Lashley
A likely English surname built from a place-name, meaning someone from or near a meadow, clearing, or enclosed place with a similar-sounding local name.
The #5,230 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 46,296 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lashley is most likely an English locational surname, formed from a place-name rather than from a personal description. The first element is probably from an Old English word such as cealc or leah-related forms in local place-name development, with the second element commonly understood as Old English -leah, meaning a clearing, meadow, or woodland opening. In practice, surnames of this type usually began as an identifier for someone who came from a small settlement or field-name now lost or altered.
History
Locational surnames became hereditary in England in the Middle Ages, especially when people moved away from their home villages. Lashley is comparatively uncommon and may reflect a surname taken from a minor or now-obscure place-name. Later bearers are found in English-speaking countries through migration, especially to North America and the Caribbean.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because many English local surnames come from vanished or changed place-names, Lashley may preserve the memory of a place that no longer appears clearly on modern maps.