UK surname
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "birch-tree meadow or clearing".
In the 1881 census there were 108 people recorded with the Birkley surname, ranking it #18,888 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 34, ranked #35,768, down from #18,888 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Halifax, London parishes and Shilbottle. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Birkley is 226 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 68.5%.
1881 census count
108
Ranked #18,888
Modern count
34
2016, ranked #35,768
Peak year
1911
226 bearers
Map years
5
1861 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Birkley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Birkley surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 97 | #17,484 |
| 1861 | historical | 158 | #14,644 |
| 1881 | historical | 108 | #18,888 |
| 1891 | historical | 157 | #17,778 |
| 1901 | historical | 107 | #21,955 |
| 1911 | historical | 226 | #13,840 |
| 1997 | modern | 52 | #32,444 |
| 1998 | modern | 48 | #33,111 |
| 1999 | modern | 48 | #33,233 |
| 2000 | modern | 45 | #33,526 |
| 2001 | modern | 42 | #33,658 |
| 2002 | modern | 45 | #33,712 |
| 2003 | modern | 42 | #34,040 |
| 2004 | modern | 45 | #33,957 |
| 2005 | modern | 41 | #34,478 |
| 2006 | modern | 38 | #35,003 |
| 2007 | modern | 37 | #35,215 |
| 2008 | modern | 38 | #35,262 |
| 2009 | modern | 37 | #35,434 |
| 2010 | modern | 39 | #35,451 |
| 2011 | modern | 38 | #35,501 |
| 2012 | modern | 38 | #35,481 |
| 2013 | modern | 37 | #35,582 |
| 2014 | modern | 38 | #35,547 |
| 2015 | modern | 34 | #35,756 |
| 2016 | modern | 34 | #35,768 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Halifax, London parishes, Shilbottle, Birstall and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Halifax | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | Shilbottle | Northumberland |
| 4 | Birstall | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 5 | Bradford | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Birkley surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Birkley, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Birkley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Birkley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Birkley is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Birkley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Birkley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Birkley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "byrca" meaning birch tree and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a clearing or meadow populated with birch trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Birkley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1230, where a certain William de Birkelay is mentioned. The spelling "Birkelay" is an early variation of the modern Birkley, and the "de" prefix indicates the name's locational origins.
In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners and their holdings in England, there is an entry for a John de Birkelay, who held lands in the county of Berkshire. This provides further evidence of the name's early use and distribution across different regions of England.
During the 14th century, the name appears to have been well-established in various parts of the country. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a Robert Birkeley from Staffordshire, while the Poll Tax returns of 1379 mention a Thomas Birkley from Yorkshire.
One notable individual with the surname Birkley was Sir John Birkley (c. 1390-1456), a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire and a prominent landowner during the Wars of the Roses. Another was William Birkley (1518-1594), an English churchman who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1571 until his death.
In the 16th century, the name Birkley can be found in various parish records and historical documents, such as the Musters of 1522 and 1539, which list men fit for military service. These records provide insight into the geographical distribution of the surname during that period.
As the centuries progressed, the name Birkley continued to be found across different regions of England, with variations in spelling such as Birkeley, Birkleigh, and Birklie. Some notable bearers of the name in later periods include Sir Ralph Birkley (1662-1738), a Member of Parliament for Middlesex, and Thomas Birkley (1732-1802), a prominent English architect and builder.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Birkley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Northumberland leads with 28 Birkleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.86x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Northumberland | 28 | 17.86x |
| Yorkshire | 24 | 2.30x |
| Lancashire | 13 | 1.04x |
| Durham | 12 | 3.83x |
| Somerset | 7 | 4.13x |
| Buckinghamshire | 6 | 9.42x |
| Shropshire | 5 | 5.49x |
| Monmouthshire | 4 | 5.25x |
| Cheshire | 2 | 0.86x |
| Surrey | 2 | 0.39x |
| Lanarkshire | 1 | 0.29x |
| Leicestershire | 1 | 0.86x |
| Staffordshire | 1 | 0.28x |
| Sussex | 1 | 0.56x |
| Worcestershire | 1 | 0.73x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wakefield in Yorkshire leads with 12 Birkleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 149.81x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | 12 | 149.81x |
| Heddon On Wall | 7 | 3684.21x |
| Wallsend | 7 | 140.85x |
| Yeovil | 7 | 202.90x |
| Wycombe | 6 | 126.32x |
| York Holy Trinity | 6 | 666.67x |
| Bishopwearmouth | 5 | 18.59x |
| Oswestry Town | 5 | 171.82x |
| Windle | 5 | 71.12x |
| Bedlington | 4 | 76.48x |
| Hedworth Monkton Jarrow | 4 | 29.48x |
| Longbenton | 4 | 60.24x |
| Monmouth | 4 | 198.02x |
| Bywell St Andrew | 3 | 30000.00x |
| Colne | 3 | 80.65x |
| Barrow In Furness | 2 | 11.76x |
| Hipperholme Cum | 2 | 43.57x |
| Horton In Bradford | 2 | 12.27x |
| Newcastle On Tyne All Sts | 2 | 21.37x |
| Northenden | 2 | 476.19x |
| Barrow Upon Soar | 1 | 104.17x |
| Camberwell | 1 | 1.49x |
| Clifton In Halifax | 1 | 161.29x |
| Coxhoe | 1 | 112.36x |
| Downholland | 1 | 588.24x |
| Hartlepool | 1 | 22.47x |
| Hexham | 1 | 41.15x |
| Hove | 1 | 12.84x |
| North Bailey South | 1 | 625.00x |
| Openshaw | 1 | 17.09x |
| Reigate Foreign | 1 | 17.99x |
| Salford | 1 | 2.72x |
| Shotts | 1 | 24.51x |
| Skircoat | 1 | 24.27x |
| Stoke Upon Trent | 1 | 2.65x |
| Worcester St Helen | 1 | 227.27x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Birkley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Birkley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Birkley households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 23 |
| Butcher | 3 |
| Coal Miner | 2 |
| Dress Maker | 2 |
| Ag Lab | 1 |
| Agr Labr | 1 |
| Annuitant | 1 |
| Bootmaker | 1 |
| Bricklayer | 1 |
| Clerk Iron Foundry | 1 |
| Clerk Of Works (Builder) | 1 |
| Clerk Railway | 1 |
| Companion (Ladys) | 1 |
| Cook | 1 |
| Cook Shop Keeper | 1 |
| Cotton Operative | 1 |
| Dressmaker | 1 |
| Engine Tender | 1 |
| Farm Serv (Indoor) | 1 |
| Farmer | 1 |
| Farmer Bro | 1 |
| Farmer Of 115 Acres 2 Lab | 1 |
| Gen Serv | 1 |
| General Dealer | 1 |
| General Laborer | 1 |
| General Servent | 1 |
| Glover | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Joiner & Cartwright | 1 |
| Journalist | 1 |
| Journalists Wife | 1 |
| Junior Assistant | 1 |
| Labourer Copper Works | 1 |
| Laundress | 1 |
| Leather Dresser | 1 |
| Licensed Victualler | 1 |
| Nurse Domestic Serv | 1 |
| POstman Retired | 1 |
| Painter | 1 |
| Professor Of Music | 1 |
| Raily Guard (Passenger) | 1 |
| Retired Watchmaker | 1 |
| Seamans Wife | 1 |
| Shipyd Lab (B) | 1 |
| Watchmaker | 1 |
| Woollen Weaver | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 108 people were recorded with the Birkley surname. That placed it at #18,888 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 34 in 2016. That gives Birkley a modern rank of #35,768.
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "birch-tree meadow or clearing".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Birkley bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.