NameCensus.

UK surname

Betley

A locational surname referring to someone from Betley, a town in Staffordshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 153 people recorded with the Betley surname, ranking it #15,320 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, down from #15,320 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Darlaston and Coppenhall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Arran, Cheshire East and Wychavon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Betley is 188 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.2%.

1881 census count

153

Ranked #15,320

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

1891

188 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Betley had 153 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,320 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 188 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Betley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Betley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Betley 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 91 #18,187
1861 historical 110 #19,562
1881 historical 153 #15,320
1891 historical 188 #15,609
1901 historical 160 #17,387
1911 historical 164 #16,879
1997 modern 156 #20,593
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 147 #22,110
2000 modern 144 #22,357
2001 modern 147 #21,756
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 135 #23,155
2004 modern 135 #23,326
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 143 #22,619
2007 modern 136 #23,708
2008 modern 137 #23,883
2009 modern 141 #23,907
2010 modern 145 #24,031
2011 modern 143 #24,056
2012 modern 125 #26,298
2013 modern 134 #25,525
2014 modern 145 #24,395
2015 modern 143 #24,481
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Betleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Darlaston, Coppenhall, Dean and Warrington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Arran, Cheshire East, Wychavon and Lincoln. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Darlaston Staffordshire
3 Coppenhall Cheshire
4 Dean Lancashire
5 Warrington Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Arran North Ayrshire
2 Cheshire East 035 Cheshire East
3 Wychavon 018 Wychavon
4 Lincoln 007 Lincoln
5 Cheshire East 036 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Betley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Betley

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Betley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Betley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Betley is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Betley is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Betley 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 Betley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Betley

The surname Betley originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Staffordshire. It is a locational name derived from the village of Betley, located near the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme. The name Betley itself is thought to come from the Old English words "beonet" meaning "bent grass" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing," suggesting the area was once a grassy meadow or clearing in the woods.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Betley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where it appears as "Benetlega." This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. The Domesday Book of 1086 also references the village of Betley, spelled as "Bitelege."

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the Betley surname was Sir John de Betley, a knight who served under King Edward I during the Welsh Wars. He was granted lands in Staffordshire for his service to the Crown.

During the 15th century, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Poll Tax returns of 1379, where a Thomas Betley is listed in the county of Staffordshire. Another individual, William Betley, is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1524 for the same region.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure was Richard Betley, a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme in 1656. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.

Another notable person with the Betley surname was Sir John Betley (1608-1678), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1672. He was a successful merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.

In the 18th century, the Betley name appears in various parish records and historical documents, such as the marriage of John Betley and Mary Stubbs, recorded in the parish of Balterley, Staffordshire, in 1744.

Throughout its history, the Betley surname has been closely associated with the county of Staffordshire and the village that shares its name. While the name has spread to other parts of England and beyond, its origins remain rooted in the medieval period and the local geography of the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Betley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Betley 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 47 Betleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 47 2.65x
Cheshire 45 13.66x
Staffordshire 26 5.16x
Yorkshire 26 1.76x
Durham 4 0.90x
Flintshire 2 4.99x
Devon 1 0.32x
Middlesex 1 0.07x
Surrey 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warrington in Lancashire leads with 18 Betleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 85.76x.

Place Total Index
Warrington 18 85.76x
Westhoughton 14 295.98x
Nantwich 12 313.32x
Thornhill 11 255.22x
Darlaston 10 143.68x
Burslem 8 55.44x
Monks Coppenhall 8 64.36x
Eaton In Nantwich 7 2916.67x
Bowling 5 34.13x
Great Bolton 5 21.32x
Wednesfield 5 67.48x
Over 4 119.40x
Rastrick 4 97.32x
Stockton On Tees 4 18.69x
Haughton 3 4285.71x
Hipperholme Cum 3 46.15x
Ince In Makerfield 3 36.41x
Stapeley 3 967.74x
Northop 2 140.85x
Sutton 2 33.67x
Altrincham 1 17.36x
Ashton On Mersey 1 58.82x
Camberwell 1 1.05x
Crumpsall 1 23.98x
Delamere 1 333.33x
Everton 1 1.77x
Great Little Saughall 1 277.78x
Handsworth 1 25.58x
Haughton 1 384.62x
Horton In Bradford 1 4.33x
Mirfield 1 12.32x
Peover Superior 1 322.58x
Plymouth Charles The 1 7.31x
Poole 1 1250.00x
Runcorn 1 13.18x
Rushton 1 588.24x
Salford 1 1.92x
St Marylebone London 1 1.26x
Tipton 1 6.49x
West Derby 1 1.93x
Widnes 1 7.83x
Wolverhampton 1 2.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 13
Mary 12
Sarah 12
Ann 5
Jane 4
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Emma 3
Louisa 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Fanny 2
Amelia 1
Elizath. 1
Emily 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Lucy 1
Margret 1
Margt.Ellen 1
Maria 1
Marjarey 1
Nancy 1
Polly 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Betley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Betley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 153 people were recorded with the Betley surname. That placed it at #15,320 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Betley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Betley a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Betley surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Betley, a town in Staffordshire, England.

What does the Betley map show?

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