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

Kingsley, 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 Kingsley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kingsley in America

Kingsley is the 4417th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kingsley surname appeared 8,043 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Kingsley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kingsley 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 Kingsley

The surname Kingsley originates from England, having its roots traced back to the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "cyning" meaning king, and "leah" meaning a meadow or cleared woodland area.

The earliest recorded use of the name Kingsley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. It mentions several landowners with the surname Kingsley, indicating their presence in various parts of England during that period.

Over the centuries, the name Kingsley has undergone various spelling variations, including Kingsleigh, Kyngsley, and Kyngesleye. These variations were largely due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.

One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the surname was Sir John Kingsley (c. 1305-1367), an English soldier and landowner from Cheshire. He served as a knight during the Hundred Years' War and was recognized for his valor in battles against the French.

Another prominent figure was Edward Kingsley (1577-1645), an English merchant and member of the Virginia Company. He was involved in the early colonization efforts of British America and played a role in the establishment of Jamestown, one of the first permanent English settlements in the New World.

In the realm of literature, Charles Kingsley (1819-1875) was a renowned English novelist, poet, and clergyman. He authored several influential works, including "The Water-Babies" and "Westward Ho!," which explored themes of social justice and the natural world.

Sir Ben Kingsley (born 1943) is a highly acclaimed British actor, known for his versatile performances in films such as "Gandhi," for which he won an Academy Award, "Schindler's List," and "The Jungle Book."

Another notable figure is Kingsley Amis (1922-1995), an English novelist, poet, and critic. He was a prominent figure in the literary world, known for his satirical works such as "Lucky Jim" and "The Old Devils," which explored themes of academia and social commentary.

Throughout history, the surname Kingsley has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Kingsley, Cheshire; Kingsley, Staffordshire; and Kingsley, Hampshire, among others. These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname across different regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kingsley

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

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

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

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