Explore the Family Name Fenley
The meaning of Fenley
1. Irish: from Ó Fionnghaile or Ó Fionnghalaigh, see Fennell 2 and Fennelly. 2. English: perhaps a variant of Scottish Finley or English Fendley. 3. Possibly an altered form of South German Fähnle, an occupational name for an ensign bearer, from a diminutive of Middle High German van(e) ‘flag, banner’ (from Old High German fano ‘cloth’).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fenley in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Fenley has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 18,938 but by 2010, it had dropped to 19,480, indicating a -2.86% change. However, the actual count of people bearing the name Fenley has increased over that time period, with 1,333 instances in 2000 and 1,387 in 2010, marking a 4.05% increase. Despite this, the proportion of people named Fenley per 100,000 decreased by -4.08%, from 0.49 to 0.47.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,938 | #19,480 | -2.86% |
| Count | 1,333 | 1,387 | 4.05% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.49 | 0.47 | -4.08% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fenley
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Fenley also saw some changes from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, a majority of those with the Fenley surname identified as White (88.30%), followed by Black (6.23%), Hispanic (2.78%), Two or more races (1.50%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.75%), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.45%). A decade later, the majority still identified as White (87.09%), however, there were slight increases in the proportions identifying as Two or more races (2.38%) and Hispanic (3.24%). The group identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased to 0.50% while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw an increase to 0.58%. The percentage of those identifying as Black marginally decreased to 6.20%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.3% | 87.09% | -1.37% |
| Black | 6.23% | 6.2% | -0.48% |
| Hispanic | 2.78% | 3.24% | 16.55% |
| Two or More Races | 1.5% | 2.38% | 58.67% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.45% | 0.58% | 28.89% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.75% | 0.5% | -33.33% |