NameCensus.

UK surname

Balley

In the 1881 census there were 125 people recorded with the Balley surname, ranking it #17,335 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 79, ranked #33,100, down from #17,335 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St Pancras and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Basingstoke and Deane, North Hertfordshire and Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Balley is 428 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 36.8%.

1881 census count

125

Ranked #17,335

Modern count

79

2016, ranked #33,100

Peak year

1861

428 bearers

Map years

5

1851 to 1901

Key insights

  • Balley had 125 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,335 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 79 in 2016, ranked #33,100.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 428 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Balley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Balley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Balley 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 128 #14,474
1861 historical 428 #6,002
1881 historical 125 #17,335
1891 historical 255 #12,552
1901 historical 114 #21,166
1911 historical 99 #22,850
1997 modern 104 #26,351
1998 modern 95 #28,303
1999 modern 86 #29,496
2000 modern 79 #30,249
2001 modern 73 #30,699
2002 modern 69 #31,527
2003 modern 74 #31,091
2004 modern 81 #30,569
2005 modern 79 #30,950
2006 modern 81 #31,044
2007 modern 78 #31,748
2008 modern 84 #31,370
2009 modern 87 #31,489
2010 modern 87 #31,990
2011 modern 83 #32,336
2012 modern 79 #32,966
2013 modern 79 #33,142
2014 modern 81 #33,061
2015 modern 78 #33,210
2016 modern 79 #33,100

Geography

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Where Balleys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Basingstoke and Deane, North Hertfordshire, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Brighton and Hove. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Laxfield Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Basingstoke and Deane 003 Basingstoke and Deane
2 North Hertfordshire 007 North Hertfordshire
3 Sandwell 001 Sandwell
4 Wolverhampton 029 Wolverhampton
5 Brighton and Hove 014 Brighton and Hove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Balley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Balley

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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Balley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Balley 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 many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Balley is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Balley 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

Balley 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 Balley 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
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Balley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Balley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Balley 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. Middlesex leads with 36 Balleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.05x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 36 3.05x
Devon 15 6.11x
Yorkshire 14 1.20x
Berkshire 13 14.67x
Lancashire 9 0.64x
Kent 6 1.49x
Lanarkshire 6 1.57x
Surrey 5 0.87x
Gloucestershire 4 1.73x
Hampshire 4 1.65x
Cheshire 2 0.77x
Glamorgan 1 0.49x
Leicestershire 1 0.76x
Norfolk 1 0.55x
Oxfordshire 1 1.37x
Royal Navy 1 7.11x
Suffolk 1 0.70x
Worcestershire 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hungerford in Berkshire leads with 13 Balleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1083.33x.

Place Total Index
Hungerford 13 1083.33x
Sheffield 11 29.55x
St Pancras London 11 11.58x
Ilfracombe 8 316.21x
Marldon 6 2857.14x
Accrington 5 39.28x
Islington London 5 4.37x
St Andrew Holborn London 5 97.85x
Wapping London 5 555.56x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 51.81x
New Monkland 4 35.46x
Bermondsey 3 8.54x
Crompton 3 75.19x
Southampton St Mary 3 19.72x
Tonbridge 3 20.66x
Clerkenwell London 2 7.18x
Gomersal 2 36.63x
Greenwich 2 10.64x
Hackney London 2 3.02x
Maryhill 2 26.77x
Newington 2 4.59x
Altrincham 1 21.98x
Bromley London 1 3.85x
Cardiff St Mary 1 8.83x
Caversham 1 68.49x
Erith 1 25.19x
Exeter Heavitree 1 54.64x
Kingsbury 1 322.58x
Liverpool 1 1.18x
Lowestoft 1 14.73x
Melton Mowbray 1 42.55x
Mile End Old Town London 1 3.98x
Northwich 1 243.90x
Norwich St Michael At Plea 1 1428.57x
Oldbury 1 13.19x
Paddington London 1 2.30x
Poplar London 1 4.49x
Royal Navy 1 8.32x
St Mary Bourne 1 227.27x
Westminster St James 1 8.24x
Wildon Grange 1 10000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Fanny 3
Hannah 3
Ann 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Matilda 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Blanche 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eugena 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Gorgina 1
J. 1
Julia 1
Leoni 1
Louise 1
Mafs 1
Rebecca 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 7
William 7
George 5
John 5
Samuel 4
Henry 3
James 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
C.H. 1
Ebenezer 1
Elijha 1
Elissha 1
Eugene 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
H. 1
Henery 1
Hinchliff 1
Isaac 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Luke 1
Nicholas 1
Ramsden 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Balley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Balley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 125 people were recorded with the Balley surname. That placed it at #17,335 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Balley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 79 in 2016. That gives Balley a modern rank of #33,100.

What does the Balley map show?

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