The Hensley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 51,081 people carried this name — #668 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,770 people counted. That is up 2% from 49,858 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Hensley surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Hensley’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 376 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

30 families named Hensley, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 151 people lived in those households, 5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 7 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 15
Virginia 10
South Carolina 3
Massachusetts 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 245 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Hensley in American newspapers,
1920–1921.

Newspaper page from The Wolf Point Herald carrying the name Hensley
The Wolf Point Herald 1921-05-19
Newspaper page from The Bossier Banner carrying the name Hensley
The Bossier Banner 1920-11-18
Newspaper page from Putnam County Herald carrying the name Hensley
Putnam County Herald 1920-03-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 51,164 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Hensley in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

7,075 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Hensley. The most, 1,935, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 2,159
New South Wales 1,929
Victoria 1,256
South Australia 1,037
Tasmania 483
Western Australia 136
ACT (Canberra) 59
Northern Territory 8

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Hensley.

Who carried it

People named Hensley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Joseph Hensley
    Joseph Hensley 1824–1884 · politician
  • Sophie Margaretta Almon Hensley
    Sophie Margaretta Almon Hensley 1866–1946 · writer
  • Walter Lewis Hensley
    Walter Lewis Hensley 1871–1946 · lawyer
  • Mary Amelia Jervois d. 1948
  • William B. Hensley 1841–1891 · farmer
  • William B. Hensley 1841–1891 · farmer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Hensley,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,374 records

2,374 records of the Hensley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,641
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 586
  • Other U.S. records 147
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Luther L. Hensley

    Born 1922 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; farmer from Greene County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1974, buried at Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Gary Lee Hensley

    Born 1947; from Cassopolis, Michigan. U.S. Army, cannon fire direction specialist; killed in action 1967 in Darlac, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Anne Hensley

    Arrived at New York in 1848 aboard the Lady Peel from Penzance, aged 18; miner. From Great Britain.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 2,374 records for Hensley in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia186 records

186 records of the Hensley name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 52
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 48
  • Other Australian records 86
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John James Hensley

    Born 1861 in Port Sorell, Tasmania. Died 1898 in Ulverstone, Tasmania, aged 37.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth Hensley

    Arrived in Victoria in 1855 aboard the Balmoral, aged 5; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Charles Hensley

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Grenada, arriving 1819; certificate of freedom 1825.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 186 records for Hensley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

New Zealand26 records

26 records of the Hensley name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Alice Hensley

    Died 1950, aged 76; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Kenneth Emanuel Hensley

    Died 1959, aged 54; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Ernest Hensley

    Died 1929, aged 45; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 26 records for Hensley in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Canada24 records

24 records of the Hensley name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 17
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Other Canadian records 5
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Sophia M. Hensley

    Died 1946 in Annapolis Royal, Annapolis, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Gladys Freda Hensley

    Died 1935; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record John Manuel Hensley

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 24 records for Hensley in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the Hensley name in the United Kingdom St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph Hensley

    Buried in 1804 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 40.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 1 of 7 records for Hensley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Hensley name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Madeleine Hensley

    Born 1946 in Inconnue (Sainte-Lucie); died 1988 in Cayenne (Guyane).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Hensley name in the Netherlands Dutch church registers before 1811
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Rogier Hensley

    Married in 1620 in Nijmegen.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Nijmegen (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Hensley.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Hensley is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Hensley volume
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