2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Denly
An English surname derived from a place name that means "green clearing" or "meadow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Denly. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Denly 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Denly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Denly, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Denly
The surname DENLY is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "dene" meaning a valley or dell, and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing or meadow. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived in a valley or clearing within a forest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Denlea." This entry refers to a place name in Sussex, suggesting that the surname may have originated in this region of southern England.
Over the centuries, the name has also been spelled in various other ways, such as Denley, Deneley, and Denleigh, reflecting the diverse regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
One notable individual bearing the surname DENLY was Sir Thomas Denly, a prominent English knight who lived during the 14th century. He served under King Edward III and was known for his bravery in the Hundred Years' War against France.
Another historically significant figure was John Denly, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the 16th century. He was a prominent citizen of the town of Stratford-upon-Avon and was a contemporary of William Shakespeare.
In the 17th century, a family by the name of DENLY settled in the American colonies, establishing themselves in the state of Virginia. One of their descendants, Samuel Denly, fought in the American Revolutionary War and is recorded as having served under General George Washington.
During the Victorian era, a notable figure was Elizabeth Denly, an author and poet who gained recognition for her romantic novels and vivid descriptions of the English countryside.
In more recent times, Sir Roger Denly was a distinguished British diplomat who served as ambassador to several countries in the early 20th century. He played a crucial role in negotiating important treaties and fostering international relations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Denly
Among Census respondents with the surname Denly, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Denly 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 Denly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 90
- Black or African American5.9% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Denly
Denly 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-17 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 27,066 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -17 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 27,066 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 3,677 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 Denly 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 | #158,432 | #154,755 | 2.3% |
| Count | 102 | 102 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Denly bearers went from 102 to 102 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 3,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #154,755.
FAQ
Denly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Denly?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Denly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Denly?
Denly ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Denly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Denly.
Has Denly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Denly went from 102 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Denly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Denly, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Denly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Denly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Black (5.9%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Denly (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 Denly mean?
An English surname derived from a place name that means "green clearing" or "meadow". 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 Denly (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Denly?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.