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

Lashley, 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 Lashley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lashley in America

Lashley is the 5230th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lashley surname appeared 6,669 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Lashley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lashley 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 Lashley

The surname Lashley is of English origin, deriving from a place name in the county of Essex, England. It is believed to have originated in the village of Latchingdon, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Lascendene" or "Lascenduna."

The name Latchingdon itself is thought to come from the Old English words "læcce" meaning a stream or boggy area, and "dun" meaning a hill or down. Thus, the original meaning of the place name, and subsequently the surname, was likely "the hill by the boggy stream."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lashley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1230, where a William de Laschendon is mentioned. The "de" prefix indicates that he was from the place called Latchingdon, and the surname would have later evolved into its modern spelling of Lashley.

In the 14th century, there are records of a Thomas de Laschelye, who was a prominent landowner in the county of Essex. This variation in spelling, with the addition of the "-ye" ending, was common during this period.

During the 16th century, the surname Lashley began to spread beyond its Essex origins. Notable individuals from this time include John Lashley (c. 1540-1612), who was a Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark in 1586.

In the 17th century, the Lashley surname can be found in various parts of England, with records showing individuals in counties such as Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Dorset. One notable figure from this era was William Lashley (c. 1615-1667), who was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.

As the name spread further, it also began to appear in other parts of the British Isles and beyond. In the 18th century, there are records of Lashleys in Ireland and Scotland, as well as in the American colonies.

Throughout history, the surname Lashley has been associated with various occupations and professions, from landowners and merchants to academics and artists. One notable example is the English philosopher and psychologist, Karl Spencer Lashley (1890-1958), who made significant contributions to the study of brain function and behavior.

Another notable individual with the Lashley surname was the American actress and singer, Dorothy Lashley (1902-1977), who had a successful career on Broadway and in Hollywood during the mid-20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lashley

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!