NameCensus.

UK surname

Boxley

A locational surname referring to someone from Boxley, a village in Kent, England.

In the 1881 census there were 118 people recorded with the Boxley surname, ranking it #17,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 195, ranked #19,921, down from #17,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sunderland, Rowley Regis and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley and Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boxley is 218 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.3%.

1881 census count

118

Ranked #17,935

Modern count

195

2016, ranked #19,921

Peak year

1998

218 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boxley had 118 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 195 in 2016, ranked #19,921.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 210 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Boxley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boxley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boxley 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 118 #17,935
1891 historical 144 #18,842
1901 historical 210 #14,677
1911 historical 201 #14,905
1997 modern 207 #17,267
1998 modern 218 #17,159
1999 modern 212 #17,611
2000 modern 211 #17,603
2001 modern 212 #17,324
2002 modern 214 #17,545
2003 modern 211 #17,513
2004 modern 217 #17,276
2005 modern 209 #17,629
2006 modern 210 #17,718
2007 modern 198 #18,600
2008 modern 201 #18,584
2009 modern 206 #18,657
2010 modern 204 #19,200
2011 modern 203 #19,098
2012 modern 196 #19,463
2013 modern 201 #19,454
2014 modern 199 #19,775
2015 modern 200 #19,567
2016 modern 195 #19,921

Geography

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Where Boxleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sunderland, Rowley Regis, St Leonard Shoreditch, Oldswinford and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley and Sandwell. 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 Sunderland Durham
2 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 Oldswinford Worcestershire
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 025 Dudley
2 Dudley 033 Dudley
3 Sandwell 038 Sandwell
4 Dudley 020 Dudley
5 Dudley 042 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boxley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boxley

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Boxley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Boxley 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Boxley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Boxley 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

Boxley falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Boxley 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 Boxley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Boxley

The surname Boxley is of English origin, with its earliest records dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the place name Boxley, which is a village located in Kent, England. The etymology of the place name Boxley suggests that it comes from the Old English words "box," meaning a box tree, and "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing.

Historically, the name Boxley is closely associated with the Cistercian abbey that was founded in the village in the 12th century. The Boxley Abbey was known for its famous Rood of Grace, a carved wooden crucifix that was believed to have miraculous powers. This relic attracted numerous pilgrims to the abbey until it was exposed as a fraud during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII in the 16th century.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Boxley can be found in the Feet of Fines for Kent, a collection of legal documents from the 16th century. In 1548, a certain Thomas Boxley was listed as owning property in the village of Boxley.

Over the centuries, the Boxley surname has been spelled in various ways, including Boxeley, Boxleigh, and Boxly. One notable bearer of this name was Sir John Boxley, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a wealthy merchant and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1629.

Another significant figure with the Boxley surname was Reverend Robert Boxley, who was born in 1698 and served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Boxley. He was known for his scholarly works and contributed to the study of local history and antiquities.

In the 18th century, a woman named Mary Boxley gained notoriety for her involvement in a high-profile court case. She was accused of stealing a valuable diamond necklace from a wealthy socialite, and her trial attracted widespread public attention.

During the 19th century, the Boxley family produced several notable individuals, including Sir William Boxley, who was a prominent industrialist and philanthropist. He was born in 1820 and made significant contributions to the development of the textile industry in northern England.

Another individual of note was Mary Ann Boxley, who was born in 1845 and became a respected educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first schools for girls in London and worked tirelessly to promote equal educational opportunities for women.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boxley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boxley 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. Worcestershire leads with 43 Boxleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.86x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 43 28.86x
Middlesex 21 1.84x
Durham 14 4.12x
Kent 10 2.57x
Berkshire 8 9.34x
Surrey 7 1.26x
Staffordshire 6 1.56x
Essex 4 1.78x
Hampshire 2 0.86x
Glamorgan 1 0.50x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cradley in Worcestershire leads with 17 Boxleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1259.26x.

Place Total Index
Cradley 17 1259.26x
Lye 12 483.87x
Sunderland 12 200.00x
Gradley 11 1527.78x
Shoreditch London 10 20.21x
Bethnal Green London 8 16.14x
Tilehurst 8 462.43x
Camberwell 7 9.60x
Maidstone 7 60.34x
West Bromwich 6 27.21x
West Ham 4 8.04x
Dudley 3 16.56x
Dawdon 2 47.85x
Hackney London 2 3.13x
Murston 2 588.24x
Ropley 2 588.24x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.71x
Dartford 1 25.13x
Llandaff 1 15.13x
Wath On Dearne 1 44.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Caroline 4
Jane 4
Eliza 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Mercy 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Besse 1
Clara 1
Clarise 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Fanny 1
Flor. 1
Florance 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Jessie 1
Mable 1
Myria 1
Phebe 1
Polley 1
Rachiel 1
Roseanna 1
Roseannah 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
Charles 5
John 5
Henry 4
Thomas 4
Benjamin 2
George 2
James 2
Philip 2
Richard 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Edward 1
Fileman 1
Frederick 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Lewis 1
Matthew 1
Odediah 1
Peter 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

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 Boxley households.

FAQ

Boxley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boxley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 118 people were recorded with the Boxley surname. That placed it at #17,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boxley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 195 in 2016. That gives Boxley a modern rank of #19,921.

What does the Boxley surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Boxley, a village in Kent, England.

What does the Boxley map show?

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