Explore the Family Name Hurley
The meaning of Hurley
1. English: habitational name from any of the three places called Hurley (Somerset, Warwickshire, Berkshire). The Warwickshire and Berkshire placenames derive from Old English hyrne ‘angle, corner’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. The Somerset placename, for a minor place near Crowcombe, may have the same origin but this cannot be certain due to a lack of medieval forms. 2. Irish (Munster): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hUrthuile ‘descendant of Urthuile’, a personal name possibly meaning ‘great flood’. 3. Irish: variant of Herlihy. 4. Irish: variant of Murley 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hurley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Hurley has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Hurley was ranked as the 808th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to the 870th spot, marking a decline of approximately 7.67%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Hurley surname increased by 2.12% during the same period, from 38,971 in 2000 to 39,796 in 2010. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decrease of around 6.64%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #808 | #870 | -7.67% |
| Count | 38,971 | 39,796 | 2.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 14.45 | 13.49 | -6.64% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hurley
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the Hurley surname, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, it appears to be predominantly White. In both 2000 and 2010, over 90% of those with the Hurley surname identified as White, though there was a small decrease of about 1.29% over that decade. The second most common ethnicity was Black, accounting for 4.48% in 2000 and rising slightly to 4.64% in 2010. There were also noticeable increases in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, which rose by 25% and 53.23%, respectively. Those identifying as two or more races also saw an increase of 19.35%. However, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Natives remained constant at 0.62%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.9% | 90.71% | -1.29% |
| Black | 4.48% | 4.64% | 3.57% |
| Hispanic | 1.24% | 1.9% | 53.23% |
| Two or More Races | 1.24% | 1.48% | 19.35% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.65% | 25% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.62% | 0.62% | 0% |
Hurley 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 Hurley is British & Irish, which comprises 61.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.4%) and Eastern European (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 61.8% |
| French & German | 17.4% |
| Eastern European | 4.6% |
| Other | 16.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Hurley
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 Hurley have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
What Hurley 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 Hurley is R-A88, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-A88 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-M26 and R-Z209, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bernard, Conner, Rowe, Lewis, Roberts, Evans, Morgan, Richards, Clark, Phillips.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hurley 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 Hurley 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.
"Hurley" 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.
"Hurley" Surname 29.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hurley" Surname 23.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Hurley" Surname 33.9%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hurley?
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 Hurley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition