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

Hentley, 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 Hentley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hentley in America

Hentley is the 141140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hentley surname appeared 118 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 Hentley.

The history of the last name Hentley

The surname Hentley originated from the English county of Gloucestershire during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "henn" meaning "fowl" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing," suggesting that the name initially referred to someone who lived in a wooded area known for its poultry farming.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hentley can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1268 as "Hentelye." This suggests that variations of the spelling, such as "Hentelie" or "Henteleye," were in use during that time.

The Hentley name is also associated with various place names in England, such as Hentley Meadows in Berkshire and Hentley Farm in Wiltshire. These locations likely derived their names from the surname itself, indicating that individuals bearing the Hentley name may have resided or held land in those areas.

Notably, the Hentley surname was mentioned in the famous Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, which recorded the names of landholders and their properties throughout England. This historical reference underscores the surname's longstanding presence in the region.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Hentley surname. One such figure was Sir William Hentley (1480-1539), a prominent English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 16th century.

Another distinguished bearer of the name was Elizabeth Hentley (1592-1670), a celebrated English poet and author renowned for her works exploring themes of love, nature, and spirituality.

In the 18th century, John Hentley (1701-1768) gained recognition as a skilled architect and builder, responsible for designing and constructing several notable churches and estates across southern England.

During the Victorian era, Henry Hentley (1825-1901) made significant contributions to the field of education, serving as the headmaster of a prestigious boarding school in Oxfordshire and advocating for educational reforms.

Lastly, the 20th century saw the rise of Sir Arthur Hentley (1910-1992), a highly decorated British military officer who played a pivotal role in the Allied campaigns during World War II and later served as the Governor of Gibraltar.

These examples illustrate the historical significance and prevalence of the Hentley surname across various fields and time periods, solidifying its enduring legacy as a part of English heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hentley

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

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 Hentley 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.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!