NameCensus.

UK surname

Dailey

Derived from a location or indicating someone who lived near a dale or valley.

In the 1881 census there were 402 people recorded with the Dailey surname, ranking it #7,949 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 390, ranked #12,089, down from #7,949 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, London parishes and Workington (Workington), Clossocks. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, Stockton-on-Tees and Epsom and Ewell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dailey is 493 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.0%.

1881 census count

402

Ranked #7,949

Modern count

390

2016, ranked #12,089

Peak year

1861

493 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dailey had 402 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,949 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 390 in 2016, ranked #12,089.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 493 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Dailey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dailey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dailey 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 391 #6,144
1861 historical 493 #5,294
1881 historical 402 #7,949
1891 historical 452 #8,050
1901 historical 274 #12,370
1911 historical 287 #11,784
1997 modern 349 #12,197
1998 modern 374 #11,963
1999 modern 382 #11,843
2000 modern 365 #12,196
2001 modern 362 #12,076
2002 modern 357 #12,424
2003 modern 350 #12,417
2004 modern 347 #12,516
2005 modern 342 #12,579
2006 modern 355 #12,316
2007 modern 345 #12,714
2008 modern 352 #12,631
2009 modern 358 #12,736
2010 modern 369 #12,726
2011 modern 349 #13,108
2012 modern 377 #12,238
2013 modern 390 #12,151
2014 modern 389 #12,258
2015 modern 390 #12,139
2016 modern 390 #12,089

Geography

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Where Daileys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, London parishes, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, Stockton-on-Tees, Epsom and Ewell, Merton and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 028 Sunderland
2 Stockton-on-Tees 006 Stockton-on-Tees
3 Epsom and Ewell 010 Epsom and Ewell
4 Merton 004 Merton
5 Stoke-on-Trent 009 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dailey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dailey

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Dailey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dailey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dailey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dailey 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dailey

The surname Dailey is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word "Dálaigh" meaning "descendant of the fosterer". It is believed to have originated in the 10th century in County Westmeath, Ireland.

The name is thought to have evolved from the Old Irish personal name "Dálach", which was derived from the word "dáil" meaning "foster child" or "foster son". The Daileys were a prominent Irish clan who held lands in Westmeath and were known as skilled poets and scholars.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Dailey poet named Gilla na Naem Ua Dalaigh who died in 1064. The name is also found in the Annals of the Four Masters, another important medieval Irish text, which references several members of the Dailey clan in the 14th and 15th centuries.

In the 16th century, the Dailey surname began to appear in English records as Irish immigrants settled in England and Wales. One notable early bearer of the name was Richard Dailey, a merchant from County Westmeath who was active in London in the late 16th century.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century, many Daileys were dispossessed of their lands in Westmeath and relocated to other parts of Ireland. Some members of the clan also emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas during this period.

Among the notable Daileys in history are:

1. Muirchertach Ua Dálaigh (fl. 1140s), an Irish poet and chief ollamh (head poet) of Ireland. 2. Gofraidh Fionn Ó Dálaigh (c. 1320-1387), an Irish poet and historian. 3. John Dailey (c. 1785-1853), an Irish-American political leader and merchant in Philadelphia. 4. Michael Dailey (1796-1868), an Irish-American Catholic priest and author. 5. Rufus Dailey (1834-1907), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.

The Dailey surname continues to be found predominantly in Ireland, particularly in Counties Westmeath, Longford, and Meath, as well as in Irish diaspora communities around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dailey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dailey 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. Lancashire leads with 64 Daileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.34x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 64 1.34x
Durham 42 3.51x
Middlesex 42 1.05x
Cumberland 35 10.12x
Yorkshire 29 0.73x
Cheshire 25 2.82x
Ayrshire 21 6.98x
Surrey 17 0.87x
Hampshire 16 1.94x
Lanarkshire 12 0.92x
Buckinghamshire 11 4.53x
Stirlingshire 10 6.75x
Kent 9 0.66x
Midlothian 9 1.67x
Staffordshire 9 0.66x
Warwickshire 7 0.69x
Glamorgan 6 0.86x
Northumberland 6 1.00x
Worcestershire 6 1.14x
Isle of Man 5 6.70x
Monmouthshire 5 1.72x
Royal Navy 4 8.35x
Sussex 4 0.59x
Derbyshire 3 0.48x
Channel Islands 2 1.68x
Devon 2 0.24x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.85x
Renfrewshire 2 0.64x
Cornwall 1 0.22x
East Lothian 1 1.88x
Essex 1 0.13x
Flintshire 1 0.93x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.18x
Somerset 1 0.15x
Suffolk 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Workington in Cumberland leads with 17 Daileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 85.82x.

Place Total Index
Workington 17 85.82x
Stockport 15 32.85x
Barnsley 13 31.65x
Liverpool 12 4.14x
Dalmellington 11 124.43x
Preston Quarter 11 113.40x
Wycombe 11 60.74x
Dalry 10 70.67x
Halifax 10 17.10x
Poplar London 9 11.87x
St Mary Extra 9 135.75x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 7.68x
Everton 8 5.26x
Falkirk 8 23.05x
Birmingham 7 2.07x
Oldham 7 4.55x
Shadforth 7 301.72x
Widnes 7 20.35x
Feckenham 6 99.83x
Gateshead 6 6.70x
Manchester 6 2.80x
Rowley Regis 6 15.87x
Barony 5 1.52x
Bothwell 5 14.18x
Bradford 5 22.40x
Conside Knitsley 5 53.76x
Darlington 5 10.83x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 2.31x
Kensington London 5 2.24x
Livesey 5 59.74x
St Clement Danes London 5 60.10x
Bishopwearmouth 4 3.90x
Brinnington 4 48.25x
Gillingham 4 14.15x
Hartlepool 4 23.54x
Iveston 4 72.60x
Portsea 4 2.48x
Royal Navy 4 9.77x
St Woollos 4 12.34x
West Itchenor 4 1818.18x
Bermondsey 3 2.51x
Clapham 3 5.97x
Crosscanonby 3 26.22x
Distington 3 168.54x
Macclesfield 3 7.61x
Maughold 3 52.08x
Merthyr Tydfil 3 4.46x
Shotton 3 101.35x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 17.24x
St Anne Soho London 3 13.07x
St Giles Cripplegate 3 56.29x
St Pancras London 3 0.93x
Wandsworth 3 7.75x
Westgate 3 8.10x
Battersea 2 1.35x
Brandon Byshottles 2 13.35x
Cardross 2 15.42x
Chester St John Baptist 2 12.54x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 2.64x
Derby St Alkmund 2 10.60x
Doncaster 2 6.87x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 2.47x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 2 53.62x
Farnborough 2 23.12x
Govan 2 0.62x
Gravesend 2 17.23x
Hammersmith London 2 2.02x
Lezayre 2 59.70x
Muiravonside 2 53.05x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 2 25.45x
Paddington London 2 1.35x
Renfrew 2 19.46x
St Marylebone London 2 0.93x
St Peter Port 2 9.08x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 1.39x
Swansea Town 2 3.49x
Chelsea London 1 0.83x
Greenwich 1 1.56x
Llantrisant 1 5.67x
Newport 1 7.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 39
James 21
Thomas 12
William 12
Joseph 11
George 8
Patrick 7
Edward 6
Michael 5
Charles 4
Ephraim 4
Frederick 4
Henry 4
Harry 3
Robert 3
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
Martin 2
Peter 2
W. 2
Alexd. 1
Archer 1
Archibald 1
Bartram 1
Bernard 1
Bridget 1
Clifton 1
David 1
Dionynus 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Harcourt 1
Hugh 1
Jno. 1
Leonard 1
Mathew 1
Nicholas 1
Orlando 1
Rich. 1
Richard 1
Robt.J. 1
Rupert 1
Stephen 1
Terence 1
Timothy 1
Waler 1
Will.J.J. 1

FAQ

Dailey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dailey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 402 people were recorded with the Dailey surname. That placed it at #7,949 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dailey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 390 in 2016. That gives Dailey a modern rank of #12,089.

What does the Dailey surname mean?

Derived from a location or indicating someone who lived near a dale or valley.

What does the Dailey map show?

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