NameCensus.

UK surname

Aley

Of Northern English origin, a variant spelling of the locational surname Alley.

In the 1881 census there were 166 people recorded with the Aley surname, ranking it #14,496 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 267, ranked #16,054, down from #14,496 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Laver, High and Harlow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North West Leicestershire, Melton and Eastleigh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Aley is 279 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.8%.

1881 census count

166

Ranked #14,496

Modern count

267

2016, ranked #16,054

Peak year

2010

279 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Aley had 166 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,496 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 267 in 2016, ranked #16,054.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 242 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Aley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Aley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Aley 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 148 #13,028
1861 historical 156 #14,813
1881 historical 166 #14,496
1891 historical 205 #14,649
1901 historical 222 #14,169
1911 historical 242 #13,193
1997 modern 270 #14,515
1998 modern 275 #14,715
1999 modern 274 #14,826
2000 modern 268 #15,018
2001 modern 263 #14,999
2002 modern 258 #15,485
2003 modern 256 #15,377
2004 modern 257 #15,419
2005 modern 256 #15,407
2006 modern 252 #15,642
2007 modern 264 #15,344
2008 modern 261 #15,597
2009 modern 274 #15,395
2010 modern 279 #15,529
2011 modern 267 #15,892
2012 modern 263 #15,954
2013 modern 264 #16,191
2014 modern 275 #15,831
2015 modern 270 #15,911
2016 modern 267 #16,054

Geography

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Where Aleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Laver, High, Harlow and Moreton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North West Leicestershire, Melton and Eastleigh. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Laver, High Essex
4 Harlow Essex
5 Moreton Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North West Leicestershire 009 North West Leicestershire
2 Melton 003 Melton
3 Melton 004 Melton
4 Melton 005 Melton
5 Eastleigh 009 Eastleigh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Aley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Aley

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Aley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Aley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Aley 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

Aley is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Aley falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Aley

The surname Aley is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Shropshire. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "alor," meaning an alder tree, or from the place name "Alresford," a town in Hampshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Alri." This suggests that the name has been in use since at least the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Alrey," "Alray," and "Ayleye." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.

One notable historical figure bearing the name Aley was Sir John Aley, a Member of Parliament for Shropshire in the late 15th century. He was born around 1440 and died in 1520.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Richard Aley, a Puritan minister and theologian who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries. He was born in Shropshire in 1559 and served as the Vicar of Winkfield in Berkshire.

In the 17th century, the name Aley was associated with the village of Alley Green in Shropshire, which was formerly known as "Aley Green." This suggests a connection between the surname and this particular location.

During the 18th century, a notable figure was Samuel Aley, a mathematician and astronomer born in Shropshire in 1703. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and published several works on astronomical subjects.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Aley was William Aley, an English architect and surveyor. He was born in 1816 in Shropshire and is known for his work on several churches and public buildings in the region.

Despite its English origins, the surname Aley has spread to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada, possibly due to immigration from England in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Aley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Aley 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. Essex leads with 104 Aleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.53x.

County Total Index
Essex 104 32.53x
Middlesex 39 2.41x
Durham 5 1.04x
Hertfordshire 3 2.69x
Kent 3 0.54x
Shropshire 3 2.14x
Lancashire 2 0.10x
Bedfordshire 1 1.19x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.97x
Hampshire 1 0.30x
Leicestershire 1 0.56x
Staffordshire 1 0.18x
Surrey 1 0.13x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Harlow in Essex leads with 31 Aleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2246.38x.

Place Total Index
Harlow 31 2246.38x
Chelsea London 19 38.93x
High Laver 16 6153.85x
Hornchurch 13 828.03x
North Weald Bassett 11 1964.29x
Aveley 9 1666.67x
Walthamstow 7 60.82x
West Ham 7 9.92x
St Marylebone London 6 6.94x
Monkwearmouth Shore 5 53.19x
Moreton 4 1600.00x
Chiswick 3 33.90x
Shrewsbury St Chad 3 61.10x
Deptford St Paul 2 4.69x
Islington London 2 1.27x
Matching 2 606.06x
Shadwell London 2 44.15x
St Pancras London 2 1.53x
Warrington 2 8.78x
Bassingbourn 1 66.23x
Biggleswade 1 36.36x
Bromley London 1 2.81x
Castle Church 1 30.40x
Epping 1 76.92x
Halifax 1 4.24x
Hemel Hempstead 1 19.88x
Hertford St John 1 60.24x
Hornsey 1 4.88x
Kensington London 1 1.11x
Lee 1 12.47x
Mile End Old Town London 1 2.90x
Mountnessing 1 204.08x
Newington 1 1.67x
Ryde 1 14.03x
Sawbridgeworth 1 59.17x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.51x
Theydon Garnon 1 136.99x
Wanstead 1 17.86x
Wartnaby 1 1111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 13
John 11
George 8
Henry 7
Charles 6
Thomas 6
James 5
Alfred 4
Robert 4
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Archer 1
Bertie 1
David 1
Dionysuis 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Joel 1
Will. 1

FAQ

Aley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Aley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 166 people were recorded with the Aley surname. That placed it at #14,496 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Aley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 267 in 2016. That gives Aley a modern rank of #16,054.

What does the Aley surname mean?

Of Northern English origin, a variant spelling of the locational surname Alley.

What does the Aley map show?

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