NameCensus.

UK surname

Beeley

A locational surname referring to someone from the village of Beeley in Derbyshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 626 people recorded with the Beeley surname, ranking it #5,649 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 628, ranked #8,401, down from #5,649 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Glossop and Mottram-in-Longdendale. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lancashire, Knowsley and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Beeley is 850 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.3%.

1881 census count

626

Ranked #5,649

Modern count

628

2016, ranked #8,401

Peak year

1911

850 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Beeley had 626 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,649 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 628 in 2016, ranked #8,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 850 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Beeley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Beeley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Beeley 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 292 #7,807
1861 historical 398 #6,441
1881 historical 626 #5,649
1891 historical 664 #5,855
1901 historical 772 #5,804
1911 historical 850 #5,222
1997 modern 671 #7,487
1998 modern 693 #7,538
1999 modern 688 #7,618
2000 modern 686 #7,606
2001 modern 657 #7,732
2002 modern 672 #7,760
2003 modern 660 #7,739
2004 modern 643 #7,902
2005 modern 641 #7,851
2006 modern 637 #7,923
2007 modern 631 #8,050
2008 modern 636 #8,044
2009 modern 668 #7,913
2010 modern 673 #8,024
2011 modern 672 #7,948
2012 modern 627 #8,308
2013 modern 633 #8,376
2014 modern 632 #8,434
2015 modern 638 #8,317
2016 modern 628 #8,401

Geography

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Where Beeleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Glossop, Mottram-in-Longdendale and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lancashire, Knowsley, High Peak, Rotherham and Herefordshire. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Glossop Derbyshire
3 Mottram-in-Longdendale Lancashire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Stockport Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lancashire 010 West Lancashire
2 Knowsley 014 Knowsley
3 High Peak 008 High Peak
4 Rotherham 018 Rotherham
5 Herefordshire 018 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Beeley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Beeley

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

Beeley is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Beeley 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 Beeley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Beeley

The surname Beeley is believed to originate from England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period around the 11th or 12th century. It is thought to be a locational surname derived from the village of Beeley, located in the county of Derbyshire, near the Peak District National Park.

Historically, the village of Beeley was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Bedelee," which is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bede" meaning prayer and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a clearing where prayers or religious ceremonies were held.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Beeley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1195, where a Richard de Bedelee is mentioned. This indicates that the surname was already in use by the late 12th century, likely adopted by individuals who hailed from or held land in the village of Beeley.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir William de Beeley, a knight who fought in the Barons' War against King Henry III in the 1260s. Records from this period also show variations in the spelling of the surname, such as Bedeleye and Bedeeley.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Beeley family gained prominence in Derbyshire, with several members holding positions of influence and land ownership in the area. One notable figure was Thomas Beeley (1545-1621), a wealthy landowner and benefactor who helped establish a school in the village of Beeley.

Another notable individual with the surname Beeley was Sir Thomas Beeley (1658-1728), a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire in the early 18th century. He was a influential figure in local politics and played a role in the development of the region.

Throughout the centuries, the Beeley surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, lawyers, academics, and artists. Notable examples include John Beeley (1779-1856), a prominent English botanist and author, and Charles Beeley (1826-1899), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

While the Beeley surname originated in England, particularly in the county of Derbyshire, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has become more widely dispersed over time. However, its roots can be traced back to the historic village of Beeley and its connection to the medieval period in English history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Beeley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Beeley 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. Yorkshire leads with 207 Beeleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 207 3.42x
Cheshire 190 14.09x
Lancashire 83 1.15x
Derbyshire 55 5.75x
Nottinghamshire 32 3.89x
Middlesex 12 0.20x
Lincolnshire 11 1.13x
Surrey 8 0.27x
Warwickshire 8 0.52x
Worcestershire 8 1.00x
Cumberland 6 1.14x
Hampshire 3 0.24x
Durham 2 0.11x
Staffordshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ecclesall Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 53 Beeleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.06x.

