NameCensus.

UK surname

Ashley

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "ash tree clearing."

In the 1881 census there were 4,991 people recorded with the Ashley surname, ranking it #893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,669, ranked #870, up from #893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Lichfield and Bolsover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ashley is 7,954 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.7%.

1881 census count

4,991

Ranked #893

Modern count

7,669

2016, ranked #870

Peak year

1999

7,954 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ashley had 4,991 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,669 in 2016, ranked #870.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,549 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ashley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ashley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ashley 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 3,276 #881
1861 historical 3,952 #706
1881 historical 4,991 #893
1891 historical 5,843 #807
1901 historical 6,124 #908
1911 historical 7,549 #688
1997 modern 7,509 #857
1998 modern 7,927 #844
1999 modern 7,954 #849
2000 modern 7,882 #849
2001 modern 7,725 #848
2002 modern 7,868 #853
2003 modern 7,702 #853
2004 modern 7,641 #859
2005 modern 7,453 #870
2006 modern 7,417 #875
2007 modern 7,408 #886
2008 modern 7,469 #885
2009 modern 7,650 #885
2010 modern 7,764 #889
2011 modern 7,701 #883
2012 modern 7,702 #858
2013 modern 7,817 #862
2014 modern 7,840 #861
2015 modern 7,703 #866
2016 modern 7,669 #870

Geography

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Where Ashleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Lichfield and Bolsover. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 001 Shropshire
2 Lichfield 004 Lichfield
3 Shropshire 010 Shropshire
4 Bolsover 005 Bolsover
5 Lichfield 005 Lichfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ashley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ashley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ashley, 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 Ashley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ashley 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ashley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ashley 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

Ashley falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ashley

The surname Ashley has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "æsc" (ash tree) and "leah" (woodland clearing or meadow), suggesting that the original bearers of this name resided near an ash tree-lined clearing or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Ashley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror. This ancient manuscript lists several individuals with the surname Ashley or variations of it, such as Aisselegh, Asshelee, and Asheleye, indicating the name's existence in various parts of England during the 11th century.

The Ashley family was prominent in the county of Staffordshire, where they held lands and manors from the 12th century onwards. Notable individuals from this lineage include Sir John Ashley (c. 1350-1399), a knight who served under King Richard II, and Sir Anthony Ashley (c. 1477-1536), who was appointed Lieutenant of the Tower of London by King Henry VIII.

Another distinguished bearer of the Ashley name was Sir Ralph Ashley (c. 1565-1642), a Member of Parliament and the founder of the Wimborne St Giles branch of the Ashley family in Dorset. His son, Sir Jacob Ashley (1617-1673), also served as a Member of Parliament and was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the surname Ashley gained further prominence through the life of Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury (1621-1683), a prominent English philosopher, politician, and writer. He was a key figure in the political and intellectual landscape of his time and is considered one of the founders of the Whig party.

Another notable individual bearing the Ashley surname was Sir William James Ashley (1860-1927), an English economic historian and professor at Harvard University. His contributions to the field of economic history and his influential works, such as "An Introduction to English Economic History and Theory," have left a lasting impact.

