2000
#7,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,149
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Lasley
An English occupational surname for a person who crafts objects from glass or works with glass.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,558 Americans carry the last name Lasley. That puts it at #7,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,198 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lasley 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.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 75,198
Census rank
#7,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,975 bearers of the surname Lasley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lasley, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lasley
The surname Lasley has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "leasow," which means a meadow or pasture. The name was likely first used as a place name to refer to someone who lived near a meadow or pasture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a William de Lasely is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the name's connection to a specific location or area.
During the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a John Laseley is listed. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of England by this time.
In the 15th century, the name Lasley can be found in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the influential Paston family. One letter, dated 1472, mentions a John Lasley, indicating the name's presence among the gentry and nobility.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Lasley. However, it does mention several places with names similar to the root word "leasow," suggesting a connection to the name's origins.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Lasley include:
1. John Lasley (c. 1450 - 1501), an English clergyman who served as Bishop of Elphin in Ireland.
2. William Lasley (1768 - 1834), a Scottish physician and writer known for his work on medical jurisprudence.
3. Mary Lasley (1900 - 1987), an American author and playwright who wrote several children's books.
4. Robert Lasley (1923 - 2011), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Lasley Family Foundation.
5. John Lasley (born 1952), an English actor known for his roles in television series like "Emmerdale" and "Coronation Street."
While the name Lasley may have evolved over time and spread across different regions, its roots can be traced back to the English countryside, where it likely originated as a descriptive name for those living near meadows or pastures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lasley
Among Census respondents with the surname Lasley, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lasley 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 Lasley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.2% · 2,870
- Black or African American13.7% · 543
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.3% · 209
- Two or more races4.9% · 195
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 137
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lasley
Lasley 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
#7,710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,306
+157 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 301 places
2020
#7,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,975
-331 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,409 | 4,149 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,710 | 4,306 | 1.46 | +157 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 301 places |
| 2020 | #7,993 | 3,975 | 1.33 | -331 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 283 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 Lasley 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 | #7,710 | #7,993 | -3.7% |
| Count | 4,306 | 3,975 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.33 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lasley bearers went from 4,306 to 3,975 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 283 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,710 to #7,993.
FAQ
Lasley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lasley?
Name Census estimates that about 4,558 living Americans carry the surname Lasley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,198 residents.
How common is Lasley?
Lasley ranks #7,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 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 3,975 people with the surname Lasley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,558), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 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 Lasley.
Has Lasley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lasley went from 4,306 recorded bearers to 3,975. That is a decrease of 331 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,710 to #7,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Lasley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lasley, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%). 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 Lasley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.2% (2,870 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lasley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.2%), Black (13.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%). 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 Lasley (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 Lasley mean?
An English occupational surname for a person who crafts objects from glass or works with glass. 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 Lasley (1.33 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 people have the surname Lasley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.