NameCensus.

UK surname

Ackerley

From the Old English "æcer" and "lēah," referring to a person who lived or worked in a clearing in the woods.

In the 1881 census there were 435 people recorded with the Ackerley surname, ranking it #7,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 787, ranked #7,014, up from #7,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall, Manchester and Bowdon. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Trafford and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ackerley is 852 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.9%.

1881 census count

435

Ranked #7,500

Modern count

787

2016, ranked #7,014

Peak year

1999

852 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ackerley had 435 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 787 in 2016, ranked #7,014.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 678 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Ackerley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ackerley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ackerley 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 275 #8,150
1861 historical 315 #8,071
1881 historical 435 #7,500
1891 historical 525 #7,135
1901 historical 676 #6,450
1911 historical 678 #6,231
1997 modern 775 #6,709
1998 modern 830 #6,561
1999 modern 852 #6,471
2000 modern 825 #6,617
2001 modern 821 #6,512
2002 modern 812 #6,688
2003 modern 777 #6,821
2004 modern 765 #6,923
2005 modern 767 #6,830
2006 modern 760 #6,908
2007 modern 789 #6,765
2008 modern 807 #6,700
2009 modern 816 #6,775
2010 modern 828 #6,833
2011 modern 833 #6,714
2012 modern 806 #6,792
2013 modern 810 #6,879
2014 modern 810 #6,917
2015 modern 798 #6,947
2016 modern 787 #7,014

Geography

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Where Ackerleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall, Manchester, Bowdon and Runcorn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Trafford, Cheshire West and Chester and Allerdale. 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 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Bowdon Cheshire
4 Runcorn Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 012 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Trafford 018 Trafford
3 Cheshire West and Chester 047 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Allerdale 008 Allerdale
5 Cheshire West and Chester 046 Cheshire West and Chester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ackerley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ackerley

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Ackerley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Ackerley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Ackerley is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ackerley is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ackerley 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 Ackerley 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 Ackerley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ackerley

The surname Ackerley has its roots in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "æcer" meaning a field or cultivated land, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near or worked on a field or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Acherley." This vital historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, records land ownership and taxable assets in England at the time of the Norman conquest.

By the 13th century, the name had acquired various spellings, including Akerley, Ackerly, and Ackerley. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

In the 14th century, the name Ackerley can be found in records from Lancashire and Cheshire, suggesting that the name was particularly prevalent in these regions. For instance, a John de Akerley is mentioned in the Lancashire Inquisitions Post Mortem of 1311.

One notable figure bearing the surname Ackerley was Roger Ackerley, born circa 1555 in Nantwich, Cheshire. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to hold significant estates in the area for generations.

Another individual of note was Sir Roger Ackerley, born in 1628 in Wigan, Lancashire. He was a successful businessman and served as the Mayor of Wigan in 1672. His son, also named Roger Ackerley (1662-1734), was a renowned architect and designed several notable buildings in the region.

In the literary world, Joe Randolph Ackerley (1896-1967) was a British writer and editor. He is best known for his memoirs, including "My Father and Myself" and "Hindoo Holiday," which offer insights into his life and experiences.

Finally, the name Ackerley is also associated with the Ackerley Group, a British media and entertainment company founded by Samuel Ackerley in the early 20th century. The company played a significant role in the development of the entertainment industry in the United Kingdom.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ackerley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ackerley 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. Cheshire leads with 196 Ackerleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.92x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 196 20.92x
Lancashire 135 2.68x
Staffordshire 30 2.09x
Flintshire 18 15.78x
Cumberland 15 4.11x
Cornwall 10 2.08x
Northumberland 5 0.79x
Anglesey 4 5.32x
Lanarkshire 4 0.29x
Shropshire 4 1.09x
Yorkshire 4 0.10x
Lincolnshire 3 0.44x
Denbighshire 2 1.25x
Middlesex 2 0.05x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Westmorland 1 1.07x
Worcestershire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Altrincham in Cheshire leads with 30 Ackerleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 183.26x.

Place Total Index
Altrincham 30 183.26x
Partington 27 4218.75x
Timperley 26 797.55x
Toxteth Park 22 12.90x
Openshaw 12 50.89x
Salford 12 8.10x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 7.90x
West Derby 12 8.15x
Runcorn 10 46.30x
Whitby 10 462.96x
Pendleton In Salford 9 15.00x
Burwardsley 8 1230.77x
Huxley 8 2352.94x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 8 74.28x
Rixton With Glazebrook 8 625.00x
Everton 7 4.36x
Hampton Bickley 7 642.20x
Holme Abbey 7 510.95x
Manchester 7 3.09x
Eaton In Nantwich 6 882.35x
Hawarden 6 66.96x
Low Bolton 6 645.16x
Birkenhead 5 6.70x
Handsworth 5 14.16x
Hulme 5 4.76x
Lymm 5 73.42x
Mold 5 48.31x
Northop 5 123.76x
Poulton 5 2173.91x
Rainhill 5 154.80x
Trentham 5 41.05x
Urmston 5 152.91x
Westgate 5 12.79x
Wolstanton Chesterton 5 68.31x
Aston Near Mondrum 4 1481.48x
Falmouth 4 23.53x
Foulk Stapleford 4 1081.08x
Govan 4 1.18x
Great Mitton 4 1600.00x
Little Mollington 4 5000.00x
Llaneugrad 4 909.09x
Monks Coppenhall 4 11.32x
Prestwich 4 31.85x
Worthington 4 1081.08x
Broxton 3 394.74x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 3.75x
Donington 3 122.95x
Knutsford Nether 3 53.00x
Layton With Warbreck 3 16.23x
Madron Penzance 3 17.17x
Pendlebury 3 28.22x
Walton On Hill 3 11.00x
Whitchurch 3 42.19x
Wrenbury Cum Frith 3 405.41x
Acton 2 416.67x
Bowdon 2 53.76x
Bronington 2 204.08x
Cheetham 2 5.32x
Crumpsall 2 16.85x
Farndon 2 246.91x
Kingsley 2 114.29x
Moss Side 2 7.55x
St Gluvias Penryn 2 51.95x
Barbon 1 250.00x
Burnage 1 81.30x
Chester Castle 1 200.00x
Chester St Olave 1 119.05x
Dudley 1 1.48x
Dukinfield 1 2.31x
Hale 1 30.96x
Kelsall 1 107.53x
Macclesfield 1 2.40x
Macefin 1 243.90x
Newton 1 2.58x
Stone 1 5.46x
Stretford 1 3.61x
Twickenham 1 5.50x
Tyrley 1 90.09x
Westminster St Margaret 1 4.89x
Yarlett 1 588.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Sarah 32
Elizabeth 26
Ann 14
Ellen 8
Martha 7
Annie 6
Eliza 6
Jane 6
Alice 5
Bertha 5
Hannah 5
Margaret 5
Emma 4
Harriet 4
Louisa 4
Emily 3
Fanny 3
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Esther 2
Frances 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Alenor 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Bridget 1
Cathrine 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Emmeline 1
Ethel 1
Genevieve 1
Grace 1
Henrietta 1
Horrite 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Lavina 1
Lucy 1
Margreat 1
Maria 1
Marry 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 29
John 27
Thomas 22
Joseph 16
James 12
Henry 11
Samuel 11
George 8
Wm. 6
Charles 5
Albert 4
Richard 4
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
Geo. 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Harold 2
Herbert 2
Peter 2
Ralph 2
Walter 2
Allan 1
Digory 1
Finton 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
Job 1
Leonard 1
Les. 1
Saml. 1
Stephen 1
Wm.Lawrence 1

FAQ

Ackerley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ackerley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 435 people were recorded with the Ackerley surname. That placed it at #7,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ackerley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 787 in 2016. That gives Ackerley a modern rank of #7,014.

What does the Ackerley surname mean?

From the Old English "æcer" and "lēah," referring to a person who lived or worked in a clearing in the woods.

What does the Ackerley map show?

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