Explore the Family Name Sleight
The meaning of Sleight
English (Lincolnshire and Yorkshire): 1. nickname from Middle English sleight, slet ‘wise, clever, skillful, sly’, derived from the noun of the same form (Old Norse slœgth ‘slyness’). Compare Sly. 2. from Middle English sleyte ‘level field’ (Old Norse slétta). The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived on or by a level field, or habitational, from a place so named, such as Sleights in Kirkby Moorside or Sleights in Whitby (both North Yorkshire). 3. from Middle English sleyte ‘sheep pasture’ (Old English slæget). The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived on or by a sheep pasture, or habitational, from a place so named, such as Sleight in Corfe Mullen (Dorset). 4. variant of Slight.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sleight in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Sleight has seen a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Sleight was ranked as the 20,543rd most popular surname, with approximately 1,200 people bearing the name. However, by 2010, its rank had slipped to 23,300 and the number of individuals with the surname had declined to 1,093. This represents a drop in popularity of 13.42% and a reduction in total count by 8.92%. The proportion of Sleights per 100,000 people also decreased by 15.91% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,543 | #23,300 | -13.42% |
| Count | 1,200 | 1,093 | -8.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.44 | 0.37 | -15.91% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sleight
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the vast majority of individuals with the surname Sleight identify as White - 95.75% in 2000 and 95.88% in 2010, showing a slight increase of 0.14%. The second largest ethnic group within the Sleight population identifies as Hispanic, which increased from 1.25% to 1.37% over the decade. Those identifying as two or more races decreased from 1.50% to 1.19%, while the percentage of Sleights who are Black decreased from 0.75% to 0.64%. The data showed no change for those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native with the Sleight surname from 2000 to 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.75% | 95.88% | 0.14% |
| Hispanic | 1.25% | 1.37% | 9.6% |
| Two or More Races | 1.5% | 1.19% | -20.67% |
| Black | 0.75% | 0.64% | -14.67% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |