Explore the Family Name Wensley
The meaning of Wensley
English: 1. in southwestern England probably a habitational name from Winsley (Wiltshire). The placename derives from the Old English personal name Wine (genitive Wines) + Old English lēah ‘wood, woodland clearing’. 2. in northern England (and perhaps in Lincolnshire by migration) mainly or wholly a habitational name from Wensley in North Yorkshire, or possibly Wensley in Derbyshire, or Winsley in Hartwith (Yorkshire). The North Yorkshire placename derives from the Old English personal name Wændel (genitive Wændles) + Old English lēah ‘wood, woodland clearing’. The Derbyshire placename derives from Old English Wōden (genitive Wōd(e)nes), the name of a heathen Germanic god, + lēah. The Yorkshire placename probably derives from the Old English personal name Wine (genitive Wines) + Old English hlāw ‘mound, hill’. 3. in Shropshire, probably from Winsley in Westbury (Shropshire). The placename derives from the Old English personal name Wine (genitive Wines) + Old English lēah ‘wood, woodland clearing’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wensley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Wensley has seen a decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 66,878 in popularity with a count of 276, equating to roughly 0.1 per 100k people having this surname. However, by 2010, the rank had dropped to 77,788 with only 246 counts or 0.08 per 100k people. This represented a change of -16.31 in rank and -10.87 in count.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #66,878 | #77,788 | -16.31% |
| Count | 276 | 246 | -10.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.1 | 0.08 | -20% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wensley
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that majority of individuals with the last name Wensley identified as White, with proportions being 92.75% in 2000 and 89.84% in 2010, showing a slight decrease in percentage. There was an increase in those identifying as Hispanic, from 2.54% in 2000 to 4.47% in 2010. Similarly, the proportion of individuals who identified as Black also increased from 1.81% in 2000 to 2.44% in 2010. The percentage of people identifying as Two or more races also saw a slight increase from 2.17% to 2.44%. No participants identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during both census periods.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.75% | 89.84% | -3.14% |
| Hispanic | 2.54% | 4.47% | 75.98% |
| Two or More Races | 2.17% | 2.44% | 12.44% |
| Black | 1.81% | 2.44% | 34.81% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |