Explore the Family Name Harley
The meaning of Harley
1. English: habitational name from either of two places called Harley (Shropshire, Yorkshire). The Shropshire placename derives from Old English hær ‘rock, heap of stones’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. The Yorkshire placename derives from Old English hara ‘hare’ or hær + hlāw ‘mound, hill’, later replaced by lēah. 2. Irish (Donegal): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hEarghaile ‘descendant of Earghal’, a variant of the personal name Fearghal without the initial F-. This name has also become Herley and Hurley. Compare Arrell and Harrell. 3. Scottish (Fife): habitational name from any of several places called Harlaw in Midlothian, Peeblesshire, and Berwickshire, named in Older Scots with hare ‘gray’ + law ‘hill’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Harley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Harley has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, Harley ranked as the 2886th most popular surname, yet by 2010, it had dropped to the 2943rd position, indicating a 1.98% decline. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Harley surname increased from 11409 in 2000 to 12186 in 2010, a rise of 6.81%. The proportion per 100k people also saw a minor decrease of 2.36%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,886 | #2,943 | -1.98% |
| Count | 11,409 | 12,186 | 6.81% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.23 | 4.13 | -2.36% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Harley
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows interesting trends for those bearing the Harley surname. The largest ethnic group identifying with the Harley surname remains those of White ethnicity, despite a 5.75% decrease from 55.82% in 2000 to 52.61% in 2010. Notably, the Hispanic representation among those with the Harley surname significantly increased by 67.11%, moving from 1.49% in 2000 to 2.49% in 2010. Individuals of Black ethnicity accounted for the second-largest group, increasing from 37.46% in 2000 to 38.84% in 2010. Other groups like Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native also experienced minor increases in their proportions.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 55.82% | 52.61% | -5.75% |
| Black | 37.46% | 38.84% | 3.68% |
| Two or More Races | 2.57% | 3.19% | 24.12% |
| Hispanic | 1.49% | 2.49% | 67.11% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.27% | 2.41% | 6.17% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.39% | 0.45% | 15.38% |
Harley 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 Harley is British & Irish, which comprises 50.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.0%) and Nigerian (6.2%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Angolan & Congolese, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.8% |
| French & German | 19.0% |
| Nigerian | 6.2% |
| Other | 23.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Harley
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 Harley have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 78.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.40% |
What Harley 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 Harley is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M222 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morgan, Jones, Lloyd, Phillips, James, Thomas, Logan, Hopkins, Lewis, Hughes.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Harley 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 Harley 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.
"Harley" Surname 36.5%
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.
"Harley" Surname 31.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Harley" Surname 18.8%
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.
"Harley" Surname 21.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Harley?
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 Harley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition