Explore the Family Name Oatley

The meaning of Oatley

English: 1. habitational name from Oteley in Ellesmere, Shropshire. The placename probably means ‘oat clearing’, from Old English āte ‘oat’ + lēah ‘open woodland’, but some forms suggest that the initial element is an Old English personal name Otta and that the final element is Old English halh ‘nook, corner of land’. 2. alternatively, perhaps a habitational name from Oatley in Cannington, Somerset.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Oatley in the United States?

The Oatley surname, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, showed a minor increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank rose slightly from 49,563 to 48,800, signaling a 1.54% change. The count, or the number of people with this surname, also showed an increase, moving from 398 in 2000 to 432 in 2010. This represents an 8.54% increase. However, the proportion per 100k remained consistent at 0.15 for both years.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#49,563	#48,800	1.54%
Count	398	432	8.54%
Proportion per 100k	0.15	0.15	0%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Oatley

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest group, those identifying as white, decreased by 3.07%, moving from 96.48% to 93.52%. Meanwhile, there was a significant 138.89% increase within the Hispanic community, rising from 1.26% to 3.01%. Interestingly, the Asian/Pacific Islander group appeared for the first time in 2010 with 1.62%, while other groups like those identifying as Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and two or more races did not show any changes.

	2000	2010	Change
White	96.48%	93.52%	-3.07%
Hispanic	1.26%	3.01%	138.89%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	1.62%	0%
Two or More Races	0%	0%	0%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%