2000
#11,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,643
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Townsley
From an English place name meaning "Townie's meadow," referring to a person from a town or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,026 Americans carry the last name Townsley. That puts it at #11,418 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,270 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Townsley 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 Townsley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 113,270
Census rank
#11,418
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,639 bearers of the surname Townsley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11418th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Townsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Townsley
The surname Townsley originated in England during the 12th century. It is a habitation name derived from the Old English words "tun" meaning an enclosure or village, and "ley" meaning a meadow or clearing. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a meadow near a village or town.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Townsley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1176, where it was spelled as "Tuneslega". This suggests that the name was already established in the English Midlands by the late 12th century.
During the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Tunsleye" and "Townesleye" appeared in various county records across England, indicating that the name had spread to other regions.
In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a certain William Townsley was listed as a landowner in Derbyshire, providing evidence of the name's presence in the East Midlands during that period.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Townsley, who was born in Yorkshire around 1420. He served as a member of the Yorkshire gentry and was recorded in the Yorkshire Visitation of 1585.
During the 16th century, the Townsley family established itself in Lancashire, where they became prominent landowners. Sir Richard Townsley (1537-1599), a member of this Lancashire branch, was a notable figure who served as High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1592.
In the 17th century, the Townsley name appeared in various parish records across England, including those of Cheshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire, indicating the widespread distribution of the name.
A notable bearer of the Townsley name was Sir Roger Townsley (1628-1707), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. He served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1688 and was knighted by King William III in 1698.
Another prominent individual was Reverend Joseph Townsley (1739-1816), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Malpas in Cheshire. He published several works on theology and history during his lifetime.
Throughout its history, the Townsley surname has been associated with various notable individuals, including scholars, clergymen, merchants, and landowners, reflecting its widespread presence across different regions of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Townsley
Among Census respondents with the surname Townsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Townsley 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 Townsley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 2,191
- Black or African American7.3% · 193
- Two or more races4.4% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Townsley
Townsley 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
#11,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,753
+110 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 405 places
2020
#11,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,639
-114 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,035 | 2,643 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,440 | 2,753 | 0.93 | +110 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 405 places |
| 2020 | #11,418 | 2,639 | 0.88 | -114 bearers (-4.1%) | Up 22 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 Townsley 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 | #11,440 | #11,418 | 0.2% |
| Count | 2,753 | 2,639 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.88 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Townsley bearers went from 2,753 to 2,639 (-4.1% change). The surname moved up 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,440 to #11,418.
FAQ
Townsley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Townsley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,026 living Americans carry the surname Townsley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,270 residents.
How common is Townsley?
Townsley ranks #11,418 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 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 2,639 people with the surname Townsley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,026), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 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 Townsley.
Has Townsley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Townsley went from 2,753 recorded bearers to 2,639. That is a decrease of 114 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,440 to #11,418.
What does the Census say about the background of Townsley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Townsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (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 Townsley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (2,191 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Townsley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Black (7.3%), Two or More Races (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 Townsley (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 Townsley mean?
From an English place name meaning "Townie's meadow," referring to a person from a town or village. 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 Townsley (0.88 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 Townsley?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Townsley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.