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

Isle, 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 Isle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Isle in America

Isle is the 63524th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Isle surname appeared 314 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 Isle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Isle 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 Isle

The surname Isle originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English word "iæland," meaning "island." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived on an island or near an island.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Isle surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was present in England before the Norman Conquest.

The Isle surname is closely associated with the Isle of Wight, an island off the southern coast of England. It is likely that some of the earliest bearers of this name were residents or landowners on the Isle of Wight or in nearby coastal areas.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Isle. One such person was John Isle (c. 1470-1538), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the Reformation for refusing to accept the supremacy of King Henry VIII over the Church.

Another prominent figure with the Isle surname was Sir Roger L'Isle (c. 1326-1361), an English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was a close companion of Edward, the Black Prince, and participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

In the 16th century, William Isle (c. 1520-1599) was an English mathematician and astronomer. He is known for his work on navigational techniques and for publishing a treatise on the use of the quadrant, a navigational instrument.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Sir Henry Isle (1604-1661) was a Royalist commander who fought for King Charles I against the Parliamentarian forces. He was knighted for his service and played a significant role in several battles.

In more recent times, Sir Daniel Isle (1825-1899) was a British businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his charitable contributions, including the founding of a technical college in his hometown of Bradford.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Isle. The name's origins as a locational name derived from the Old English word for "island" highlight its deep roots in English history and geography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Isle

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

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

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

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