NameCensus.

UK surname

Hensley

From a place called Heansleah, derived from the Old English words "hēan" meaning "high" and "lēah" meaning "woodland clearing."

In the 1881 census there were 372 people recorded with the Hensley surname, ranking it #8,399 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 343, ranked #13,368, down from #8,399 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broadway, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, Cannock Chase and Wokingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hensley is 489 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.8%.

1881 census count

372

Ranked #8,399

Modern count

343

2016, ranked #13,368

Peak year

1911

489 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hensley had 372 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,399 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 343 in 2016, ranked #13,368.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 489 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hensley surname distribution map

The map shows where the Hensley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Hensley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hensley over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 261 #8,490
1861 historical 429 #5,989
1881 historical 372 #8,399
1891 historical 447 #8,115
1901 historical 428 #9,040
1911 historical 489 #7,959
1997 modern 330 #12,701
1998 modern 346 #12,630
1999 modern 334 #13,022
2000 modern 345 #12,693
2001 modern 333 #12,817
2002 modern 342 #12,837
2003 modern 329 #13,001
2004 modern 324 #13,197
2005 modern 314 #13,403
2006 modern 308 #13,669
2007 modern 314 #13,618
2008 modern 311 #13,800
2009 modern 310 #14,113
2010 modern 325 #13,946
2011 modern 324 #13,839
2012 modern 314 #14,063
2013 modern 321 #14,073
2014 modern 332 #13,807
2015 modern 342 #13,396
2016 modern 343 #13,368

Geography

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Where Hensleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broadway, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Matthew Bethnal Green and Littleham (including pt Exmouth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, Cannock Chase, Wokingham and West Berkshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Broadway Worcestershire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
5 Littleham (including pt Exmouth) Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 015 Breckland
2 Breckland 011 Breckland
3 Cannock Chase 011 Cannock Chase
4 Wokingham 006 Wokingham
5 West Berkshire 006 West Berkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hensley

These lists show first names that appear often with the Hensley surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hensley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hensley, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Hensley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hensley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Hensley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hensley is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hensley falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hensley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hensley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hensley

The surname Hensley has its origins in England, dating back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "henn" and "leah," which together mean "a clearing or meadow where hens are kept." The name likely originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked in such a place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1195, which mention a Richard de Hennesleye. This suggests that the name was already established in the English Midlands by the late 12th century.

Throughout the medieval and early modern periods, various spelling variations of the name emerged, including Hennesley, Henesley, and Hennysleye. These differences were often a result of regional dialects and the inconsistencies of scribes.

In the 16th century, the name appears in records from the county of Shropshire, where a family of Hensleys held land and property in the village of Hensley. This may have been the ancestral home of many modern-day Hensleys.

Notable individuals with the Hensley surname throughout history include John Hensley (c. 1550-1618), a prominent English Puritan minister and author; Robert Hensley (1742-1811), an American pioneer and Revolutionary War soldier; and David Hensley (1773-1835), a Baptist minister and early settler in Kentucky.

Other notable Hensleys include Sir Philip Hensley (1779-1856), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Robert Hensley (1822-1906), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.

While the Hensley name has its roots in England, it has since spread around the world, particularly to North America and other regions with significant British immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the English countryside, where it likely referred to those who lived or worked in areas where chickens were raised.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hensley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hensley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 92 Hensleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.54x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 92 2.54x
Worcestershire 37 7.81x
Somerset 35 5.99x
Gloucestershire 26 3.65x
Warwickshire 20 2.19x
Norfolk 17 3.05x
Devon 14 1.85x
Staffordshire 14 1.14x
Surrey 14 0.79x
Hertfordshire 13 5.20x
Sussex 13 2.12x
Cornwall 11 2.68x
Nottinghamshire 10 2.04x
Yorkshire 10 0.28x
Berkshire 8 2.94x
Cheshire 6 0.75x
Derbyshire 6 1.06x
Kent 6 0.48x
Lancashire 5 0.12x
Lincolnshire 4 0.69x
Glamorgan 3 0.47x
Dorset 2 0.84x
Durham 2 0.19x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.44x
Hampshire 1 0.13x
Northumberland 1 0.19x
Suffolk 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Broadway in Worcestershire leads with 33 Hensleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1617.65x.

