Explore the Family Name Bensley
The meaning of Bensley
English (Norfolk and Suffolk): possibly an altered form of Bendelowes with metathesis of -s- and substitution of -ley for -low). Bendelowes is a variant of Bindloss, a nickname perhaps for a wolf hunter, from Middle English binden ‘bind’ + Middle English (Old French) loues ‘wolves’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bensley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Bensley has seen a significant decrease from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Bensley was ranked 27,618th in terms of popularity and had 821 individuals carrying this surname. However, by 2010, the rank dropped to 34,149 with only 665 individuals bearing the name Bensley, marking a decline of roughly 19%. The proportion of people per 100k with the surname Bensley also decreased by 23.33% during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #27,618 | #34,149 | -23.65% |
| Count | 821 | 665 | -19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.3 | 0.23 | -23.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bensley
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some changes in the distribution over the same period. For instance, the percentage of white individuals with the surname Bensley slightly decreased from 92.81% in 2000 to 92.33% in 2010. On the other hand, the percentage of Hispanic individuals increased from 1.58% to 2.26%, showing a marked growth of 43.04%. Notably, individuals identifying with two or more ethnic identities showed an impressive increase of 121.31%, going from 0.61% to 1.35%. Conversely, the percentage of Black individuals decreased by nearly half from 3.90% to 2.11%. The percentages of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained constant at zero, as there were no individuals from these groups with the surname Bensley in either 2000 or 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.81% | 92.33% | -0.52% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 2.26% | 43.04% |
| Black | 3.9% | 2.11% | -45.9% |
| Two or More Races | 0.61% | 1.35% | 121.31% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |