2000
#8,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,621
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.34
Rare Last name
Isley
Derived from a place name meaning "island clearing" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,877 Americans carry the last name Isley. That puts it at #9,248 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,407 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Isley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Isley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,407
Census rank
#9,248
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,381 bearers of the surname Isley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9248th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Isley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Isley
The surname Isley has its origins in England, with roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "isil" or "iseld," meaning "iron" or "iron worker." The name likely emerged as an occupational surname given to those who worked as blacksmiths or ironmongers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Iseleia" in Hampshire, England. This entry suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a specific location or settlement before evolving into a hereditary surname.
During the Middle Ages, variations of the name appeared in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of 1166, which mention a "Robertus Iseley," and the Rotuli Hundredorum of 1275, where a "Johannes de Iseley" is listed. These records indicate that the name was well-established in different parts of England by this time.
In the 14th century, the name Isley appeared in the form "Iseleye" in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that era, as they often reflected local dialects and scribal interpretations.
Notable individuals bearing the Isley surname throughout history include:
1. William Isley (c. 1480 - c. 1550), an English merchant and benefactor who funded the construction of almshouses in Sawtry, Huntingdonshire.
2. John Isley (1682 - 1768), an English philosopher and writer who authored several works on moral philosophy and natural theology.
3. Eleanor Isley (1719 - 1804), a pioneering English educator who established one of the first schools for girls in London.
4. Robert Isley (1832 - 1901), a British explorer and naturalist known for his expeditions to the Amazon rainforest and his contributions to the study of South American flora and fauna.
5. Arthur Isley (1870 - 1942), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
While the Isley surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with descendants carrying on the legacy of this historically significant name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Isley
Among Census respondents with the surname Isley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Isley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Isley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 2,643
- Black or African American13.2% · 446
- Two or more races4.4% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Isley
Isley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,754
+133 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 346 places
2020
#9,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,381
-373 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 512 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,390 | 3,621 | 1.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,736 | 3,754 | 1.27 | +133 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 346 places |
| 2020 | #9,248 | 3,381 | 1.13 | -373 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 512 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Isley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,736 | #9,248 | -5.9% |
| Count | 3,754 | 3,381 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.13 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Isley bearers went from 3,754 to 3,381 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 512 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,736 to #9,248.
FAQ
Isley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Isley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,877 living Americans carry the surname Isley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,407 residents.
How common is Isley?
Isley ranks #9,248 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,381 people with the surname Isley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,877), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Isley.
Has Isley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Isley went from 3,754 recorded bearers to 3,381. That is a decrease of 373 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,736 to #9,248.
What does the Census say about the background of Isley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Isley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Isley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (2,643 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Isley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Black (13.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Isley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Isley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "island clearing" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Isley (1.13 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Isley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.