NameCensus.

UK surname

Abley

In the 1881 census there were 182 people recorded with the Abley surname, ranking it #13,647 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 355, ranked #13,020, up from #13,647 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Dudley and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Walsall, County Durham and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Abley is 383 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 95.1%.

1881 census count

182

Ranked #13,647

Modern count

355

2016, ranked #13,020

Peak year

1998

383 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Abley had 182 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,647 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016, ranked #13,020.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 284 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Abley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Abley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Abley 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 125 #14,700
1861 historical 172 #13,619
1881 historical 182 #13,647
1891 historical 169 #16,885
1901 historical 247 #13,238
1911 historical 284 #11,862
1997 modern 373 #11,600
1998 modern 383 #11,748
1999 modern 366 #12,225
2000 modern 366 #12,167
2001 modern 343 #12,545
2002 modern 351 #12,583
2003 modern 339 #12,714
2004 modern 344 #12,597
2005 modern 347 #12,436
2006 modern 337 #12,810
2007 modern 345 #12,714
2008 modern 343 #12,899
2009 modern 358 #12,736
2010 modern 367 #12,775
2011 modern 375 #12,438
2012 modern 362 #12,615
2013 modern 377 #12,449
2014 modern 382 #12,408
2015 modern 374 #12,495
2016 modern 355 #13,020

Geography

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Where Ableys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Dudley, London parishes and Weobley, Bishopstone, Mansell Lacy, Dilwyn, Eardisland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Walsall, County Durham and Cheshire West and Chester. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Dudley Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Weobley, Bishopstone, Mansell Lacy, Dilwyn, Eardisland Herefordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Walsall 008 Walsall
2 Walsall 004 Walsall
3 County Durham 047 County Durham
4 Cheshire West and Chester 029 Cheshire West and Chester
5 County Durham 031 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Abley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Abley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Abley, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Abley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Abley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Abley 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

Abley 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

Abley falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Abley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Abley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Abley 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. Shropshire leads with 25 Ableys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.30x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 25 16.30x
Staffordshire 24 4.00x
Radnorshire 23 160.61x
Worcestershire 23 9.92x
Middlesex 19 1.07x
Durham 10 1.89x
Herefordshire 9 12.36x
Cheshire 7 1.79x
Essex 7 2.00x
Hampshire 7 1.92x
Surrey 7 0.81x
Gloucestershire 5 1.44x
Lancashire 3 0.14x
Wiltshire 3 1.91x
Yorkshire 3 0.17x
Monmouthshire 2 1.56x
Derbyshire 1 0.36x
Lincolnshire 1 0.35x
Montgomeryshire 1 2.46x
Sussex 1 0.33x
Warwickshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Knighton in Radnorshire leads with 19 Ableys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1637.93x.

Place Total Index
Knighton 19 1637.93x
Willenhall 9 80.21x
Bridgnorth St Mary 8 533.33x
Wednesfield 8 90.70x
Worcester St Martin 8 255.59x
Bromley London 7 17.92x
Chester St Oswald 7 98.59x
Dudley 7 24.84x
Mile End Old Town London 7 18.53x
Abberley 6 1621.62x
Church Stretton 6 582.52x
Culmington 6 1764.71x
Ferryhill 6 324.32x
Overton 6 689.66x
Wolverhampton 6 13.02x
Dilwyn 5 781.25x
Henbury 4 235.29x
Lambeth 4 2.58x
West Ham 4 5.17x
Hereford All Sts 3 89.82x
Milford 3 357.14x
Norton 3 1666.67x
Penwortham 3 300.00x
Stranton 3 16.87x
Aberystruth 2 17.68x
Kidderminster Foreign 2 60.98x
Maldon St Marys 2 238.10x
Newington 2 3.05x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 2 118.34x
Almondsbury 1 75.19x
Bettws 1 285.71x
Chelsea London 1 1.87x
Chiswick 1 10.31x
Edgbaston 1 7.20x
Egham 1 18.83x
Gainsborough 1 14.95x
Hackney London 1 1.00x
Hunslet 1 3.65x
Maldon All Sts 1 144.93x
Marden 1 196.08x
Meole Brace 1 126.58x
More 1 833.33x
Ore 1 44.84x
Oulton Cum Woodlesford 1 69.93x
Portsmouth 1 11.93x
Presteigne 1 109.89x
Sculcoates 1 3.59x
Shifnal 1 24.04x
St Martin In Fields 1 9.41x
St Marylebone London 1 1.06x
Stapenhill 1 24.15x
Wednesbury 1 6.68x
Westoe 1 3.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 12
Ann 6
Emma 6
Sarah 5
Jane 4
Ellen 3
Fanny 3
Isabella 3
Alice 2
Jessie 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Amey 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Blanche 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Deborah 1
Dianna 1
Drucilla 1
Drusilla 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Frances 1
Fras.E. 1
Hanah 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Kate 1
Katurah 1
May 1
Miriam 1
Norah 1
Rosannah 1
Rose 1
Rosella 1
Tabitha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 9
Thomas 7
Samuel 6
Edward 5
James 4
Charles 3
George 3
Henry 3
Martin 3
Wm. 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Frederick 2
Mark 2
Walter 2
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Evan 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Minnie 1
Perry 1
Septimus 1
Thos.Wm. 1
Tom 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Abley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Abley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 182 people were recorded with the Abley surname. That placed it at #13,647 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Abley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 355 in 2016. That gives Abley a modern rank of #13,020.

What does the Abley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Abley 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.