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

Worsley, 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 Worsley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Worsley in America

Worsley is the 14030th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Worsley surname appeared 2,147 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 Worsley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Worsley 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 Worsley

The surname Worsley originates from England, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English words "wurð" meaning an enclosed homestead or farm, and "leah" signifying a woodland clearing or meadow. It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, referring to individuals who hailed from the town or village of Worsley, located in Lancashire.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wordeslea." This reference suggests that the name was already established in the region during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Wordeslegh, Wordsley, and Wordesley, reflecting the evolving nature of English spelling and pronunciation over time. These variations were common until the standardization of surnames in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Worsley has a strong connection to the Bridgewater family, a prominent noble house in England. John Worsley (1590-1646) was a notable figure during the English Civil War, serving as a colonel in the Royalist army. His descendants continued to hold influential positions, including Sir Richard Worsley (1694-1768), who became the 7th Baronet of Worsley and was a prominent politician and landowner.

Another notable bearer of the name was Frank Worsley (1872-1957), a renowned Antarctic explorer and navigator. He served as the captain of the Endurance expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton and played a crucial role in the successful rescue of the crew after their ship became trapped in ice.

In the literary realm, John Worsley (1794-1841) was a notable English author and clergyman who wrote several works on religious subjects and contributed to various periodicals of his time.

The surname has also been associated with the Worsley family of Yorkshire, which produced several notable individuals, including Sir William Worsley (1480-1538), a prominent merchant and landowner during the reign of Henry VIII, and Sir Henry Worsley (1617-1666), a Royalist commander during the English Civil War.

While the name Worsley has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through the British Empire and migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period in the regions of Lancashire and Yorkshire, where it first emerged as a locational surname reflecting the specific geographic locations from which the bearers originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Worsley

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

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

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

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