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

Beardsley, 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 Beardsley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beardsley in America

Beardsley is the 5048th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beardsley surname appeared 6,950 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Beardsley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beardsley 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 Beardsley

The surname Beardsley is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "bearde" meaning beard and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived in a meadow or clearing where bearded individuals gathered.

The name Beardsley can be traced back to the 13th century, with early records showing variations such as Berdesleye and Berdesleia. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, where several places were named Beardsley or Beardsall.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Richard de Berdesleye from Derbyshire. The Domesday Book of 1086 also contains references to places that may have given rise to the surname, such as Berdeslau and Berdeshille.

In the 14th century, the name Beardsley appeared in various historical records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332, which listed a John de Berdesleye from Staffordshire. The Pipe Rolls of 1379 also mentioned a Thomas Berdesley from Derbyshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Beardsley throughout history include:

1. Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898), an English illustrator and author, known for his distinctive black and white illustrations.
2. Samuel Beardsley (1787-1860), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 26th Attorney General of New York.
3. Wilfred Beardsley (1891-1961), an American tennis player who won the Wimbledon Championships in 1910 and 1912.
4. Josephine Beardsley (1859-1950), an American philanthropist and social reformer, known for her efforts in establishing the Beardsley Rural Teacher Training Department at the University of Kansas.
5. Harry Beardsley (1893-1968), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox in the early 20th century.

In terms of place names, the village of Beardsley in Derbyshire and the hamlet of Beardsall in Nottinghamshire are believed to be derived from the same Old English roots as the surname. These place names may have influenced the development and spread of the surname Beardsley throughout England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beardsley

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

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 Beardsley 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 Beardsley 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 Beardsley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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