NameCensus.

UK surname

Cursley

In the 1881 census there were 90 people recorded with the Cursley surname, ranking it #20,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #20,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Sawley and Cottingham, East Carlton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaby, Huntingdonshire and Milton Keynes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cursley is 162 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.4%.

1881 census count

90

Ranked #20,965

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

1891

162 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cursley had 90 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016, ranked #27,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 162 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cursley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cursley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cursley 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 65 #21,747
1861 historical 100 #21,103
1881 historical 90 #20,965
1891 historical 162 #17,390
1901 historical 142 #18,633
1911 historical 159 #17,219
1997 modern 128 #23,238
1998 modern 132 #23,394
1999 modern 124 #24,508
2000 modern 126 #24,220
2001 modern 122 #24,366
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 121 #24,776
2004 modern 128 #24,117
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 114 #26,120
2007 modern 118 #25,913
2008 modern 121 #25,785
2009 modern 119 #26,637
2010 modern 112 #28,336
2011 modern 116 #27,477
2012 modern 120 #26,961
2013 modern 122 #27,122
2014 modern 123 #27,206
2015 modern 125 #26,808
2016 modern 121 #27,399

Geography

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Where Cursleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Sawley, Cottingham, East Carlton, Burton Latimer and Peterborough St John the Baptist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaby, Huntingdonshire, Milton Keynes and Brent. 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 Sawley Derbyshire
3 Cottingham, East Carlton Northamptonshire
4 Burton Latimer Northamptonshire
5 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaby 003 Blaby
2 Huntingdonshire 016 Huntingdonshire
3 Milton Keynes 029 Milton Keynes
4 Huntingdonshire 006 Huntingdonshire
5 Brent 028 Brent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cursley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cursley

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

Cursley is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Cursley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cursley 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. Northamptonshire leads with 29 Cursleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.12x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 29 35.12x
Derbyshire 18 13.10x
Staffordshire 10 3.37x
Leicestershire 8 8.22x
Huntingdonshire 4 22.95x
Suffolk 4 3.74x
Cambridgeshire 3 5.40x
Surrey 3 0.70x
Cheshire 2 1.03x
Hampshire 2 1.11x
Lancashire 2 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 2 1.69x
Essex 1 0.58x
Middlesex 1 0.11x
Sussex 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sawley in Derbyshire leads with 12 Cursleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2926.83x.

Place Total Index
Sawley 12 2926.83x
Wolverhampton 10 43.90x
Burton Latimer 7 1400.00x
Cottingham 7 2500.00x
Great Oakley 6 8571.43x
Hallaton 5 2272.73x
Melbourne 5 531.91x
Bures St Mary 4 1538.46x
Brampton Ash 3 7500.00x
East Carlton 3 10000.00x
St Giles Cambridge 3 416.67x
Battersea 2 6.19x
Chawton 2 1428.57x
Leicester St Martin 2 307.69x
Nottingham St Mary 2 6.53x
Pendleton In Salford 2 16.12x
Spaldwick 2 1818.18x
Woodwalton 2 2222.22x
Clerkenwell London 1 4.83x
Desborough 1 161.29x
Disley Stanley 1 100.00x
Frodsham 1 133.33x
Halstead 1 49.51x
Hastings St Leonards 1 45.87x
Kettering 1 29.94x
Lutterworth 1 169.49x
Normanton 1 86.21x
Rushden 1 90.91x
Woking 1 38.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 8
Mary 7
Elizabeth 5
Emma 4
Eliza 3
Charlotte 2
Harriett 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Byzantia 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Katie 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cursley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cursley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 90 people were recorded with the Cursley surname. That placed it at #20,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cursley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016. That gives Cursley a modern rank of #27,399.

What does the Cursley map show?

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