 3. Irish (Waterford and Tipperary): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hAilche ‘descendant of Ailche’, possibly from the byname Ailchú meaning ‘gentle hound’. In some cases in Ireland Halley has been adopted for Ó Maolchathail (see Mulhall). 4. Irish (Clare): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÁille ‘descendant of Áille’, apparently from áille ‘beauty’, but possibly a variant of Ó hÁinle (see Hanley). 5. French (mainly Normandy): variant of Halle 2. 6. Altered form of French Canadian Hallé (see Halle 3).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Halley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Halley has seen a significant decrease between 2000 and 2010. Ranked at 6432 in 2000, it fell to 8394 by 2010, marking a drop of 30.5%. The count of individuals bearing this surname also declined from 4870 in 2000 to 3943 in 2010, experiencing a reduction of 19.03%. Consequently, the proportion of people with the Halley surname per 100k population saw a dip of 25.97%, moving from 1.81 in 2000 to 1.34 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,432 | #8,394 | -30.5% |
| Count | 4,870 | 3,943 | -19.03% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.81 | 1.34 | -25.97% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Halley
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Halley. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a considerable increase in the number of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those acknowledging two or more races, with increases of 108.70% and 28.87% respectively. The percentage of people identifying as White decreased slightly from 79.96% to 75.68%. The Hispanic and Black communities saw growth with the Hispanic population growing by 47.03% and the Black population by 15.26%. There was also a modest increase of 32.26% in the American Indian and Alaskan Native segment.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.96% | 75.68% | -5.35% |
| Black | 15.73% | 18.13% | 15.26% |
| Hispanic | 2.36% | 3.47% | 47.03% |
| Two or More Races | 1.42% | 1.83% | 28.87% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.23% | 0.48% | 108.7% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.31% | 0.41% | 32.26% |
Halley 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 Halley is British & Irish, which comprises 51.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.4%) and Eastern European (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Nigerian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.4% |
| French & German | 24.4% |
| Eastern European | 5.0% |
| Other | 19.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Halley
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 Halley have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.20% |
What Halley 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 Halley is R-A294, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-A294 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-CTS6364, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Self, Hulett, Barrington, Conard, Lowman, Bennett, Howe, Masters, Price, Morgan.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Halley 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 Halley 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.
"Halley" Surname 56.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Halley" Surname 48.3%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Halley" Surname 23.7%
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.
"Halley" Surname 17.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Halley?
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 Halley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition