An English surname, Hensley, came from the Old English term of ’heahmund’ which meant a woodland clearing. Variations for spelling Hensley include Henslea, Ensleigh, Hensleigh, Hemsley, Henslie, Ensley and Ensly. In England the Hensley surname is concentrated in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Norfolk, Suffolk, the city of London, Kent, Herefordshire and Somerset. Within the United States the states of North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Virginia and Arkansas have the higher populations of those with the Hensley surname. Famous: Jimmy Hensley (race car driver), Kirby James Hensley (founder of the Universal Life Church), Virginia Patterson Hensley (stage name of Patsy Cline - a singer), Joe L. Hensley (science fiction and mystery writer), Pamela Hensley (actress) and Clayton Allen Hensley (professional baseball player).