NameCensus.

UK surname

Costley

Of English origin, a surname derived from a place name or location.

In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Costley surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 271, ranked #15,874, up from #22,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Machars South, Drumry East and Barrow-in-Furness.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Costley is 288 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 243.0%.

1881 census count

79

Ranked #22,357

Modern count

271

2016, ranked #15,874

Peak year

2010

288 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Costley had 79 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 271 in 2016, ranked #15,874.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 179 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Costley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Costley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Costley 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 40 #26,118
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 79 #22,357
1891 historical 147 #18,592
1901 historical 179 #16,227
1911 historical 129 #19,577
1997 modern 260 #14,880
1998 modern 275 #14,715
1999 modern 283 #14,501
2000 modern 283 #14,488
2001 modern 277 #14,474
2002 modern 266 #15,156
2003 modern 266 #14,987
2004 modern 281 #14,489
2005 modern 273 #14,708
2006 modern 275 #14,732
2007 modern 276 #14,855
2008 modern 274 #15,063
2009 modern 280 #15,141
2010 modern 288 #15,162
2011 modern 276 #15,471
2012 modern 251 #16,467
2013 modern 268 #16,005
2014 modern 271 #15,986
2015 modern 269 #15,955
2016 modern 271 #15,874

Geography

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Where Costleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Glasgow, Dalton-in-Furness and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Machars South, Drumry East, Barrow-in-Furness, Lewisham and City Centre South. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
2 Drumry East Glasgow City
3 Barrow-in-Furness 010 Barrow-in-Furness
4 Lewisham 017 Lewisham
5 City Centre South Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Costley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Costley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Costley, 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 Costley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Costley 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, Costley 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

Costley is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Costley

The surname Costley has its origins in the northern English counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is derived from the Old English words "coste" meaning a cottage or small dwelling, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived in a cottage or small homestead in a meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Costley appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1188, where a Richard de Costeley is mentioned. The name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, listing a John Costeley.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms such as Costeley, Costley, and Costeley in records from Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is believed that the variant spellings arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spellings of the time.

The Costley surname can be traced back to several place names in northern England, including Costley in Lancashire and Costley Green in Yorkshire. These place names likely originated from the Old English words that formed the basis of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Costley include:

1. Thomas Costley (c. 1540 - 1605), an English composer and lutenist who served in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. 2. John Costley (c. 1620 - 1701), an English clergyman and writer who published several religious works. 3. William Costley (1678 - 1765), a British merchant and landowner who owned estates in Lancashire and Yorkshire. 4. Elizabeth Costley (1731 - 1808), an English novelist and playwright known for her works "The Coquette" and "The Jealous Wife." 5. Sir George Costley (1810 - 1887), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and was knighted for his service.

The Costley surname continues to be found in various parts of England, particularly in the northern counties where it originated, as well as in other parts of the United Kingdom and countries with historical British connections.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Costley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Costley 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. Staffordshire leads with 25 Costleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.61x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 25 9.61x
Lanarkshire 22 8.83x
Lancashire 17 1.86x
Wigtownshire 5 48.88x
Angus 4 5.60x
Yorkshire 4 0.52x
Kent 1 0.38x
Middlesex 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolverhampton in Staffordshire leads with 25 Costleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 125.06x.

Place Total Index
Wolverhampton 25 125.06x
Barony 13 20.62x
Cambusnethan 9 162.75x
Blackburn 8 32.89x
Pendleton In Salford 7 64.28x
Monifieth 4 158.73x
Potter Newton 4 296.30x
Leswalt 3 428.57x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 27.55x
Stoneykirk 2 273.97x
Chatham 1 13.83x
Paddington London 1 3.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 3
Thomas 3
David 2
James 2
Alfred 1
Edward 1
Frederic 1
George 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Michael 1
Morton 1
Oliver 1
Stephen 1
Willian 1
Willm. 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 Costley households.

FAQ

Costley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Costley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Costley surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Costley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 271 in 2016. That gives Costley a modern rank of #15,874.

What does the Costley surname mean?

Of English origin, a surname derived from a place name or location.

What does the Costley map show?

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