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

Wellesley, 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 Wellesley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wellesley in America

Wellesley is the 109758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wellesley surname appeared 161 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 Wellesley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wellesley 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 Wellesley

The surname Wellesley originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words 'welle' meaning 'well' or 'spring' and 'leah' meaning 'clearing' or 'meadow'. The name likely originated as a place name referring to a clearing near a well or spring.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Walleslee'. This document was a survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

During the 12th century, the name appears in various forms such as 'Waleslegh', 'Wallesleye', and 'Welleslegh' in various medieval records and charters. These variations reflect the changes in spelling and pronunciation over time.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was Sir Richard Wellesley, who lived in the 13th century and was a member of the gentry in Somerset, England. He is mentioned in several local records and documents from that time.

The Wellesley family gained prominence in the 16th and 17th centuries, with several members holding important positions and titles. Sir Gawen Wellesley (1512-1548) was a member of the English Parliament and served as the High Sheriff of Somerset. His son, Sir William Wellesley (1548-1622), was also a Member of Parliament and held the position of High Sheriff of Somerset.

In the 18th century, the Wellesley family produced several notable figures, including Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley (1760-1842), who served as the Governor-General of India and played a significant role in the expansion of British rule in the subcontinent. His brother, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), was a renowned military commander who led the British forces to victory against Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Another notable individual with the Wellesley surname was Ralph Wellesley (1690-1758), who was the Bishop of Gloucester and later became the Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland. He was a prominent figure in the Church of England during the 18th century.

Throughout history, the Wellesley surname has been associated with various place names in England, such as Wellesbourne in Warwickshire, Wellesbourne Hastings in Warwickshire, and Wellesbourne Mountford in Warwickshire, all of which likely derived their names from the same Old English roots as the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wellesley

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

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

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

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