UK surname
An Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Buachalla, meaning "descendant of the herdsman".
In the 1881 census there were 364 people recorded with the Buckly surname, ranking it #8,525 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17, ranked #36,904, down from #8,525 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Manchester and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Buckly is 537 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 95.3%.
1881 census count
364
Ranked #8,525
Modern count
17
2016, ranked #36,904
Peak year
1851
537 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Buckly surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Buckly 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 | 537 | #4,693 |
| 1861 | historical | 528 | #4,969 |
| 1881 | historical | 364 | #8,525 |
| 1891 | historical | 469 | #7,813 |
| 1901 | historical | 265 | #12,652 |
| 1911 | historical | 204 | #14,784 |
| 1997 | modern | 8 | #37,372 |
| 1998 | modern | 9 | #37,189 |
| 1999 | modern | 10 | #37,072 |
| 2000 | modern | 7 | #37,430 |
| 2001 | modern | 7 | #37,293 |
| 2002 | modern | 8 | #37,206 |
| 2003 | modern | 9 | #37,101 |
| 2004 | modern | 12 | #36,835 |
| 2005 | modern | 14 | #36,730 |
| 2006 | modern | 19 | #36,323 |
| 2007 | modern | 22 | #36,213 |
| 2008 | modern | 23 | #36,211 |
| 2009 | modern | 26 | #36,111 |
| 2010 | modern | 21 | #36,530 |
| 2011 | modern | 24 | #36,306 |
| 2012 | modern | 23 | #36,366 |
| 2013 | modern | 22 | #36,477 |
| 2014 | modern | 21 | #36,577 |
| 2015 | modern | 20 | #36,653 |
| 2016 | modern | 17 | #36,904 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Manchester, St Marylebone and Stockport. 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 | Rochdale | Lancashire |
| 2 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 3 | St Marylebone | London (North Districts) |
| 4 | Rochdale | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 5 | Stockport | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Buckly 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 Buckly, 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 Buckly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Buckly 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, Buckly 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 Buckly is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Buckly, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Buckly originated from the Anglo-Saxon regions of Britain in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words 'buc' meaning a buck or male deer, and 'leah' which referred to a woodland clearing or meadow. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a deer-inhabited woodland area.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as 'Buccheleah'. This entry suggests that the name was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.
The Buckly surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Buckley in Cheshire, Bucklebury in Berkshire, and Bucknall in Staffordshire. These locations may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.
Notable individuals with the Buckly surname include Robert Buckly (c.1490-1548), a prominent English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Colchester. John Buckly (1598-1669) was an English writer and poet, known for his work 'A Relation of the Deliverance of Robert Everard'.
Another figure of historical importance was Sir Henry Buckly (1631-1704), an English politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis. In the 18th century, Samuel Buckly (1712-1784) was a respected English theologian and author of 'A Vindication of the Histories of the Old and New Testament'.
During the 19th century, the Buckly name gained further prominence with individuals like William Buckly (1780-1856), an English convict who escaped and lived among Aboriginal Australians for over 30 years, becoming known as the 'Wild White Man'.
These examples showcase the long-standing presence of the Buckly surname across various fields and regions throughout history, originating from its Anglo-Saxon roots.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Buckly 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. Lancashire leads with 146 Bucklys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.45x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 146 | 3.45x |
| Middlesex | 38 | 1.06x |
