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

Hensley, 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 Hensley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hensley in America

Hensley is the 668th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hensley surname appeared 51,081 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Hensley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hensley 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 Hensley

The surname Hensley has its origins in England, dating back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "henn" and "leah," which together mean "a clearing or meadow where hens are kept." The name likely originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked in such a place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1195, which mention a Richard de Hennesleye. This suggests that the name was already established in the English Midlands by the late 12th century.

Throughout the medieval and early modern periods, various spelling variations of the name emerged, including Hennesley, Henesley, and Hennysleye. These differences were often a result of regional dialects and the inconsistencies of scribes.

In the 16th century, the name appears in records from the county of Shropshire, where a family of Hensleys held land and property in the village of Hensley. This may have been the ancestral home of many modern-day Hensleys.

Notable individuals with the Hensley surname throughout history include John Hensley (c. 1550-1618), a prominent English Puritan minister and author; Robert Hensley (1742-1811), an American pioneer and Revolutionary War soldier; and David Hensley (1773-1835), a Baptist minister and early settler in Kentucky.

Other notable Hensleys include Sir Philip Hensley (1779-1856), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Robert Hensley (1822-1906), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.

While the Hensley name has its roots in England, it has since spread around the world, particularly to North America and other regions with significant British immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the English countryside, where it likely referred to those who lived or worked in areas where chickens were raised.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hensley

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

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

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

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