2000
#7,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Pendley
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "penda's clearing" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,600 Americans carry the last name Pendley. That puts it at #7,933 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,512 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pendley 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 74,512
Census rank
#7,933
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,011 bearers of the surname Pendley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7933rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pendley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pendley
The surname Pendley originates from England, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "pyndan," meaning to enclose or pen, and "leah," referring to a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a particular location or settlement surrounded by an enclosure or fence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Pendelai." This entry provides valuable insight into the name's existence during the Norman conquest of England. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Pendeley, Pendlie, and Pendleigh, reflecting the fluidity of name transcription in those times.
The name Pendley has ties to several place names in England, including Pendley in Hertfordshire and Pendley in Tring, also in Hertfordshire. These locations likely served as the origin points for individuals who adopted the surname based on their place of residence or birth.
Among the notable figures bearing the Pendley surname throughout history is Sir George Pendley (1555-1623), a renowned English jurist and member of Parliament during the reign of James I. Another prominent individual was John Pendley (1673-1744), a successful merchant and landowner in Virginia, who played a significant role in the colony's economic development.
In the literary realm, the name Pendley is associated with Thomas Pendley (1726-1799), an English poet and satirist whose works offered insightful commentary on the sociopolitical landscape of his time. Additionally, William Pendley (1818-1892), a respected English architect, left a lasting impact on the built environment with his notable designs.
The Pendley surname also has roots in the military, with Captain Robert Pendley (1795-1862) earning recognition for his valor and service during the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War.
While the name Pendley may have evolved and dispersed across various regions over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the English countryside, where it likely emerged as a reference to a particular enclosed settlement or meadow.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pendley
Among Census respondents with the surname Pendley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Pendley 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 Pendley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 3,623
- Two or more races4.0% · 160
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 126
- Black or African American1.4% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pendley
Pendley 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
#7,874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,203
+35 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 506 places
2020
#7,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,011
-192 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,368 | 4,168 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,874 | 4,203 | 1.42 | +35 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 506 places |
| 2020 | #7,933 | 4,011 | 1.34 | -192 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 59 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 Pendley 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 | #7,874 | #7,933 | -0.7% |
| Count | 4,203 | 4,011 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.42 | 1.34 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pendley bearers went from 4,203 to 4,011 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,874 to #7,933.
FAQ
Pendley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pendley?
Name Census estimates that about 4,600 living Americans carry the surname Pendley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,512 residents.
How common is Pendley?
Pendley ranks #7,933 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 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 4,011 people with the surname Pendley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,600), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 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 Pendley.
Has Pendley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pendley went from 4,203 recorded bearers to 4,011. That is a decrease of 192 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,874 to #7,933.
What does the Census say about the background of Pendley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pendley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Pendley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (3,623 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pendley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Pendley (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 Pendley mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "penda's clearing" in Old English. 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 Pendley (1.34 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 are called Pendley?
See how common the surname Pendley is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.