Place Total Index
Broadway 33 1617.65x
Kensington London 21 10.41x
Islington London 15 4.26x
St George Bloomsbury 13 62.44x
Birmingham 11 3.61x
Bethnal Green London 10 6.34x
Great Amwell 9 358.57x
Minehead 9 407.24x
Bridgewater 8 50.44x
Willersey 8 1632.65x
Gwennap 7 90.32x
Littleham 7 126.81x
Newington 7 5.22x
St George Hanover Square 7 10.95x
Timberscombe 7 1458.33x
Chelsea London 6 5.49x
Mayfield 6 165.75x
Nantwich 6 64.45x
Pilsley 6 319.15x
Poplar London 6 8.76x
Wellesbourne Hastings 6 689.66x
West Wretham 6 3529.41x
Beeston 5 88.97x
Bristol St Augustine 5 43.55x
Cotgrave 5 490.20x
Faxfleet 5 1612.90x
Merton 5 2380.95x
Parkham 5 500.00x
Penge 5 21.57x
Reading St Giles 5 18.71x
Walcot 5 16.07x
Cabourn 4 1818.18x
Clifton 4 11.12x
Paddington London 4 3.00x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 3.08x
Watton 4 228.57x
Westminster St James 4 10.72x
Aston 3 1.19x
Chailey 3 157.89x
Prestwich 3 27.93x
Roath 3 10.45x
Shipston On Stour 3 138.89x
St Decumans Watchet 3 202.70x
Wednesbury 3 9.80x
Westbury On Trym 3 12.44x
Camborne 2 11.81x
Chatham 2 5.87x
Cheltenham 2 3.64x
Cheshunt 2 22.88x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.34x
Clewer 2 17.92x
Emswell Cum Kellythorpe 2 952.38x
Great Lumley 2 108.11x
Hastings St Leonards 2 22.25x
Hitchin 2 17.71x
Illogan 2 18.38x
Lambeth 2 0.63x
Milton In Gravesend 2 10.77x
Sherborne 2 28.53x
St Marylebone London 2 1.03x
Tipton 2 5.33x
West Bromwich 2 2.85x
Aldershot 1 4.01x
Bradford 1 4.96x
Brighton 1 0.81x
Bristol Christchurch 1 97.09x
Croft 1 149.25x
Folkestone 1 4.16x
Henstead 1 149.25x
Heptonstall 1 19.80x
Horfield 1 13.97x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 6.54x
North Dalton 1 163.93x
Salford 1 0.79x
Thompson 1 222.22x
Tidenham 1 90.91x
Walsall Borough 1 10.52x
Walton In Gordano 1 161.29x
Warden 1 90.91x
Withycombe Rawleigh 1 25.45x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Hensley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hensley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 18
Thomas 14
George 12
Charles 11
John 11
Henry 9
Edward 8
Frederick 7
Alfred 5
Walter 5
James 4
Robert 4
Wm. 4
Albert 3
Edgar 3
Frank 3
Harry 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Christopher 2
Oliver 2
Stephen 2
Augustus 1
Austin 1
Cecil 1
Chas. 1
Cornelius 1
Cyril 1
Deing 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Egerton 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Geo.H. 1
Georges 1
Gorge 1
Hubert 1
Lawrence 1
Lewis 1
Nichs.Wm. 1
Obed 1
Philip 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Sidney 1
Tom 1
Willim. 1

FAQ

Hensley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hensley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 372 people were recorded with the Hensley surname. That placed it at #8,399 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hensley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 343 in 2016. That gives Hensley a modern rank of #13,368.

What does the Hensley surname mean?

From a place called Heansleah, derived from the Old English words "hēan" meaning "high" and "lēah" meaning "woodland clearing."

What does the Hensley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hensley bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.