NameCensus.

UK surname

Coley

Derived from a place name meaning "coal island" or referring to a dark-haired or swarthy person.

In the 1881 census there were 1,785 people recorded with the Coley surname, ranking it #2,431 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,966, ranked #2,270, up from #2,431 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rowley Regis, London parishes and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, Hinckley and Bosworth and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coley is 3,107 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.2%.

1881 census count

1,785

Ranked #2,431

Modern count

2,966

2016, ranked #2,270

Peak year

2010

3,107 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coley had 1,785 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,431 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,966 in 2016, ranked #2,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,652 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Coley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Coley 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 1,244 #2,300
1861 historical 1,327 #2,159
1881 historical 1,785 #2,431
1891 historical 2,081 #2,227
1901 historical 2,405 #2,258
1911 historical 2,652 #1,938
1997 modern 2,992 #2,159
1998 modern 3,070 #2,190
1999 modern 3,054 #2,214
2000 modern 3,013 #2,238
2001 modern 2,939 #2,241
2002 modern 3,031 #2,222
2003 modern 2,958 #2,225
2004 modern 2,978 #2,204
2005 modern 2,971 #2,181
2006 modern 2,945 #2,200
2007 modern 2,960 #2,208
2008 modern 2,987 #2,196
2009 modern 3,071 #2,194
2010 modern 3,107 #2,222
2011 modern 3,097 #2,200
2012 modern 2,997 #2,223
2013 modern 3,033 #2,246
2014 modern 3,047 #2,244
2015 modern 3,013 #2,244
2016 modern 2,966 #2,270

Geography

Back to top

Where Coleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rowley Regis, London parishes, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire), Kirkby Mallory and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham, Hinckley and Bosworth and Dudley. 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 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
4 Kirkby Mallory Leicestershire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 011 Birmingham
2 Hinckley and Bosworth 006 Hinckley and Bosworth
3 Dudley 033 Dudley
4 Dudley 039 Dudley
5 Dudley 026 Dudley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Coley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Coley

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Coley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Coley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Coley 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

Coley is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coley 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 Coley 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 Coley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Coley

The surname Coley is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word 'cole', which means coal or charcoal burner. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as an occupational surname for those who worked in the coal or charcoal trade.

The earliest known recorded instances of the Coley surname can be traced back to the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a Richard Cole is mentioned. Another early record is from the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1204, which lists a William Cole.

The Coley surname is also found in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling in the Domesday Book appears as 'Coli' or 'Colli'.

Over time, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Coli, Coley, Colley, Collie, and Colly. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of record keepers.

One notable historical figure bearing the Coley surname was William Coley (1586-1667), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Yoxford in Suffolk. Another prominent individual was Robert Coley (1592-1639), an English composer and organist who worked at the Chapel Royal during the reign of King Charles I.

