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

Densley, 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 Densley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Densley in America

Densley is the 40976th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Densley surname appeared 532 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 Densley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Densley 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 Densley

The surname Densley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely in the 12th or 13th century. It is a locational name derived from a place called Densley or Dennesleye, which was located in the county of Derbyshire. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "denu," meaning valley, and "leah," meaning wood or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Densley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where it appears as "Deneslega." This document suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 12th century. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1275 mention a place called "Denesle," which may be related to the surname's origins.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1317, where a "Robert de Dennesleye" is mentioned. Another notable early record is the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which lists a "Johannes Densley."

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Densley, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the late 14th century. He was recorded as owning estates in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Another notable figure was William Densley, a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London who lived in the early 15th century.

During the Tudor period, the name appears in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1524, which mentions a "Thomas Densley." In the 16th century, the surname was also found in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a "John Densley" was recorded in 1568.

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the surname was James Densley (1603-1679), a Puritan minister and writer who served as a chaplain in the English Civil War. He authored several religious works, including "The Poor Man's Cup of Cold Water" and "The Saint's Spiritual Delight."

Another prominent figure was Sir William Densley (1661-1736), a successful merchant and member of the East India Company. He amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the founding of a school in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Densley

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

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

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

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