2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Slie
A variant spelling of the Scottish surname Sly, stemming from the Old English word 'sli' meaning crafty or skilled.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Slie. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slie 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Slie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slie, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and Black (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slie
The surname SLIE has its origins in medieval England, with records indicating it first appeared in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "slæge," meaning "striking" or "killing," suggesting it may have been an occupational surname for a soldier or hunter.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name SLIE can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which lists a Walter Slie as a taxpayer. This suggests the surname was already well-established in the region by that time.
During the 14th century, the name SLIE appears in various historical documents across central and southern England. In 1327, a John Slie is mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire. A few decades later, in 1379, the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire list a Thomas Slie as a resident.
The surname SLIE may also have connections to the village of Slie in Staffordshire, which could have been the ancestral home of some early bearers of the name. This is supported by the appearance of a Richard de Slie in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.
One notable historical figure with the surname SLIE was Sir John Slie (c. 1410-1478), a prominent member of the landed gentry in Gloucestershire during the Wars of the Roses. He served as a member of parliament and was knighted for his loyalty to the House of York.
Another person of note was Thomas Slie (1545-1621), an English composer and organist who served as the Master of the Choristers at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, a family of SLIE settled in the American colonies, with records showing a William Slie (1639-1705) as one of the earliest arrivals in Virginia. He later became a successful plantation owner and landowner in the colony.
Other notable individuals with the surname SLIE include Robert Slie (1787-1853), a Scottish mathematician and author of several influential textbooks on algebra and geometry, and Emily Slie (1865-1942), a British suffragette and activist for women's rights.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slie
Among Census respondents with the surname Slie, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and Black (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Slie 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 Slie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 96
- Two or more races10.7% · 13
- Black or African American7.4% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slie
Slie appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 1,840 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 Slie 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 | #143,149 | #141,309 | 1.3% |
| Count | 116 | 121 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slie bearers went from 116 to 121 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 1,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #141,309.
FAQ
Slie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slie?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Slie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Slie?
Slie ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Slie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Slie.
Has Slie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slie went from 116 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 5 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Slie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slie, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and Black (7.4%). 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 Slie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Two or More Races (10.7%), Black (7.4%). 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 Slie (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 Slie mean?
A variant spelling of the Scottish surname Sly, stemming from the Old English word 'sli' meaning crafty or skilled. 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 Slie (0.04 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 have the last name Slie?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Slie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.