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

Idle, 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 Idle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Idle in America

Idle is the 47006th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Idle surname appeared 452 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 Idle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Idle 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 Idle

The surname IDLE originated in England in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "idel", meaning idle or unemployed. The name may have been given as a nickname to someone who was perceived as lazy or idle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the IDLE surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1208, which mention a certain William Idel. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, referring to a John le Idel.

In the 14th century, the IDLE surname is recorded in various forms, such as Idyll, Idelle, and Idylle, reflecting the variations in spelling during that period. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a Thomas Idyll, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 mention a John Idelle.

The IDLE surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a great survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling in the Domesday Book is slightly different, appearing as "Idel".

One notable historical figure with the IDLE surname was Sir Thomas Idle (1500-1572), an English judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent individual was John Idle (1615-1683), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

Other individuals of note include William Idle (1677-1744), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and buildings in London, and Thomas Idle (1873-1947), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party.

Furthermore, the IDLE surname has been linked to various place names in England, such as Idle in West Yorkshire, which was recorded as "Idel" in the Domesday Book. There are also several villages and hamlets named Idle or Idlicote, which may have contributed to the spread of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Idle

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

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

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

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