NameCensus.

UK surname

Besley

A locational surname referring to someone from one of the places called Beesley in England.

In the 1881 census there were 441 people recorded with the Besley surname, ranking it #7,422 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 368, ranked #12,649, down from #7,422 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Decuman, Nettlecombe, Old Cleeve, Kilton, Lilstock, Dodington, Stringston, Holford and Wiveliscombe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Teignbridge and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Besley is 530 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.6%.

1881 census count

441

Ranked #7,422

Modern count

368

2016, ranked #12,649

Peak year

1891

530 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Besley had 441 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,422 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 368 in 2016, ranked #12,649.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 530 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Besley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Besley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Besley 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 388 #6,190
1861 historical 417 #6,163
1881 historical 441 #7,422
1891 historical 530 #7,073
1901 historical 449 #8,717
1911 historical 491 #7,928
1997 modern 359 #11,956
1998 modern 372 #12,008
1999 modern 393 #11,602
2000 modern 387 #11,692
2001 modern 369 #11,928
2002 modern 388 #11,689
2003 modern 375 #11,808
2004 modern 371 #11,914
2005 modern 353 #12,292
2006 modern 339 #12,754
2007 modern 344 #12,743
2008 modern 356 #12,534
2009 modern 358 #12,736
2010 modern 368 #12,750
2011 modern 369 #12,600
2012 modern 372 #12,374
2013 modern 382 #12,337
2014 modern 380 #12,449
2015 modern 376 #12,446
2016 modern 368 #12,649

Geography

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Where Besleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Decuman, Nettlecombe, Old Cleeve, Kilton, Lilstock, Dodington, Stringston, Holford, Wiveliscombe and Sutton Courtney (Sutton Courtney), East Hendred. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Teignbridge, Waveney, East Devon and Swansea. 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 St Decuman, Nettlecombe, Old Cleeve, Kilton, Lilstock, Dodington, Stringston, Holford Somerset
4 Wiveliscombe Somerset
5 Sutton Courtney (Sutton Courtney), East Hendred Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 001 Sedgemoor
2 Teignbridge 007 Teignbridge
3 Waveney 014 Waveney
4 East Devon 006 East Devon
5 Swansea 015 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Besley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Besley

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

Besley 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

Besley 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 Besley 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 Besley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Besley

The surname Besley is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the village of Beasley in Gloucestershire, England. The earliest recorded spelling of the place name was "Beselie" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

The name Besley is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "bēo" meaning "bee" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing" or "meadow." This suggests that the name may have referred to a place where bees were kept or where there was an abundance of beehives in a woodland clearing or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Besley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated 1208, where a person named Odo de Beselie is mentioned. This indicates that the surname was already in use by the early 13th century.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various records with different spellings, such as Beselie, Beasley, and Beaseley. This variation in spelling was common during that period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

Notable individuals with the surname Besley throughout history include:

1. John Besley (1608-1685), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. 2. Samuel Besley (1761-1843), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. 3. Mary Besley (1813-1890), a British educator and pioneer in the field of women's education, who founded the Ladies' College in Cheltenham, England. 4. George Besley (1836-1913), an English architect known for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. John the Baptist in Hackney. 5. Walter Besley (1892-1971), a British artist and painter who specialized in landscapes and portraits.

While the surname Besley has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement. However, the name retains its connection to its English roots and the historical significance of its locational derivation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Besley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Besley 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. Somerset leads with 98 Besleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.15x.

County Total Index
Somerset 98 14.15x
Devon 96 10.72x
Middlesex 75 1.74x
Surrey 46 2.19x
Berkshire 25 7.74x
Gloucestershire 15 1.78x
Buckinghamshire 11 4.23x
Cheshire 11 1.16x
Hampshire 11 1.25x
Carmarthenshire 6 3.31x
Warwickshire 6 0.55x
Glamorgan 5 0.67x
Oxfordshire 5 1.88x
Sussex 5 0.69x
Dorset 4 1.42x
Kent 4 0.27x
Lancashire 4 0.08x
Monmouthshire 4 1.29x
Durham 2 0.16x
Lincolnshire 2 0.29x
Yorkshire 2 0.05x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.37x
Derbyshire 1 0.15x
Hertfordshire 1 0.34x
Shropshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wiveliscombe in Somerset leads with 36 Besleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 932.64x.

