2000
#4,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,038
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.61
Rare Last name
Binkley
An English locational surname derived from any of several places named Bingley, likely meaning "woodland clearing of Bynna's people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,735 Americans carry the last name Binkley. That puts it at #5,040 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 44,312 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Binkley 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.
Bearers in the US
7.7K
1 in 44,312
Census rank
#5,040
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,745 bearers of the surname Binkley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5040th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Binkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Binkley
The surname Binkley has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bincan," meaning "to bend or bow," possibly referring to a person's occupation or physical characteristic. The name may also be related to the Old English word "binca," meaning "a bench or seat."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Binkley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1195, where a person named Robert Binkley is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use in the East Midlands region of England during this period.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Bingeley, Bingley, and Bynkeley, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time. One notable example is John de Bingeley, who is recorded as a landowner in Yorkshire in 1273.
The Binkley surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Bingley in West Yorkshire and Bingfield in Northamptonshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Among the notable historical figures with the surname Binkley are:
1. John Binkley (c. 1580-1654), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1639 and served as a minister in several towns, including Boston and Newbury.
2. Samuel Binkley (1763-1835), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Ohio, who established the town of Binkletown (now part of Circleville) in 1810.
3. Robert Cedric Binkley (1897-1936), an American historian and professor at Stanford University, known for his work on realism in international relations and the study of Western diplomacy.
4. Edward Binkley (1592-1670), an English Puritan minister who served as a chaplain during the English Civil War and later emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony.
5. William Binkley (1827-1897), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland's 6th congressional district from 1879 to 1883.
The Binkley surname has a rich history, with its roots stretching back to medieval England and its variations reflecting the linguistic and geographical influences of different regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Binkley
Among Census respondents with the surname Binkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Binkley 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 Binkley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 6,165
- Two or more races3.5% · 239
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 170
- Black or African American1.9% · 128
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Binkley
Binkley 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
#4,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,159
+121 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.43
Rank movement Down 304 places
2020
#5,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,745
-414 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 2.26
Rank movement Down 128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,608 | 7,038 | 2.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,912 | 7,159 | 2.43 | +121 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 304 places |
| 2020 | #5,040 | 6,745 | 2.26 | -414 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 128 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 Binkley 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 | #4,912 | #5,040 | -2.6% |
| Count | 7,159 | 6,745 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.43 | 2.26 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Binkley bearers went from 7,159 to 6,745 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 128 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,912 to #5,040.
FAQ
Binkley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Binkley?
Name Census estimates that about 7,735 living Americans carry the surname Binkley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 44,312 residents.
How common is Binkley?
Binkley ranks #5,040 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,745 people with the surname Binkley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,735), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Binkley.
Has Binkley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Binkley went from 7,159 recorded bearers to 6,745. That is a decrease of 414 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,912 to #5,040.
What does the Census say about the background of Binkley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Binkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Binkley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (6,165 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Binkley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Binkley (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 Binkley mean?
An English locational surname derived from any of several places named Bingley, likely meaning "woodland clearing of Bynna's people." 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 Binkley (2.26 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 Binkley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.