# Farley (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/farley/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A habitational surname from Old English derived from the place names.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | place, taken from where an ancestor lived or came from |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 38,528 |
| US rank (2010) | 898 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 8,014 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.8% (37,116 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfɑɹli/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Farleigh |

## Etymology

From Old English fearn (“fern”) + lēah (“woodland”). Equivalent to fern + -ley (“lea”) and doublet of Farnley.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Farley in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 84% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 11% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
| Two or more races | 1.6% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Farley in the United States.

## People named Farley

- Chris Farley, American actor and comedian (1964–1997)
- Dot Farley, American actress and scenario writer (1881-1971)
- Melissa Farley, American psychologist
- Kevin Farley, American actor and singer
- Morgan Farley, American actor (1898–1988)
- James Farley, American politician (1888-1976)
- James T. Farley, American politician (1829-1886)
- James Farley, American actor (1882-1947)
- Walter Farley, American writer (1915-1989)
- John Farley, American actor and comedian
- Dick Farley, American basketball player (1932–1969)
- Farley Keith, American DJ

and 1 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Farrell, Fraley, Fairley, Farlow, Frawley, Frailey, Farrelly, Farwell, Ferrell, Friel, Furlow, Ferrel.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.