| Cheshire | 28 | 3.55x |
| Leicestershire | 24 | 6.06x |
| Yorkshire | 22 | 0.62x |
| Surrey | 20 | 1.15x |
| Derbyshire | 16 | 2.86x |
| Midlothian | 9 | 1.88x |
| Staffordshire | 8 | 0.66x |
| Northumberland | 6 | 1.13x |
| Nottinghamshire | 6 | 1.25x |
| Essex | 5 | 0.71x |
| Hampshire | 5 | 0.68x |
| Kent | 4 | 0.33x |
| Pembrokeshire | 4 | 3.53x |
| Rutland | 4 | 15.26x |
| Durham | 3 | 0.28x |
| Monmouthshire | 3 | 1.16x |
| Shropshire | 3 | 0.97x |
| Devon | 2 | 0.27x |
| Inverness-shire | 2 | 1.88x |
| Channel Islands | 1 | 0.95x |
| Glamorgan | 1 | 0.16x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 0.41x |
| Lanarkshire | 1 | 0.09x |
| Lincolnshire | 1 | 0.18x |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 0.30x |
| Sussex | 1 | 0.17x |
| Warwickshire | 1 | 0.11x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 40 Bucklys recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.20x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Buckly surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 24 |
| Sarah | 21 |
| Elizabeth | 17 |
| Jane | 10 |
| Eliza | 9 |
| Hannah | 9 |
| Ann | 7 |
| Annie | 6 |
| Emma | 6 |
| Martha | 5 |
| Alice | 4 |
| Fanny | 4 |
| Caroline | 3 |
| Ellen | 3 |
| Emily | 3 |
| Margaret | 3 |
| Maud | 3 |
| Bertha | 2 |
| Catherine | 2 |
| Clara | 2 |
| Esther | 2 |
| Florance | 2 |
| Florence | 2 |
| Julia | 2 |
| Louisa | 2 |
| Rachel | 2 |
| Agnes | 1 |
| Amelia | 1 |
| Angelina | 1 |
| Anne | 1 |
| Betsy | 1 |
| Betty | 1 |
| Bridget | 1 |
| Celia | 1 |
| Christian | 1 |
| Dorothy | 1 |
| E. | 1 |
| Ester | 1 |
| Ethel | 1 |
| Ida | 1 |
| Isabella | 1 |
| Kate | 1 |
| Lettice | 1 |
| Lizzie | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Lydia | 1 |
| Margarett | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Matilda | 1 |
| Susannah | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Buckly surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| John | 26 |
| William | 15 |
| George | 9 |
| James | 9 |
| Thomas | 8 |
| Richard | 7 |
| Joseph | 6 |
| Edward | 5 |
| Robert | 5 |
| Samuel | 5 |
| Charles | 4 |
| Edwin | 4 |
| Frank | 4 |
| Abraham | 3 |
| Albert | 3 |
| Alfred | 3 |
| Arthur | 3 |
| David | 3 |
| Edmund | 3 |
| Michael | 3 |
| Benjamin | 2 |
| Cornelius | 2 |
| Earnest | 2 |
| Frederick | 2 |
| Henry | 2 |
| Abram | 1 |
| Algernon | 1 |
| Anthony | 1 |
| Augustus | 1 |
| Buckley | 1 |
| Christopher | 1 |
| Cornelious | 1 |
| Dennis | 1 |
| Eran | 1 |
| Fredk. | 1 |
| Gad | 1 |
| Gad. | 1 |
| Hanah | 1 |
| Herbert | 1 |
| Herbet. | 1 |
| Isaac | 1 |
| Joe | 1 |
| Jos. | 1 |
| Louis | 1 |
| Matthew | 1 |
| Robt. | 1 |
| Seel | 1 |
| Seth | 1 |
| Simion | 1 |
| Walter | 1 |
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 Buckly households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 52 |
| Annuitant | 6 |
| Labourer | 5 |
| Carter | 4 |
| Cotton Reeler | 4 |
| Dress Maker | 4 |
| School | 4 |
| Carpenter | 3 |
| Coal Miner | 3 |
| Cotton Spinner | 3 |
| Furrier | 3 |
| Housekeeper | 3 |
| Upholstress | 3 |
| Brass Moulder | 2 |
| Cotton Op Card Room | 2 |
| Cotton Operative | 2 |
| Cotton Weaver | 2 |
| General Labourer | 2 |
| General Servant | 2 |
| Hatter | 2 |
| Laborer | 2 |
| No Occupation | 2 |
| Scholars | 2 |
| Scholer | 2 |
| Stone Mason | 2 |
| Weaver | 2 |
| Woollen Picer | 2 |
| Beerhouse Keeper | 1 |
| Blacksmith (Ironworks) | 1 |
| Builder Employ 8 Men | 1 |
| Builders Lab | 1 |
| Butler Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Carman | 1 |
| Coal Man | 1 |
| Comedian (Actor) | 1 |
| Confectioner | 1 |
| Confectioners Appce | 1 |
| Congregational Minister | 1 |
| Cook Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Cotton Knotter (CM) | 1 |
| Cotton Minder (MA) | 1 |
| Dock Labr | 1 |
| Dom Servt | 1 |
| Domestic | 1 |
| Domestic Serv | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Domestic Servant Cook | 1 |
| Dressmaker | 1 |
| Drugist (Chemist) | 1 |
| Worsted Warehouseman | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 364 people were recorded with the Buckly surname. That placed it at #8,525 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 17 in 2016. That gives Buckly a modern rank of #36,904.
An Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Buachalla, meaning "descendant of the herdsman".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Buckly 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.