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

Henshaw, 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 Henshaw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Henshaw in America

Henshaw is the 7021st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Henshaw surname appeared 4,765 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Henshaw.

We can also compare 2010 data for Henshaw 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 Henshaw

The surname Henshaw has its roots in England, originating during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "henn" meaning "hen" and "sceaga" meaning "small wood or thicket." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where hens were kept in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Heneshale" in Staffordshire. This ancient record provides evidence that the name was already established in England by the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Henneshalgh" and "Henneshagh" in Lancashire and Cheshire respectively. These variations reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Henshaw throughout history include John Henshaw (c.1592-1659), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Wigan during the English Civil War. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Henshaw (1618-1700), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Cheshire.

In the 18th century, Joseph Henshaw (1776-1842) was a prominent English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

Moving into the 19th century, we find David Henshaw (1790-1852), an American politician and businessman who served as the 16th United States Secretary of the Navy under President John Tyler.

Lastly, in the 20th century, John Patrick Michael Henshaw (1912-1999) was a British actor and comedian, best known for his roles in films such as "Carry On Sergeant" and "Carry On Constable."

Throughout its history, the surname Henshaw has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the northwest counties of Lancashire and Cheshire, where it is believed to have originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Henshaw

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

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

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

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