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

Towsley, 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 Towsley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Towsley in America

Towsley is the 33343rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Towsley surname appeared 685 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 Towsley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Towsley 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 Towsley

The surname Towsley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "tun" meaning town or settlement, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a town or settlement surrounded by meadows or clearings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Towsley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1199, where it was spelled as "Tunsleye." This indicates that the name was already in use by the 12th century in that region of England.

In the 13th century, there are references to individuals with the surname Towsley appearing in various historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls and the Taxatio Ecclesiastica. These records provide insights into the geographical distribution of the name, with mentions of people bearing the surname in counties like Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, and Oxfordshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the spelling of the name began to evolve further, with variations such as Townsly, Townsley, and Townesly appearing in parish records and other documents.

One notable individual with the surname Towsley was Sir John Towsley (1580-1645), a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent figure was Richard Towsley (1670-1732), a renowned clockmaker from London whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the aristocracy.

In the 18th century, the Towsley surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with records indicating families bearing the name in counties like Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Shropshire. One prominent Towsley during this period was William Towsley (1725-1792), a successful merchant and landowner in Somerset.

As the centuries progressed, the Towsley surname spread beyond England, with families bearing the name eventually settling in other parts of the British Isles, as well as in the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world.

Other notable individuals with the Towsley surname include:

• James Towsley (1815-1889), an American educator and politician from Michigan.
• Alice Towsley (1892-1979), an American philanthropist and patron of the arts.
• Harry Towsley (1908-1998), an American businessman and founder of the Towsley Corporation.
• Margaret Towsley (1926-2012), an American philanthropist and activist.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Towsley

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

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

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

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