2000
#8,737
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,462
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Ansley
From the English place name, likely derived from the Old English words "ansetl" meaning "hermitage" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,848 Americans carry the last name Ansley. That puts it at #9,304 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,073 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ansley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ansley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,073
Census rank
#9,304
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,356 bearers of the surname Ansley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9304th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ansley, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ansley
The surname Ansley is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "an" meaning "one" and "leah" meaning "a meadow or clearing." The name likely referred to someone who lived in a single meadow or clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ansley appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Ansleg," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of Ansley.
In the 12th century, the name Ansley was associated with various places in England, such as Ansley in Warwickshire and Ansley Common in Staffordshire. These place names were likely derived from the surname itself, indicating that the name had become well-established by that time.
One notable individual with the surname Ansley was Sir John Ansley (c. 1470-1540), an English politician who served as the Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire during the reign of Henry VIII. He was also a member of the Parliament of England.
Another historical figure with the Ansley name was Samuel Ansley (1609-1677), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. He was a prominent figure in the Church of England during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, Mary Ansley (1715-1799) was a notable English diarist and writer. Her diary, which covered the years 1766-1799, provides valuable insights into the daily life and social customs of the Georgian era.
The surname Ansley also has connections to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America was William Ansley (1678-1744), who emigrated from England to Virginia in the early 18th century and became a successful landowner and merchant.
Another notable individual with the Ansley surname was John Ansley (1783-1846), an American politician and lawyer from Virginia. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1825 to 1827.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ansley
Among Census respondents with the surname Ansley, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ansley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ansley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.0% · 2,382
- Black or African American20.9% · 701
- Two or more races4.2% · 141
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 97
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ansley
Ansley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,615
+153 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 301 places
2020
#9,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,356
-259 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,737 | 3,462 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,038 | 3,615 | 1.23 | +153 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 301 places |
| 2020 | #9,304 | 3,356 | 1.12 | -259 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 266 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ansley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,038 | #9,304 | -2.9% |
| Count | 3,615 | 3,356 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.12 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ansley bearers went from 3,615 to 3,356 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 266 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,038 to #9,304.
FAQ
Ansley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ansley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,848 living Americans carry the surname Ansley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,073 residents.
How common is Ansley?
Ansley ranks #9,304 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,356 people with the surname Ansley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,848), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ansley.
Has Ansley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ansley went from 3,615 recorded bearers to 3,356. That is a decrease of 259 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,038 to #9,304.
What does the Census say about the background of Ansley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ansley, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ansley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.0% (2,382 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ansley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.0%), Black (20.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ansley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ansley mean?
From the English place name, likely derived from the Old English words "ansetl" meaning "hermitage" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ansley (1.12 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Ansley?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.