In the literary world, Henry Coley (1633-1695) was a notable English writer and translator, best known for his translations of works by French philosopher René Descartes. Additionally, Samuel Coley (1811-1881) was a prominent English architect who designed several important buildings in Birmingham.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of James Coley (1865-1939), a British engineer and inventor who played a significant role in the development of early aircraft and propeller designs, working alongside pioneers like Wilbur and Orville Wright.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Coley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coley 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 352 Coleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.53x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 352 15.53x
Staffordshire 305 5.21x
Warwickshire 263 6.01x
Leicestershire 197 10.24x
Kent 121 2.04x
Middlesex 120 0.69x
Yorkshire 67 0.39x
Lancashire 64 0.31x
Surrey 36 0.43x
Durham 28 0.54x
Lincolnshire 28 1.01x
Sussex 24 0.82x
Buckinghamshire 22 2.10x
Bedfordshire 21 2.34x
Derbyshire 18 0.66x
Cheshire 15 0.39x
Gloucestershire 14 0.41x
Flintshire 10 2.14x
Monmouthshire 9 0.72x
Lanarkshire 8 0.14x
Rutland 8 6.28x
Suffolk 8 0.38x
Hampshire 6 0.17x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.26x
Shropshire 6 0.40x
Devon 5 0.14x
Montgomeryshire 5 1.26x
Kincardineshire 3 1.42x
Somerset 3 0.11x
Herefordshire 2 0.28x
Essex 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.08x
Northamptonshire 1 0.06x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Stirlingshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 122 Coleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.36x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 122 8.36x
Hasbury 81 546.56x
Aston 76 6.31x
Rowley Regis 60 36.75x
Brenenden 47 616.80x
Leicester St Margaret 46 9.80x
Kirkby Mallory Earl 43 465.87x
West Bromwich 42 12.52x
Dudley 41 14.88x
Halesowen 39 196.08x
Islington London 35 2.08x
Walsall Foreign 34 11.24x
Kidderminster Borough 29 21.86x
Wolverhampton 28 6.22x
Shoreditch London 27 3.59x
Belbroughton 26 221.09x
Cradley 22 107.37x
Tipton 22 12.27x
Cranbrook 18 71.77x
Kings Norton 18 8.86x
Earl Shilton 17 405.73x
Tatenhill 17 428.21x
Everton 16 2.44x
Darlington 15 7.53x
Wednesbury 15 10.25x
Wilshampstead 15 307.38x
Brightside Bierlow 14 4.15x
Harborne 12 6.39x
Kingswinford 12 5.64x
Kinver 12 71.05x
Lower Mitton 12 60.09x
Sheepshed 12 45.51x
Bradwell 11 74.48x
Chailey 11 121.41x
Bootle Cum Linacre 10 6.12x
Gateshead 10 2.59x
Grendon 10 267.38x
Holywell 10 17.07x
Belgrave 9 20.73x
Coventry Holy Trinity 9 6.89x
Crowland 9 51.69x
Handsworth 9 6.23x
Liverpool 9 0.72x
Mancetter 9 71.49x
Monks Coppenhall 9 6.23x
Northfield 9 20.93x
Pendlebury 9 20.70x
Rawmarsh 9 14.81x
Barony 8 0.56x
Cannock 8 7.83x
Fenny Stratford 8 80.56x
Greasbrough 8 35.23x
Hackney London 8 0.82x
Hammersmith London 8 1.87x
Hinckley 8 17.53x
Long Melford 8 40.73x
Maidstone 8 4.54x
Melton Mowbray 8 23.12x
Plumstead 8 4.05x
Ridgacre 8 179.37x
Seals 8 117.99x
St Marylebone London 8 0.86x
Stourbridge 8 13.72x
Tickencote 8 1290.32x
Cheriton 7 29.00x
Gradley 7 63.93x
Huncote 7 255.47x
Leeds 7 0.72x
Leicester All Sts 7 18.52x
Lutley 7 642.20x
Orton On The Hill 7 424.24x
Stamford St George 7 56.13x
Alcester 6 41.58x
Arley 6 487.80x
Ratby 6 62.24x
St Woollos 6 4.29x
The Hill 6 41.24x
Wimbledon 6 6.32x
Manafon 5 134.05x
Willenhall 5 4.56x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 120
John 101
Thomas 72
George 57
Joseph 53
Henry 44
James 44
Alfred 26
Charles 26
Frederick 26
Samuel 26
Arthur 25
Edward 23
Albert 18
Richard 16
Harry 15
Walter 15
Daniel 10
Benjamin 9
Ernest 8
Robert 8
Frank 7
Herbert 6
Josiah 6
David 5
Francis 5
Abraham 4
Edwin 4
Job 4
Philip 4
Caleb 3
Horatio 3
Wm. 3
Amos 2
Eli 2
Ephraim 2
Felix 2
Frances 2
Isaac 2
Stephen 2
Willm. 2
Bellfield 1
Benj. 1
Chris... 1
Claude 1
Dennis 1
Edwald 1
Fredr. 1
Geo.Jr. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Coley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,785 people were recorded with the Coley surname. That placed it at #2,431 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,966 in 2016. That gives Coley a modern rank of #2,270.

What does the Coley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "coal island" or referring to a dark-haired or swarthy person.

What does the Coley map show?

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