2000
#9,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,321
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Hendley
From the English place name Hendley, which means "high woodland clearing" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,748 Americans carry the last name Hendley. That puts it at #9,515 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,450 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hendley 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 Hendley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 91,450
Census rank
#9,515
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,268 bearers of the surname Hendley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9515th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hendley, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (20.3%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hendley
The surname Hendley originated in England during the medieval period, deriving its roots from the Old English words "hende," meaning courteous or civil, and "leah," signifying a meadow or clearing in the woods. This name was likely borne by individuals who resided in a courteous manner within a particular clearing or settlement.
Hendley is believed to have first emerged in the southern counties of England, particularly in areas like Dorset and Somerset, where the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 13th century. The Hundred Rolls of 1273, which served as a census-like record of landowners and their holdings, contain references to individuals with variations of the Hendley name, such as Hendeleia and Hendelegh.
One of the earliest documented bearers of this surname was Roger de Hendelegh, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327. Another notable figure was John Hendley, a wealthy merchant from Dorchester, Dorset, who lived in the late 14th century and was recorded in the town's historical records.
In the 15th century, the Hendley surname appeared in various manorial records and court rolls across southern England. For instance, a Thomas Hendley was listed as a tenant farmer in the manor of Berwick St. John, Wiltshire, in 1476. The name also surfaced in the Hertfordshire County Records of the same era, indicating the gradual spread of this surname beyond its original southern English heartland.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Hendley name gained prominence through several notable individuals. One such figure was Sir Walter Hendley (1555-1611), a distinguished lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as the Recorder of Salisbury and was knighted by King James I in 1603. Another eminent bearer of this surname was Sir John Hendley (1599-1662), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Wiltshire, who played a significant role in the English Civil War as a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.
In the 18th century, Reverend William Hendley (1691-1767) gained recognition as a prominent clergyman and author, serving as the Rector of Rendlesham in Suffolk and publishing several theological works. Meanwhile, John Hendley (1770-1855), a renowned horticulturist and nurseryman from Bedfordshire, made significant contributions to the development of new plant varieties and the cultivation of exotic species.
The Hendley surname has also been associated with notable figures in more recent times, such as Sir Thomas Holden Hendley (1847-1917), a distinguished British administrator and diplomat who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab and later as the Governor of Mauritius. Additionally, James Hendley (1786-1859), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Liverpool, is remembered for his significant charitable contributions to educational institutions in the city.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hendley
Among Census respondents with the surname Hendley, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (20.3%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hendley 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 Hendley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.3% · 2,362
- Black or African American20.3% · 662
- Two or more races3.8% · 123
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 95
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hendley
Hendley 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
#9,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,473
+152 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 316 places
2020
#9,515
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,268
-205 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 149 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,050 | 3,321 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,366 | 3,473 | 1.18 | +152 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 316 places |
| 2020 | #9,515 | 3,268 | 1.09 | -205 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 149 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 Hendley 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 | #9,366 | #9,515 | -1.6% |
| Count | 3,473 | 3,268 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.09 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hendley bearers went from 3,473 to 3,268 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 149 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,366 to #9,515.
FAQ
Hendley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hendley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,748 living Americans carry the surname Hendley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,450 residents.
How common is Hendley?
Hendley ranks #9,515 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,268 people with the surname Hendley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,748), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hendley.
Has Hendley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hendley went from 3,473 recorded bearers to 3,268. That is a decrease of 205 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,366 to #9,515.
What does the Census say about the background of Hendley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hendley, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (20.3%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Hendley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.3% (2,362 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hendley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.3%), Black (20.3%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Hendley (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 Hendley mean?
From the English place name Hendley, which means "high woodland clearing" in Old English. 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 Hendley (1.09 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 Hendley?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Hendley, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.