Throughout history, the Ashley surname has been associated with various places and localities, including Ashley in Cheshire, Ashley Green in Buckinghamshire, and Ashley Down in Bristol. These place names, derived from the same Old English roots as the surname, further reinforce the locational origins of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ashley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ashley 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. Lancashire leads with 610 Ashleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.05x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 610 1.05x
Middlesex 529 1.08x
Cheshire 440 4.08x
Staffordshire 383 2.32x
Yorkshire 329 0.68x
Shropshire 295 6.99x
Surrey 293 1.23x
Lincolnshire 220 2.81x
Somerset 160 2.03x
Nottinghamshire 153 2.32x
Gloucestershire 148 1.54x
Derbyshire 137 1.79x
Kent 121 0.73x
Norfolk 112 1.49x
Wiltshire 110 2.54x
Warwickshire 107 0.87x
Northamptonshire 77 1.67x
Hampshire 68 0.68x
Essex 60 0.62x
Huntingdonshire 57 5.87x
Worcestershire 56 0.88x
Devon 48 0.47x
Leicestershire 47 0.87x
Glamorgan 38 0.45x
Bedfordshire 32 1.26x
Montgomeryshire 31 2.77x
Oxfordshire 31 1.03x
Berkshire 30 0.82x
Buckinghamshire 30 1.02x
Sussex 30 0.36x
Herefordshire 28 1.40x
Suffolk 27 0.45x
Cumberland 24 0.57x
Monmouthshire 23 0.65x
Cambridgeshire 19 0.61x
Channel Islands 12 0.83x
Durham 11 0.08x
Cornwall 8 0.14x
Dorset 8 0.25x
Flintshire 8 0.61x
Isle of Man 8 0.88x
Denbighshire 7 0.38x
Midlothian 7 0.11x
Merionethshire 5 0.56x
Northumberland 5 0.07x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.37x
Lanarkshire 4 0.03x
Royal Navy 4 0.69x
Cardiganshire 3 0.25x
Renfrewshire 3 0.08x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.10x
Angus 1 0.02x
Ayrshire 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.03x
Inverness-shire 1 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 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. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 69 Ashleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.21x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 69 2.21x
Stoke Upon Trent 66 3.77x
Islington London 60 1.27x
St Pancras London 57 1.45x
Brandon 55 136.17x
Bethnal Green London 54 2.54x
Lambeth 49 1.15x
Salford 49 2.87x
West Derby 46 2.71x
Birmingham 44 1.07x
St George Hanover Square 40 4.64x
Burslem 39 8.25x
Everton 38 2.06x
Wem 34 54.13x
Nottingham St Mary 33 1.94x
Sheffield 31 2.01x
Fulham London 29 4.09x
Mansfield Woodhouse 29 66.15x
Newington 29 1.61x
Saddleworth 29 7.76x
Shoreditch London 29 1.37x
Toxteth Park 29 1.48x
Barnton 28 108.74x
Brightside Bierlow 28 2.95x
Chitterne All Sts 28 388.35x
Over 27 24.62x
Portsea 27 1.38x
Little Bolton 25 3.35x
Hammersmith London 24 1.99x
Leicester St Mary 24 5.48x
Runcorn 24 9.65x
Tranmere 24 6.05x
Worksop 24 12.28x
Bardney 23 98.67x
Hodnet 23 69.70x
Liverpool 23 0.65x
Walcot 23 5.49x
Croydon 22 1.66x
Drayton In Hales 22 25.27x
Warrington 22 3.20x
Aston 21 0.62x
Castleton 20 3.45x
Eccleshall 20 31.97x
Kettering 20 10.75x
Bristol St James St Paul 19 5.94x
Mile End Old Town London 19 1.83x
Eckington 18 9.68x
Kensington London 18 0.66x
Nether Hallam 18 2.75x
Stafford St Mary 18 7.71x
Timsbury 18 75.50x
West Ham 18 0.84x
Altrincham 17 9.02x
Bilston 17 5.32x
Bristol St Paul In 17 6.66x
Monks Coppenhall 17 4.18x
Bermondsey 16 1.10x
Bradford 16 1.36x
Chiswick 16 5.99x
Manchester 16 0.61x
Whittlesey St Mary St 16 14.80x
Barrow In Furness 15 1.90x
Battersea 15 0.83x
Bedminster 15 2.03x
Congleton 15 8.05x
Frome 15 7.97x
Halton 15 62.29x
Llandaff 15 5.30x
Prees 15 29.16x
Shevington 15 56.56x
Whitchurch 15 99.40x
Whitchurch 15 18.30x
Widnes 15 3.59x
Berriew 14 45.32x
Goole 14 17.25x
Heigham 14 3.47x
Lichfield St Michael 14 27.03x
Newcastle Under Lyme 14 4.80x
Tipton 14 2.77x
Ulceby 14 73.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 333
Elizabeth 227
Sarah 199
Ann 103
Jane 93
Annie 79
Alice 75
Ellen 71
Emma 70
Eliza 69
Martha 59
Emily 53
Hannah 52
Louisa 45
Edith 40
Harriet 38
Margaret 38
Florence 37
Maria 32
Lucy 27
Charlotte 26
Fanny 26
Clara 25
Susan 24
Anne 23
Frances 20
Ada 19
Kate 19
Catherine 18
Agnes 17
Rose 17
Caroline 16
Amelia 15
Julia 15
Harriett 13
Minnie 13
Rebecca 13
Eleanor 11
Isabella 11
Selina 11
Matilda 10
Susannah 10
Amy 9
Bertha 9
Esther 9
Helen 9
Laura 9
Lydia 9
Betsy 8
Elizth. 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 317
John 297
Thomas 190
George 181
James 135
Charles 112
Joseph 101
Henry 99
Alfred 70
Edward 53
Richard 52
Samuel 52
Robert 51
Arthur 47
Frederick 45
Albert 36
Walter 35
Frank 29
Harry 27
Herbert 24
Edwin 20
Ernest 17
David 15
Fred 12
Wm. 11
Benjamin 10
Tom 10
Isaac 9
Percy 8
Peter 8
Enoch 7
Fredrick 7
Geo. 7
Stephen 7
Thos. 7
Chas. 6
Daniel 6
Francis 6
Leonard 6
Mark 6
Sidney 6
Willm. 6
Edmund 5
Fredk. 5
Jacob 5
Jas. 5
Richd. 5
Cornelius 4
Harold 4
Reuben 4

FAQ

Ashley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ashley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,991 people were recorded with the Ashley surname. That placed it at #893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ashley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,669 in 2016. That gives Ashley a modern rank of #870.

What does the Ashley surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "ash tree clearing."

What does the Ashley map show?

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