2000
#108,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Bindley
An English surname derived from a location, possibly referring to someone from the Bindley area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 157 Americans carry the last name Bindley. That puts it at #129,703 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,183,149 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bindley 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 Bindley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
157
1 in 2,183,149
Census rank
#129,703
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
137
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 137 bearers of the surname Bindley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 129703rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bindley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bindley
The surname Bindley is of English origin, and its roots can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "bynde," meaning a bundle or a sheaf, and "leah," which refers to a clearing or a meadow. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near a clearing where bundles or sheaves of crops were stored or processed.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it appears as "Byndeley." This variation in spelling was common during this era, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet established. The Bindley surname is also mentioned in the Wills and Inventories of Bury St. Edmunds from 1439, indicating its presence in Suffolk as well.
In the 15th century, a family by the name of Bindley resided in the manor of Bindley, located in the parish of Eccleshall, Staffordshire. This manor was mentioned in the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535, which was a survey of ecclesiastical possessions and revenues conducted under King Henry VIII. It is possible that the family took their name from this location or vice versa.
One notable figure bearing the Bindley surname was John Bindley (1555-1621), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Stafford from 1590 until his death. Another individual of historical significance was James Bindley (1737-1818), an English bibliophile and collector of rare books and manuscripts. His extensive collection, known as the Bindley Library, was auctioned off after his death, and many of the items are now housed in various libraries and institutions around the world.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Bindley family settled in the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Richard Bindley, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Another notable figure from this era was Thomas Bindley (1643-1719), an English-born Quaker minister who emigrated to Pennsylvania and played a significant role in the early development of the Quaker community in that region.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Bindley surname continued to appear in various records and documents across England and the United States. Notable individuals from this period include William Bindley (1768-1843), an English author and playwright, and John Bindley (1798-1876), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
While the Bindley surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England, with connections to various regions and notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bindley
Among Census respondents with the surname Bindley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bindley 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 Bindley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.9% · 119
- Two or more races7.3% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 6
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bindley
Bindley 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-27 bearers (-17.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,859 places
2020
#129,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+13 bearers (+10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 5,890 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #108,734 | 151 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-17.9%) | Down 26,859 places |
| 2020 | #129,703 | 137 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+10.5%) | Up 5,890 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 Bindley 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 | #135,593 | #129,703 | 4.3% |
| Count | 124 | 137 | 10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bindley bearers went from 124 to 137 (+10.5% change). The surname moved up 5,890 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #129,703.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bindley
FAQ
Bindley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bindley?
Name Census estimates that about 157 living Americans carry the surname Bindley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,183,149 residents.
How common is Bindley?
Bindley ranks #129,703 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 137 people with the surname Bindley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bindley.
Has Bindley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bindley went from 124 recorded bearers to 137. That is an increase of 13 (+10.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #135,593 to #129,703.
What does the Census say about the background of Bindley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bindley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Bindley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bindley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.9%), Two or More Races (7.3%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Bindley (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 Bindley mean?
An English surname derived from a location, possibly referring to someone from the Bindley area. 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 Bindley (0.05 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 common is the surname Bindley?
See how common the surname Bindley is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.