NameCensus.

UK surname

Chamley

An English locational surname derived from a place named Cholmondeley in Cheshire.

In the 1881 census there were 100 people recorded with the Chamley surname, ranking it #19,750 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 277, ranked #15,619, up from #19,750 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Preston, Liverpool and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ribble Valley, Bradford and Blackburn with Darwen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chamley is 323 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 177.0%.

1881 census count

100

Ranked #19,750

Modern count

277

2016, ranked #15,619

Peak year

1911

323 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chamley had 100 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,750 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 277 in 2016, ranked #15,619.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 323 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Chamley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chamley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chamley 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 260 #8,512
1861 historical 322 #7,911
1881 historical 100 #19,750
1891 historical 314 #10,694
1901 historical 203 #14,969
1911 historical 323 #10,842
1997 modern 266 #14,658
1998 modern 269 #14,941
1999 modern 263 #15,267
2000 modern 258 #15,427
2001 modern 251 #15,483
2002 modern 236 #16,455
2003 modern 232 #16,447
2004 modern 249 #15,739
2005 modern 257 #15,365
2006 modern 250 #15,749
2007 modern 257 #15,606
2008 modern 266 #15,384
2009 modern 280 #15,141
2010 modern 281 #15,441
2011 modern 264 #16,016
2012 modern 276 #15,427
2013 modern 283 #15,401
2014 modern 288 #15,285
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 277 #15,619

Geography

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Where Chamleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Preston, Liverpool, Bradford, Blackburn and Kendal. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ribble Valley, Bradford, Blackburn with Darwen, Tameside and Braintree. 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 Preston Lancashire
2 Liverpool Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Kendal Westmorland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ribble Valley 003 Ribble Valley
2 Bradford 004 Bradford
3 Blackburn with Darwen 001 Blackburn with Darwen
4 Tameside 001 Tameside
5 Braintree 002 Braintree

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chamley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chamley

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Chamley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Chamley 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Chamley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Chamley is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chamley falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Chamley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Chamley

The surname Chamley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from a place name or descriptive term. One possible origin is from the Old English words "cam" (crooked) and "leah" (meadow, clearing), suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a crooked meadow or clearing.

Another theory traces the name to the village of Cholmondeley in Cheshire, England, which was recorded as "Calmundelei" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This place name is thought to come from the Old English personal name "Cælmund" combined with "leah" (clearing).

The earliest known record of the surname Chamley dates back to the 13th century in Cheshire, where a Henry de Calmundeleg was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1220. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have evolved from the place name Cholmondeley.

In the 14th century, a John de Calmundelye was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Cheshire in 1327, indicating the continued use of the surname in that region.

Notable individuals with the surname Chamley throughout history include:

1. Sir Robert Chamley (c. 1560-1644), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Staffordshire in 1621. 2. Thomas Chamley (1617-1691), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Upwell in Norfolk. 3. William Chamley (1762-1830), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Lieutenant-General. 4. Henry Chamley (1826-1891), a British explorer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Mauritius from 1880 to 1887. 5. Sir Horace Chamley (1857-1935), a British lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Justice of Appeal from 1919 to 1928.

While the surname Chamley is relatively uncommon, it has persisted for centuries, particularly in England, and its origins can be traced back to medieval times, reflecting the rich history and linguistic influences that have shaped English surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chamley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chamley 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. Yorkshire leads with 29 Chamleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.13x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 29 3.13x
Lancashire 24 2.16x
Westmorland 14 68.03x
Middlesex 12 1.28x
Northumberland 5 3.59x
Cumberland 4 4.96x
Lanarkshire 4 1.32x
Hampshire 2 1.04x
Cheshire 1 0.48x
Warwickshire 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horton In Ribblesdale in Yorkshire leads with 16 Chamleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9411.76x.

Place Total Index
Horton In Ribblesdale 16 9411.76x
Bethnal Green London 10 24.59x
Patton 10 50000.00x
Morley 9 186.72x
Kirkby Ireleth 5 909.09x
Gorbals 4 222.22x
Over Darwen 4 45.10x
Pennington In Leigh 4 187.79x
St Cuthbert W O 4 101.78x
Orton 3 483.87x
Ulverston 3 92.59x
Bury 2 15.76x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 27.70x
North Meols 2 18.38x
Samlesbury 2 833.33x
Westgate 2 23.18x
Aldingham 1 270.27x
Birkenhead 1 6.07x
Birmingham 1 1.27x
Buckden 1 1000.00x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 16.75x
Holy Rood 1 256.41x
Hunslet 1 6.91x
Liverpool 1 1.48x
Portsea 1 2.66x
Rimington 1 833.33x
St George Hanover Square 1 6.06x
Tynemouth 1 13.40x
Westminster St Margaret 1 22.12x
Whinfell 1 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 7
Mary 5
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Fanny 3
Elizabeth 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Dorthy 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Isabell 1
Isabella 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Mable 1
Madge 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Nancy 1
Ruth 1
Susan 1
Sush 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Chamley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chamley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 100 people were recorded with the Chamley surname. That placed it at #19,750 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chamley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 277 in 2016. That gives Chamley a modern rank of #15,619.

What does the Chamley surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place named Cholmondeley in Cheshire.

What does the Chamley map show?

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