Ensley
A surname that most likely began as a place-based name, probably from an English locality or field name now lost or altered in spelling.
The #8,174 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 76,139 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ensley is generally treated as an English locational surname. It likely comes from a place-name built with Old English elements, probably a personal name or descriptive first element plus "-ley," meaning "woodland clearing" or "meadow." In many cases, surnames of this type arose when someone was identified by the village, hamlet, or farm they came from. The exact source place is uncertain, so the literal meaning cannot be stated with confidence.
History
This surname appears in English-speaking records as a toponymic family name and later became established in the United States through immigration and internal migration. Because several English place-names and minor local names can produce similar spellings, the surname’s history is less clear than for more common locational names. The spelling has also likely been influenced by phonetic variation over time.
Origin
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Variant spellings
Fun fact
Names ending in -ley are very common in English surnames because the element means a clearing, meadow, or open woodland.