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

Hinkley, 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 Hinkley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hinkley in America

Hinkley is the 7771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hinkley surname appeared 4,271 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hinkley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hinkley 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 Hinkley

The surname Hinkley originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hinc," meaning "hinge," and "leah," meaning "woodland clearing." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a hinged gate or door leading to a woodland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Roger de Hinkeleye is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the name's connection to a specific place name, likely referring to the town of Hinkley in Leicestershire.

In the 13th century, the name can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1226, which lists a Galfridus de Hinkeleye. This record suggests that the name had already spread beyond its initial geographic origins by this time.

During the Middle Ages, the Hinkley name was associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded was Sir William Hinkley, a knight who fought alongside Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century.

Another prominent figure was John Hinkley, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Somerset in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in several local records and is believed to have been a benefactor of the church in his hometown.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the parish records of St. Martin's in Birmingham, where a Thomas Hinkley was christened in 1587. This suggests that the name had spread to the West Midlands region by this time.

One of the most notable individuals with the Hinkley surname was Sir John Hinkley, who was born in 1592 and served as Lord Mayor of London in 1645. He played a significant role in the English Civil War and was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.

Another historical figure was Reverend John Hinkley, who was born in 1617 and served as a Puritan minister in Massachusetts during the colonial era. He was a prominent figure in the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was known for his strict adherence to Puritan principles.

As the surname spread throughout England and eventually to other parts of the world, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Hinkeley, Hinckley, and Hinckeley. While the exact origins of the name remain somewhat obscure, its longevity and historical connections make it a fascinating subject for further study.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hinkley

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

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

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

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