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

Sligh, 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 Sligh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sligh in America

Sligh is the 16470th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sligh surname appeared 1,745 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 Sligh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sligh 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 Sligh

The surname SLIGH has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "slæge," meaning a small valley or depression in the land. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived in or near such a geographical feature.

The earliest recorded instance of the name SLIGH can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1199, where a certain Willelmus de Slegh is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, as it was originally spelled with an "e" instead of an "i."

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273 make reference to a William de la Slegh, further demonstrating the use of the preposition "de" or "de la" to denote someone's place of origin or residence.

One notable historical figure bearing the SLIGH surname was Sir Robert Sligh, a prominent English merchant and statesman who lived during the 16th century (c. 1520 - 1588). He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1595 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual of note was John Sligh (c. 1610 - 1684), an English Puritan clergyman and author who served as the rector of several parishes in Hampshire and published several religious works during his lifetime.

In the 17th century, the SLIGH surname also made its way to Ireland, where it is believed to have originated from English settlers. One such individual was Robert Sligh (c. 1650 - 1717), an Irish landowner and member of the Protestant Ascendancy in County Antrim.

Moving into the 18th century, James Sligh (1718 - 1795) was a prominent Scottish merchant and landowner who owned several estates in Ayrshire and played a significant role in the development of the town of Kilmarnock.

Lastly, in the 19th century, John Sligh (1819 - 1891) was an American businessman and politician from South Carolina, serving as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1879.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sligh

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

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

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

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