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

Sensley, 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 Sensley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sensley in America

Sensley is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sensley surname appeared 112 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 Sensley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sensley 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 Sensley

The surname Sensley has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Senley in Wiltshire, or possibly from Shenley in Hertfordshire. The name itself is thought to come from the Old English words "scen" meaning fair or bright, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow, suggesting a bright or fair meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a John de Senleye from Wiltshire. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a Richard de Senley is mentioned. This variation in spelling, with the addition of the "de" prefix, was common in medieval times and indicated the bearer's place of origin.

During the 16th century, the name began to take on its more modern form, with instances such as John Sensley appearing in the Parish Registers of St. Martin's in Birmingham in 1567. Around this time, the Sensley family had established themselves in the county of Staffordshire, where they held lands and property.

Notable individuals with the surname Sensley include Sir Thomas Sensley (1558-1619), a respected lawyer and member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Another prominent figure was William Sensley (1672-1738), a successful merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol.

In the 18th century, the Sensley family continued to hold influence, with John Sensley (1714-1792) serving as the High Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1765. His son, also named John Sensley (1745-1818), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned local magistrate and landowner.

The 19th century saw the Sensley name spread further afield, with individuals such as James Sensley (1819-1898), a prosperous businessman and entrepreneur who established a successful trading company in the colony of British Honduras, now known as Belize.

Throughout its history, the surname Sensley has maintained a strong connection to its English roots, with many bearers tracing their ancestry back to the counties of Wiltshire, Hertfordshire, and Staffordshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sensley

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

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

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

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