NameCensus.

UK surname

Cayless

In the 1881 census there were 120 people recorded with the Cayless surname, ranking it #17,756 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 216, ranked #18,613, down from #17,756 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Paddington and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thurrock, Teignbridge and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cayless is 234 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.0%.

1881 census count

120

Ranked #17,756

Modern count

216

2016, ranked #18,613

Peak year

1998

234 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cayless had 120 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,756 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 216 in 2016, ranked #18,613.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 231 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Cayless surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cayless surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cayless 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 47 #24,810
1861 historical 70 #24,911
1881 historical 120 #17,756
1891 historical 161 #17,473
1901 historical 197 #15,272
1911 historical 231 #13,636
1997 modern 225 #16,352
1998 modern 234 #16,404
1999 modern 225 #16,931
2000 modern 217 #17,296
2001 modern 212 #17,324
2002 modern 210 #17,753
2003 modern 203 #17,967
2004 modern 196 #18,438
2005 modern 189 #18,807
2006 modern 185 #19,204
2007 modern 182 #19,618
2008 modern 182 #19,800
2009 modern 182 #20,201
2010 modern 197 #19,640
2011 modern 214 #18,436
2012 modern 215 #18,304
2013 modern 224 #18,080
2014 modern 222 #18,355
2015 modern 219 #18,406
2016 modern 216 #18,613

Geography

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Where Cayless' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Paddington, Loughborough and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thurrock, Teignbridge, Charnwood and South Hams. 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 Paddington London (West Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Loughborough Leicestershire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thurrock 006 Thurrock
2 Teignbridge 011 Teignbridge
3 Charnwood 003 Charnwood
4 South Hams 003 South Hams
5 Charnwood 002 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cayless

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cayless

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Cayless surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Cayless household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cayless is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Cayless is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cayless falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Cayless families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cayless 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. Leicestershire leads with 98 Cayless' recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.89x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 98 74.89x
Middlesex 17 1.44x
Lincolnshire 3 1.59x
Channel Islands 1 2.86x
Gloucestershire 1 0.43x
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. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 45 Cayless' recorded in 1881 and an index of 141.02x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 45 141.02x
Loughborough 17 286.20x
Leicester All Sts 14 544.75x
Leicester St Mary 12 113.53x
Paddington London 9 20.74x
Humberstone 6 555.56x
Evington 4 2222.22x
Kensington London 4 6.10x
Chelsea London 2 5.62x
Hammersmith London 2 6.88x
Manthorpe Cum Little 2 138.89x
Brightside Bierlow 1 4.36x
Horncastle 1 51.28x
St Saviour 1 51.81x
Wotton St Mary 1 83.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emma 8
Eliza 5
Sarah 4
Florence 3
Mary 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Ann 2
Charlotte 2
Elizabeth 2
Julia 2
Martha 2
Nelly 2
Adela 1
Agnes 1
Agusta 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizth 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Jemmima 1
Kean 1
Lillie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Sophia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
Joseph 6
George 5
Alfred 4
Thomas 4
Robert 3
Walter 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Frank 2
James 2
John 2
Ruben 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Chas. 1
Chas.William 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Fredrickkkk 1
Rueben 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Cayless surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cayless surname in 1881?

In 1881, 120 people were recorded with the Cayless surname. That placed it at #17,756 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cayless surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 216 in 2016. That gives Cayless a modern rank of #18,613.

What does the Cayless map show?

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