Place Total Index
Ecclesall Bierlow 53 43.06x
Sheffield 37 19.21x
Hyde 27 67.87x
Mottram 26 425.53x
Glossop Dale 24 53.61x
Dukinfield 23 36.92x
Nether Hallam 20 24.43x
Brinnington 18 142.97x
Kimberworth 18 53.60x
Lancaster 15 34.79x
Ashton Under Lyne 14 8.84x
Adlington 13 722.22x
Brightside Bierlow 13 10.95x
Ecclesfield 13 29.30x
Lyme Handley 13 2096.77x
Marple 13 140.54x
Cleethorpes 11 191.64x
Heaton Norris 11 26.67x
Aston Cum Aughton 10 202.02x
Bolsover 10 208.77x
Newton 10 478.47x
Sutton In Ashfield 10 55.99x
Birmingham 8 1.56x
Bollington In 8 66.67x
Little Hulton 8 66.67x
Upper Hallam 8 152.09x
Broughton In Salford 7 10.56x
Dudley 7 7.22x
Mellor 7 269.23x
Paddington London 7 3.12x
Werneth 7 165.88x
Aspatria 6 118.81x
Langwith 6 759.49x
Norbury 6 191.08x
Reddish 6 60.12x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 8.87x
Bosden 5 120.77x
Bramhall 5 89.61x
Kirkdale 5 4.10x
Lambeth 5 0.94x
Shipley 5 15.92x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 6.95x
Chesterfield 4 11.16x
Disley Stanley 4 57.64x
Haughton 4 37.84x
Heeley 4 21.75x
Huddersfield 4 4.54x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.88x
St Pancras London 4 0.81x
Stockport 4 5.77x
Worksop 4 16.39x
Barnsley 3 4.81x
Belper 3 16.19x
Crigglestone 3 51.46x
Cuckney 3 256.41x
Headingley Cum Burley 3 7.70x
Keighley 3 4.65x
Newton In Ashton Under 3 22.56x
Portsea 3 1.22x
Derby St Peter 2 6.57x
East Retford 2 28.01x
Elmton 2 185.19x
Eyam 2 74.91x
Garston 2 9.35x
Hulme 2 1.32x
Laneham 2 312.50x
Manchester 2 0.61x
Reigate Borough 2 29.15x
Rotherham 2 5.86x
Stranton 2 3.27x
Barrow In Furness 1 1.01x
Congleton 1 4.29x
Dorking 1 5.01x
Duffield 1 13.26x
Everton 1 0.43x
Hollingworth 1 17.99x
Islington London 1 0.17x
Normanton On Trent 1 149.25x
Oldham 1 0.43x
Owston 1 166.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 55
Sarah 37
Elizabeth 35
Jane 16
Ann 15
Annie 12
Eliza 11
Martha 10
Hannah 9
Margaret 8
Ellen 7
Emma 7
Alice 6
Clara 6
Emily 5
Fanny 5
Ada 4
Harriet 4
Betsy 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Eleanor 3
Grace 3
Lucy 3
Maria 3
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Lilly 2
Matilda 2
Rachel 2
Clarinda 1
Edwiner 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Eve 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
John 1
Julia 1
Lilian 1
Lilley 1
Lillie 1
Marg 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 43
William 33
George 24
Thomas 21
James 17
Joseph 17
Charles 12
Alfred 11
Arthur 10
Henry 8
Robert 8
Samuel 8
Walter 7
Albert 5
Frederick 5
Edmund 4
Herbert 4
Daniel 3
Edward 3
Hugh 3
Adam 2
Ben 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Fred. 2
Horace 2
Jonathan 2
Luke 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Richard 2
Sam 2
Saml. 2
Thos. 2
Basil 1
Chas. 1
Cornelius 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Jeffery 1
Jno. 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Kenyon 1

FAQ

Beeley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Beeley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 626 people were recorded with the Beeley surname. That placed it at #5,649 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Beeley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 628 in 2016. That gives Beeley a modern rank of #8,401.

What does the Beeley surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the village of Beeley in Derbyshire, England.

What does the Beeley map show?

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