NameCensus.

UK surname

Ardley

An English habitational surname derived from a place name, likely meaning "the dweller near the high clearing" or similar.

In the 1881 census there were 327 people recorded with the Ardley surname, ranking it #9,147 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 420, ranked #11,414, down from #9,147 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stisted, Witham and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Windsor and Maidenhead, Oadby and Wigston and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ardley is 551 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.4%.

1881 census count

327

Ranked #9,147

Modern count

420

2016, ranked #11,414

Peak year

1911

551 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ardley had 327 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,147 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 420 in 2016, ranked #11,414.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 551 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Ardley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ardley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ardley 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 253 #8,709
1861 historical 231 #10,572
1881 historical 327 #9,147
1891 historical 388 #9,104
1901 historical 490 #8,171
1911 historical 551 #7,274
1997 modern 484 #9,531
1998 modern 501 #9,578
1999 modern 488 #9,846
2000 modern 478 #9,969
2001 modern 470 #9,906
2002 modern 473 #10,043
2003 modern 456 #10,179
2004 modern 447 #10,369
2005 modern 444 #10,315
2006 modern 425 #10,729
2007 modern 427 #10,782
2008 modern 429 #10,850
2009 modern 444 #10,797
2010 modern 451 #10,897
2011 modern 431 #11,155
2012 modern 418 #11,318
2013 modern 442 #10,997
2014 modern 429 #11,347
2015 modern 420 #11,458
2016 modern 420 #11,414

Geography

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Where Ardleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stisted, Witham, London parishes and Coggeshall, Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Windsor and Maidenhead, Oadby and Wigston, Waveney, Hastings and Mendip. 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 Stisted Essex
2 Witham Essex
3 London parishes London 1
4 Coggeshall, Great Essex
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Windsor and Maidenhead 011 Windsor and Maidenhead
2 Oadby and Wigston 006 Oadby and Wigston
3 Waveney 004 Waveney
4 Hastings 011 Hastings
5 Mendip 014 Mendip

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ardley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ardley

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Ardley 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

Ardley is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ardley falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ardley

The surname Ardley is of English origin, deriving from an old Anglo-Saxon place name. The name is believed to have originated in the county of Oxfordshire, England, during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Ardlegh, found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1199. This spelling suggests that the name may have derived from the Old English words "ard," meaning a high place or hill, and "leah," meaning a woodland or clearing.

In the Domesday Book, a record of landholdings compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there is an entry for a place called "Ardleia" in Oxfordshire, which is likely the origin of the modern surname Ardley.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard de Ardley, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272. Another early record is that of John Ardley, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332.

Over the centuries, the surname Ardley has been subject to various spellings, including Ardlegh, Ardeley, and Ardleigh, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and recording practices.

Notable individuals with the surname Ardley include:

1. Robert Ardley (c. 1553 - 1615), an English Catholic priest and martyr. 2. Gawen Ardley (1627 - 1692), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wallingford. 3. Edward Ardley (1768 - 1845), an English cricket player who played for Nottinghamshire. 4. Samuel Ardley (1856 - 1921), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Nuneaton. 5. Robert Ardley (1936 - 1980), a British science writer and author of several popular books on science and technology.

The surname Ardley has a rich history rooted in the English countryside, and its variations reflect the linguistic and cultural shifts that have occurred over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ardley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ardley 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 120 Ardleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.12x.

County Total Index
Essex 120 19.12x
Middlesex 83 2.61x
Surrey 43 2.78x
Kent 17 1.57x
Berkshire 9 3.77x
Suffolk 9 2.32x
Devon 6 0.91x
Hampshire 5 0.77x
Sussex 5 0.93x
Hertfordshire 4 1.82x
Lancashire 4 0.11x
Yorkshire 4 0.13x
Bedfordshire 3 1.82x
Durham 3 0.32x
Lincolnshire 3 0.59x
Warwickshire 3 0.37x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.50x
Cumberland 1 0.37x
Derbyshire 1 0.20x
Leicestershire 1 0.28x
Shropshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stisted in Essex leads with 25 Ardleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3086.42x.

Place Total Index
Stisted 25 3086.42x
Great Coggeshall 13 398.77x
Kensington London 13 7.35x
Bromley London 12 17.15x
Southwark St Saviour 12 73.44x
Colchester Holy Trinity 10 719.42x
Ardleigh 9 517.24x
Cobham 9 900.00x
Cookham 9 120.97x
St George In East London 9 30.09x
St Pancras London 9 3.52x
Woodham Walter 9 1578.95x
Croydon 8 9.30x
Lambeth 8 2.89x
Newington 8 6.81x
Felstead 7 325.58x
Earls Colne 6 346.82x
Gosfield 6 895.52x
Tormoham 6 21.42x
Witham 6 185.76x
Bethnal Green London 5 3.62x
Long Melford 5 138.89x
Rotherhithe 5 12.73x
Hackney London 4 2.24x
Hawley 4 325.20x
Islington London 4 1.30x
Margate St John Baptist 4 20.13x
Tottenham 4 7.90x
Toxteth Park 4 3.13x
Aspley Guise 3 189.87x
Birmingham 3 1.12x
Boston 3 19.44x
Chelmsford 3 27.86x
Enfield 3 14.38x
Esh 3 43.60x
Fulham London 3 6.50x
Paglesham 3 535.71x
Poplar London 3 5.00x
St Botolph Aldgate London 3 45.80x
St Marylebone London 3 1.77x
West Ham 3 2.16x
Bocking 2 53.05x
Bow London 2 4.94x
Braintree 2 35.46x
Brighton 2 1.85x
Bromley 2 12.09x
Camberwell 2 0.98x
Halstead 2 27.32x
Little Coggeshall 2 500.00x
Sculcoates 2 4.00x
Shoreditch London 2 1.45x
Sible Hedingham 2 95.24x
Therfield 2 156.25x
Armley 1 7.19x
Basildon 1 588.24x
Boxford 1 138.89x
Colchester St Peter 1 39.84x
Cressing 1 169.49x
Eastbourne 1 4.05x
Finchley 1 8.20x
Great Braxted 1 243.90x
Great Yeldham 1 153.85x
Greenwich 1 1.98x
Halesworth 1 36.36x
Hemel Hempstead 1 10.12x
Hornsey 1 2.49x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 9.22x
Maidstone 1 3.09x
Manningham 1 2.58x
Portsea 1 0.78x
Risby 1 208.33x
Rivenhall 1 133.33x
Saffron Walden 1 15.08x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.78x
St Helen Bishopsgate 1 322.58x
Sutton Maddock 1 238.10x
Tolleshunt Knights 1 200.00x
Watford 1 5.89x
West Mersea 1 83.33x
Worth 1 25.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 25
Charles 11
George 11
John 11
Henry 10
James 9
Alfred 8
Thomas 7
Walter 7
Arthur 6
Joseph 6
Edward 5
Frederick 4
Albert 3
Benjamin 3
Fredk. 3
Samuel 3
Daniel 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Horace 2
Peter 2
Phillip 2
Robert 2
Alam 1
Archie 1
Benj 1
Chas. 1
Edmond 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Herbert 1
Janes 1
Jno. 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Oliver 1
Osborne 1
Reginald 1
Thos. 1
W. 1
Walr. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Ardley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ardley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 327 people were recorded with the Ardley surname. That placed it at #9,147 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ardley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 420 in 2016. That gives Ardley a modern rank of #11,414.

What does the Ardley surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name, likely meaning "the dweller near the high clearing" or similar.

What does the Ardley map show?

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