2000
#9,325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,209
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Sly
A nickname-derived surname referring to a cunning or clever person, from the Middle English word "sly."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,522 Americans carry the last name Sly. That puts it at #10,018 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sly 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,318
Census rank
#10,018
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,071 bearers of the surname Sly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10018th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sly, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sly
The surname Sly is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "slæge," meaning "cunning" or "sly." This name likely emerged in the Middle Ages, used to describe someone with a crafty or shrewd demeanor.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries mentioning individuals with the surname Sly or similar spellings, such as Slie or Slye. These early records suggest the name was well-established in various regions of England by the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sly can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1195, which mention a William Sly. Other early examples include John Sly, who was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, and Robert Sly, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327.
The surname Sly is also linked to various place names in England, such as Slyfield in Surrey and Sly Willows in Derbyshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Notable individuals with the surname Sly throughout history include:
1. Sir Thomas Sly (c. 1420-1490), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the late 15th century.
2. John Sly (c. 1550-1608), an English playwright and poet during the Elizabethan era, known for his work "The Yorkshire Tragedy."
3. Elizabeth Sly (c. 1670-1735), an English Quaker author and preacher who published several religious works.
4. William Sly (1856-1939), a British artist and illustrator known for his etchings and engravings of rural landscapes.
5. James Sly (1905-1987), an American actor and stuntman who appeared in numerous Hollywood films throughout the 20th century.
The surname Sly has a rich history, deeply rooted in the English language and culture, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the Middle Ages. Its evolution and spread across various regions of England have contributed to its enduring legacy as a surname with a distinctive meaning and fascinating origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sly
Among Census respondents with the surname Sly, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sly 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 Sly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.5% · 2,380
- Black or African American12.9% · 395
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 135
- Two or more races4.0% · 123
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sly
Sly appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,205
-4 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 725 places
2020
#10,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,071
-134 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,325 | 3,209 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,050 | 3,205 | 1.09 | -4 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 725 places |
| 2020 | #10,018 | 3,071 | 1.03 | -134 bearers (-4.2%) | Up 32 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 Sly 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 | #10,050 | #10,018 | 0.3% |
| Count | 3,205 | 3,071 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.03 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sly bearers went from 3,205 to 3,071 (-4.2% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,050 to #10,018.
FAQ
Sly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sly?
Name Census estimates that about 3,522 living Americans carry the surname Sly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,318 residents.
How common is Sly?
Sly ranks #10,018 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,071 people with the surname Sly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,522), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sly.
Has Sly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sly went from 3,205 recorded bearers to 3,071. That is a decrease of 134 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,050 to #10,018.
What does the Census say about the background of Sly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sly, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Black (12.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Sly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (2,380 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.5%), Black (12.9%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Sly (2000, 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 Sly mean?
A nickname-derived surname referring to a cunning or clever person, from the Middle English word "sly." 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 Sly (1.03 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 share the surname Sly?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.