The Oakley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 17,238 people carried this name — #2,099 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,100 people counted. That is up 3% from 16,733 in 2000.

See Oakley on the map Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Oakley surname

A surname from Old English, derived from the place names in England.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Oakley» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Oakley’.

An early record he cites: Walter de Oclee, Wiltshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Oakley and Oakly.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 565 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 5 births for the Oakley name in 1890.

Most were registered in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 2
Munster 2
Ulster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 30 people named Oakley live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 17
Santa Fe 13

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Oakley was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Staffordshire: 15 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 667. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Staffordshire 15
Warwickshire 15

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

70 families named Oakley, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 414 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 47
North Carolina 8
Connecticut 5
Pennsylvania 4
Rhode Island 2
Maryland 2
Virginia 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 255 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Oakley in American newspapers,
1861–1886.

Newspaper page from New Hampshire Journal Of Agriculture carrying the name Oakley
New Hampshire Journal Of Agriculture 1861-02-16
Newspaper page from Daily Honolulu Press carrying the name Oakley
Daily Honolulu Press 1886-01-22
Newspaper page from The Daily Bulletin carrying the name Oakley
The Daily Bulletin 1886-01-21

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,940 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Oakley in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

35,329 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Oakley. The most, 6,494, date from the 1920s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 2.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 11,307
New South Wales 6,352
Tasmania 5,300
Western Australia 4,896
South Australia 4,886
Queensland 2,240
ACT (Canberra) 236
Northern Territory 58

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Oakley.

Who carried it

People named Oakley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Thomas J. Oakley
    Thomas J. Oakley 1783–1857 · judge
  • Octavius Oakley
    Octavius Oakley 1800–1867 · painter
  • Octavius Oakley
    Octavius Oakley 1800–1867 · painter
  • Edward Oakley d. 1765 · architect
  • Evelyn Oakley d. 1939
  • Deborah Oakley d. 1850

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Oakley,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,023 records

2,023 records of the Oakley name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 651
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 627
  • Other U.S. records 745
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James A. Oakley

    Born 1920 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Bragg; bookkeeper. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1980, buried at Laurel Grove Bpt Church Cemetery, Sutherlin, Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Linus Labin Oakley

    Born 1949; from Carthage, Arkansas. U.S. Air Force; died in an accident 1971 in Khanh Hoa, South Vietnam. Buried at Little Rock National Cemetery, Arkansas.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth Oakley

    Arrived at New York in 1872 aboard the California from Glasgow, aged 42; housekeeper. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,023 records for Oakley in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,511 records

1,511 records of the Oakley name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 587
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 495
  • Other Australian records 429
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Oakley

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Henrietta in 1843. Native of Staffordshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1846. Married 1847 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 26.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Oakley

    Died 1866 in Port Sorell, Tasmania, aged 69. Will registered in Tasmania in 1866.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Emma Oakley

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Athlone, aged 32; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,511 records for Oakley in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada376 records

376 records of the Oakley name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 290
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 21
  • Other Canadian records 65
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jos Oakley

    Came to Ontario in 1872 aboard the Nestorian, landing at Quebec, bound for Alton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John A. Oakley

    Buried in 1992 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 75.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Brian Oakley

    Died 1958 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 376 records for Oakley in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom54 records

54 records of the Oakley name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 42
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 8
  • Other British records 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Christine Oakley

    Buried in 1971 at Snowdon Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 77.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Joseph Henry Oakley

    Will proved in 1936; of Dyserth, Flint.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. J. Oakley

    Gloucestershire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 54 records for Oakley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand27 records

27 records of the Oakley name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 23
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  • Other New Zealand records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Graham Robert Oakley

    Died 1987, aged 28; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Fanny Edith Oakley

    Buried in 1932 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 52.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Gladys Mary Oakley

    Died 1974; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 27 records for Oakley in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Norway3 records

3 records of the Oakley name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Harold Kingsford Oakley

    Census of 1910: Drammensvn, Kristiania; of independent means, born 1876 in England.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Justine Elisabeth Oakley

    Census of 1910: Drammensvn, Kristiania; born 1882 in Kristiania.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Oakley in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France2 records

2 records of the Oakley name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jeanne Blanche Oakley

    Born 1924 in Maisons-Laffitte; died 1999 in Plaisir (Yvelines).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record John Robert Oakley

    Born 1909 in the United States; died 1994 in Barzan (Charente-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Oakley.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Oakley is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Oakley volume
Scroll to Top