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

Slife, 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 Slife surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Slife in America

Slife is the 37442nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Slife surname appeared 595 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 Slife.

We can also compare 2010 data for Slife 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 Slife

The surname SLIFE is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "slifer," which means "to slip" or "to glide." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a slippery or muddy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SLIFE surname can be found in a 1574 census record from the town of Nuremberg, where a family by the name of Slyfer was listed among the local residents. This spelling variation likely stemmed from the regional dialect and pronunciation of the name at the time.

Another notable historical reference to the SLIFE name comes from the 17th century, when a farmer named Hans Slife was mentioned in a land deed from the village of Eberbach, located in the southwestern region of modern-day Germany. This document, dated 1623, provides evidence of the name's continued use and evolution over time.

In the 18th century, the SLIFE surname began to appear more frequently in various records across Germany. One notable individual from this period was Johann Slife, a craftsman born in 1732 in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. His work as a skilled woodcarver and furniture maker was highly regarded in his local community.

As the SLIFE name spread throughout Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America can be traced to a man named Wilhelm Slife, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from Germany in 1748.

Another significant figure with the SLIFE surname was Friedrich Slife, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1801 to 1868. His works exploring the nature of human consciousness and the relationship between the mind and the physical world garnered significant attention during his lifetime.

In the 20th century, notable individuals with the SLIFE surname included Hans Slife, a German-born physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear energy research in the 1950s and 1960s. Additionally, Katrina Slife was a celebrated American novelist and poet, born in 1921, whose works often explored themes of identity, belonging, and the human experience.

While the SLIFE surname may have had humble beginnings, it has since become a part of the rich tapestry of family names that reflect the diverse cultural heritage of many nations and societies around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Slife

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

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

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

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