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

Measley, 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 Measley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Measley in America

Measley is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Measley surname appeared 138 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Measley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Measley 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 Measley

The surname Measley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "meslic," which means "insignificant" or "small." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone of small stature or someone who was considered insignificant in some way.

One of the earliest known references to the name Measley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which records a person named "Meselie" living in the county of Norfolk. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name appears in various records from different parts of England, with variations in spelling such as "Meseley," "Meselye," and "Mayseley." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named John Measley (c. 1320 – 1387) is recorded as having served as a judge and member of Parliament during the reign of Edward III. This suggests that the Measley family had gained some social standing by this period.

Another notable individual with the surname Measley was William Measley (c. 1480 – 1542), who was a merchant and landowner in the county of Suffolk during the Tudor period. Records indicate that he owned several properties in the town of Ipswich.

During the 16th century, the name Measley can be found in various parish records and court documents from counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Cambridgeshire. This suggests that the name had spread across different regions of England by this time.

In the 17th century, a man named Robert Measley (1612 – 1681) is recorded as having been a member of the Puritan community in Massachusetts Bay Colony. This indicates that some individuals with the surname Measley had migrated to the American colonies during this period.

Another notable figure with the surname Measley was Thomas Measley (1725 – 1798), who was a prominent architect and builder in the city of Bristol during the Georgian era. He is credited with designing several notable buildings in the city, including St. Michael's Church.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Measley

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

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

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

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