Chisley last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Chisley

A locational surname derived from a place name in Wiltshire, England.

Chisley, 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 Chisley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chisley in America

Chisley is the 39352nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chisley surname appeared 559 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 Chisley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chisley 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 39352 34757 12.40%
Count 559 615 -9.54%
Proportion per 100k 0.19 0.23 -19.05%

The history of the last name Chisley

The surname CHISLEY is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, derived from one of several places in England that bear a similar name, such as Chiselet in Dorset or Chiselhurst in Kent.

The name CHISLEY is thought to be derived from the Old English words "cis" meaning "gravel" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a gravel-strewn meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CHISLEY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1197, where a person named Walter de Chiselai is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire, with a mention of a William de Chiselye in 1260. This variation in spelling demonstrates the fluidity of surnames during this period, as they were often adapted to local dialects and pronunciation.

A notable bearer of the CHISLEY surname was John Chisley, a 14th-century English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Wilts from 1333 to 1352. His name is recorded in various ecclesiastical records of the time.

Another historical figure with this surname was Sir Robert Chisley, a 15th-century English knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses. He is mentioned in the chronicles of the conflict, particularly his involvement in the Battle of Towton in 1461.

In the 16th century, the name CHISLEY is found in the parish records of Hertfordshire, where a family by that name held land and property. One notable member was William Chisley, born in 1542, who served as a magistrate and local landowner.

The surname CHISLEY has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Chisley Farm in Wiltshire and Chisley Green in Suffolk, further reinforcing its locational origins.

As the centuries passed, the CHISLEY surname continued to appear in various records across England, with bearers of the name contributing to various fields, including agriculture, trade, and local governance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chisley

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

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 Chisley was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 3.40% 19
Non-Hispanic Black Only 88.55% 495
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 7.16% 40
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Chisley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 3.40% 3.90% -13.70%
Black 88.55% 93.17% -5.08%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 7.16% 2.11% 108.95%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Chisley last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 3, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/chisley-surname-popularity/.

"Chisley last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/chisley-surname-popularity/. Accessed 3 November, 2024

Chisley last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/chisley-surname-popularity/.

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