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

Lindley, 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 Lindley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lindley in America

Lindley is the 3482nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lindley surname appeared 10,260 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 Lindley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lindley 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 Lindley

The surname Lindley is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'lind' meaning lime tree and 'leah' meaning a clearing or meadow. It was originally a place name referring to a clearing or meadow where lime trees grew.

The earliest recorded reference to the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Lindelei' in Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Throughout the medieval period, variations of the name such as Lyndelay, Lindeley, and Lyndeley can be found in various historical records and parish registers across England, particularly in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Roger de Lindley, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1195. Another notable figure was Sir Henry Lindley (c.1380-1456), a member of the English gentry and landowner in Nottinghamshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname became more widespread, with several notable individuals bearing the name. These include Thomas Lindley (1548-1628), an English clergyman and author, and John Lindley (1599-1657), an English botanist and horticulturist who wrote several influential works on gardening and plant classification.

In the 18th century, Nathaniel Lindley (1697-1766) was a prominent English Quaker and merchant, while Thomas Lindley (1778-1857) was a renowned English missionary and pioneer in spreading Christianity in South Africa.

The 19th century saw the rise of several notable individuals with the Lindley surname, including Sir Nathaniel Lindley (1828-1915), an English judge and law reformer, and John Lindley (1799-1865), an English botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of orchids and was one of the founders of the Royal Horticultural Society.

While the name has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonization. However, its roots can be traced back to the Old English words 'lind' and 'leah', reflecting its connection to the natural landscape of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lindley

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

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

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

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