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

Persley, 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 Persley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Persley in America

Persley is the 43651st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Persley surname appeared 494 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 Persley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Persley 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 Persley

The surname Persley has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the late medieval period in the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Persle or Perseley, which is now lost or has been renamed over time.

The name Persley is thought to have originated from the Old English words "pers" meaning "pear tree" and "leah" meaning "a meadow or clearing." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who lived near a pear tree meadow or a clearing where pear trees grew.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John de Perseley is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use and established by the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, the surname appears in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1440, where a Thomas Persley is listed. During this period, variations in spelling were common, and the name was sometimes written as Perslee or Perselee.

A notable figure with the surname Persley was Sir Robert Persley, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the 16th century. He was born in 1535 and played a significant role in the development of trade and commerce in his region.

Another prominent individual was Elizabeth Persley (1620-1692), a Quaker minister and writer who was known for her religious works and advocacy for women's rights in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, John Persley (1725-1801) was a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including St. George's Church in Bloomsbury.

The 19th century saw the birth of William Persley (1842-1911), a renowned botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in various parts of the world.

Finally, one of the more recent historical figures with the surname Persley was Margaret Persley (1888-1965), a pioneering journalist and activist who fought for women's suffrage and equal rights in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Persley

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

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

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

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