Find out how popular the last name Ainsley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ainsley.

Ainsley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ainsley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ainsley in America

Ainsley is the 37076th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ainsley surname appeared 602 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ainsley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ainsley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ainsley

The surname Ainsley is an English locational name derived from the place name Annesley in Nottinghamshire. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "ane", meaning alone or solitary, and "leah", meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Anesleie". This suggests that the name was already well-established in the English language by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, various records show the surname spelled as "Anesleye", "Annesley", and "Annyslay". This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages, as surnames were often written phonetically and influenced by local dialects.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir John de Annesley, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in Nottinghamshire in the late 13th century. He was involved in the Scottish Wars of Independence and served under King Edward I.

Another notable figure was Samuel Annesley (1620-1696), an English Puritan minister and non-conformist leader during the English Civil War. He was a prominent critic of the established Church of England and played a significant role in the religious debates of his time.

In the 18th century, the surname gained prominence through the Annesley family of Nottinghamshire. This family produced several notable individuals, including Arthur Annesley (1614-1686), the 1st Earl of Anglesey, who served as Lord Privy Seal under King Charles II.

James Ainsley (1716-1796) was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Old College of the University of Edinburgh and the Merchant Maiden Hospital.

William Francis Ainsley (1873-1961) was an English cricketer who played Test cricket for England between 1898 and 1905. He was a right-handed batsman and occasional wicket-keeper.

While the surname Ainsley is more commonly found in England, particularly in the Midlands region, it has also been recorded in other parts of the United Kingdom and in various English-speaking countries due to migration and diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ainsley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ainsley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ainsley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ainsley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ainsley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ainsley, please contact us.

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