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

Risley, 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 Risley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Risley in America

Risley is the 8213th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Risley surname appeared 4,040 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Risley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Risley 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 Risley

The surname Risley is of English origin, deriving from the place name Risley, a village in Derbyshire, England. The name has its roots in Old English, with "ris" meaning "brushwood" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing," suggesting that the original inhabitants lived in a clearing among brushwood.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Riseleie." This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Risley was prominent among the landed gentry and nobility of Derbyshire and neighboring counties. Notable bearers of the name include Sir John Risley (born c. 1340), a renowned knight and landowner in Derbyshire, and Sir Ralph Risley (c. 1400-1460), a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Derbyshire.

In the 16th century, the Risley family established themselves in Lancashire, where they became influential landowners and industrialists. One notable member was Nathaniel Risley (1570-1639), a successful merchant and philanthropist who founded Risley Grammar School, which still operates today.

The name Risley also has a strong association with the village of Risley in Cheshire, where the Risley family held a significant estate for several centuries. Sir Thomas Risley (1630-1707), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament, was responsible for rebuilding the parish church in Risley.

Other notable individuals with the surname Risley include John Risley (1777-1845), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Samuel Risley (1818-1887), an American educator and abolitionist who founded several colleges and universities in the United States.

Throughout its history, the surname Risley has maintained a strong presence in England, particularly in the regions of Derbyshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, where it originated and flourished over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Risley

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

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

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

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