NameCensus.

UK surname

Acey

Derived from the Old French word "acier," meaning "steel," likely referring to a metalworker or someone with a steely disposition.

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Acey surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 156, ranked #23,098, down from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sutton and Stoneferry, Hollym and Drypool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and Wealden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Acey is 159 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.3%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

156

2016, ranked #23,098

Peak year

2015

159 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Acey had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016, ranked #23,098.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 129 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Acey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Acey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Acey 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 59 #22,756
1861 historical 46 #28,170
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 118 #20,721
1911 historical 129 #19,577
1997 modern 146 #21,494
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 137 #23,048
2001 modern 134 #23,037
2002 modern 136 #23,296
2003 modern 132 #23,459
2004 modern 127 #24,224
2005 modern 129 #23,963
2006 modern 140 #22,948
2007 modern 138 #23,478
2008 modern 143 #23,160
2009 modern 152 #22,716
2010 modern 153 #23,175
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 149 #23,372
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 158 #23,022
2015 modern 159 #22,796
2016 modern 156 #23,098

Geography

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Where Aceys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sutton and Stoneferry, Hollym, Drypool, Kirk Ella (Willerby, Kirk Ella, West Ella), North Ferriby (Swanland) and Elloughton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and Wealden. 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 Sutton and Stoneferry Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Hollym Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Drypool Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Kirk Ella (Willerby, Kirk Ella, West Ella), North Ferriby (Swanland) Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Elloughton Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 017 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 033 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 034 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Wealden 012 Wealden
5 Kingston upon Hull 030 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Acey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Acey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Acey, 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 Acey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Acey 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Acey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Acey is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Acey falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Acey 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 Acey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Acey

The surname Acey is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old English word "aecer," which means "field" or "cultivated land." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near or worked on a field or farmland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John Acey. This indicates that the surname was already in use by the 14th century in the West Midlands region of England.

The name Acey also appears in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as parish registers and court documents. For example, the marriage of William Acey and Alyce Stevenson was recorded in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1583.

During the Tudor and Stuart periods, variations in the spelling of the name can be found, including Acye, Acie, and Acee. These variations likely arose due to inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation before standardized spelling became more widespread.

Notable individuals with the surname Acey throughout history include:

1. Sir John Acey (c. 1540-1619), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Salisbury in the late 16th century.

2. Reverend Thomas Acey (1678-1741), an English clergyman and author who published several religious works in the early 18th century.

3. Elizabeth Acey (1723-1794), a British writer and poet who published a collection of poems titled "Poetical Effusions" in 1783.

4. Captain William Acey (1771-1833), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Naval General Service Medal.

5. James Acey (1825-1892), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in the Victorian era, particularly in the county of Gloucestershire.

While the surname Acey is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a long and documented history dating back to the medieval period, with variations in spelling and notable individuals bearing the name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Acey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Acey 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. Yorkshire leads with 87 Aceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.00x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 87 10.00x
Lincolnshire 2 1.42x
Royal Navy 1 9.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Drypool in Yorkshire leads with 9 Aceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 676.69x.

Place Total Index
Drypool 9 676.69x
Hollym 9 11250.00x
Holy Trinity 7 33.46x
North Ferriby 7 5000.00x
Exelby Leeming Newton 6 2857.14x
Linthorpe 5 96.34x
Sculcoates 5 36.26x
Beverley St Martin 4 275.86x
Elloughton Cum Brough 4 1481.48x
Hessle In Sculcoates 4 519.48x
Ryhill Camerton 4 5000.00x
Sutton 4 404.04x
Preston 3 625.00x
Southcoates 3 62.11x
Sutton Stoneferry 3 120.48x
Great Grimsby 2 22.45x
Newington 2 83.33x
Welton Melton 2 800.00x
Bridlington 1 50.25x
Bulmer Stittenham 1 1000.00x
Royal Navy 1 11.19x
Sancton Houghton 1 909.09x
Swanland 1 769.23x
West Ella 1 3333.33x
Withernsea 1 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
Thomas 5
Charles 4
John 4
Francis 3
James 3
Joseph 3
George 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Garton 1
Henry 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Sarah 1

FAQ

Acey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Acey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Acey surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Acey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016. That gives Acey a modern rank of #23,098.

What does the Acey surname mean?

Derived from the Old French word "acier," meaning "steel," likely referring to a metalworker or someone with a steely disposition.

What does the Acey map show?

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