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

Sledge, 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 Sledge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sledge in America

Sledge is the 4433rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sledge surname appeared 8,019 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Sledge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sledge 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 Sledge

The surname Sledge has its origins in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'slecge', which means a heavy hammer or mallet, typically used for driving stakes or piles into the ground. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked as a sledge maker or sledge wielder, perhaps in construction or mining.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1208, where a man named Adam Sledge is mentioned. Another early record comes from the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert Slugge residing in Oxfordshire. The variation in spelling, from Sledge to Slugge, was common in those times due to the lack of standardized spellings.

The Sledge name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. This may be due to the more extensive mining and construction activities in those areas during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name was John Sledge, a merchant and alderman from Hull, who lived from around 1520 to 1585. He was involved in the wool trade and served as the Mayor of Hull in 1573.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Sir Ralph Sledge, a military officer who fought in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He was born in 1615 and served as a Royalist commander under King Charles I.

Moving into the 18th century, we find John Sledge, a renowned clockmaker from Yorkshire, who lived from 1720 to 1795. His clocks were highly regarded for their intricate craftsmanship and accuracy.

In the 19th century, one notable figure was Samuel Sledge, a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and Asia. He was born in 1810 and is credited with discovering several new plant and animal species during his expeditions.

Finally, in the early 20th century, there was the poet and writer, Ethel Sledge, born in 1892. She was known for her nature-inspired works and her vivid descriptions of the English countryside.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sledge

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

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

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

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