Place Total Index
Wiveliscombe 36 932.64x
Islington London 22 5.28x
St Decumans Watchet 18 1028.57x
Tiverton 18 116.73x
Bedminster 17 26.13x
Williton 14 603.45x
Camberwell 11 4.00x
East Hendred 11 916.67x
Witheridge 11 728.48x
Disley Stanley 9 184.05x
Croydon 8 6.88x
Exeter St Thomas The 8 87.62x
Southampton St Mary 8 14.43x
St Giles In Fields London 8 37.91x
Bampton 7 255.47x
Mortlake 7 74.95x
Thelbridge 7 2187.50x
Battersea 6 3.79x
Charlton 6 1621.62x
Ealing 6 15.61x
Fulham London 6 9.62x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 6 38.86x
Great Missenden 6 187.50x
Llanelly 6 14.69x
St Pancras London 6 1.73x
Barnstaple 5 35.56x
Lambeth 5 1.33x
Stoke Damerel 5 7.98x
Thorverton 5 367.65x
Birmingham 4 1.11x
Chalfont St Giles 4 215.05x
Clifton 4 9.38x
Exeter St Stephen 4 851.06x
Longworth 4 454.55x
St Woollos 4 11.52x
Tormoham 4 10.56x
Carisbrooke 3 24.51x
Charminster 3 133.33x
Chelsea London 3 2.31x
Exeter St Mary Major 3 55.56x
Gelligaer 3 17.53x
Hanwell 3 39.32x
Hayes 3 68.34x
Lapford 3 344.83x
Morebath 3 461.54x
Paddington London 3 1.90x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 3.47x
St Marylebone London 3 1.31x
Taunton St Mary 3 23.60x
Westminster St James 3 6.78x
Weston Super Mare 3 17.16x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 7.11x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 2.52x
Calverleigh 2 1666.67x
Coventry Holy Trinity 2 6.17x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.77x
Ellel 2 76.05x
Newington 2 1.26x
Nuneham Courtenay 2 526.32x
Putney 2 10.20x
St George Martyr London 2 22.96x
Stretford 2 7.12x
Tottenham 2 2.92x
West Monkton 2 130.72x
Woolwich 2 3.69x
Broadwater 1 6.01x
Cheddar 1 28.74x
Corfe 1 175.44x
Hammersmith London 1 0.94x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 18.69x
Kensington London 1 0.42x
Kingston On Thames 1 1.99x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 1.45x
Preston 1 7.90x
Priston 1 263.16x
St Anne Soho London 1 4.07x
Stamford St George 1 32.36x
Templeton 1 434.78x
Westbury On Trym 1 3.50x
Woking 1 7.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Elizabeth 21
Sarah 15
Emily 12
Eliza 11
Ellen 9
Lucy 8
Alice 7
Amelia 7
Charlotte 7
Jane 7
Ann 6
Emma 6
Fanny 6
Annie 5
Amy 4
Caroline 4
Elizth. 4
Kate 4
Ada 3
Clara 3
Edith 3
Florence 3
Gertrude 3
Harriet 3
Isabella 3
Jessie 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Arabella 2
Eleanor 2
Francis 2
Hannah 2
Janie 2
Laura 2
Lily 2
Lydia 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Rhoda 2
Anne 1
Dorathy 1
Ester 1
F.C.S. 1
Frances 1
Georgiana 1
Lilias 1
Lola 1
Loveday 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
George 14
John 14
Charles 12
James 12
Henry 9
Thomas 9
Arthur 6
Frederick 6
Richard 6
Samuel 6
Walter 6
Joseph 5
Edward 4
Ernest 4
Robert 4
Geo. 3
Herbert 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Edgar 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Harry 2
Percy 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Archibald 1
Chas. 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Ellen 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Giles 1
Jesse 1
Laurence 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Rowland 1
Russell 1
Thos. 1
Victor 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Besley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Besley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 441 people were recorded with the Besley surname. That placed it at #7,422 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Besley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 368 in 2016. That gives Besley a modern rank of #12,649.

What does the Besley surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from one of the places called Beesley in England.

What does the Besley map show?

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