NameCensus.

UK surname

Dalley

An English surname likely from a location name "Dalley" or a variant spelling.

In the 1881 census there were 745 people recorded with the Dalley surname, ranking it #4,925 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,143, ranked #5,159, down from #4,925 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Stapleford and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Bury and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dalley is 1,190 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.4%.

1881 census count

745

Ranked #4,925

Modern count

1,143

2016, ranked #5,159

Peak year

2010

1,190 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dalley had 745 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,925 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,143 in 2016, ranked #5,159.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,176 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dalley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dalley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dalley 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 507 #4,933
1861 historical 568 #4,631
1881 historical 745 #4,925
1891 historical 904 #4,558
1901 historical 940 #4,972
1911 historical 1,176 #3,978
1997 modern 1,152 #4,879
1998 modern 1,179 #4,955
1999 modern 1,161 #5,065
2000 modern 1,168 #5,017
2001 modern 1,149 #4,993
2002 modern 1,154 #5,082
2003 modern 1,134 #5,051
2004 modern 1,141 #5,030
2005 modern 1,117 #5,077
2006 modern 1,126 #5,039
2007 modern 1,137 #5,039
2008 modern 1,136 #5,083
2009 modern 1,164 #5,075
2010 modern 1,190 #5,086
2011 modern 1,146 #5,197
2012 modern 1,142 #5,114
2013 modern 1,160 #5,139
2014 modern 1,164 #5,148
2015 modern 1,137 #5,205
2016 modern 1,143 #5,159

Geography

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Where Dalleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Stapleford, London parishes and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Bury, West Dorset, Herefordshire and Dollar and Muckhart. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Stapleford Derbyshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 009 Cornwall
2 Bury 018 Bury
3 West Dorset 012 West Dorset
4 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of
5 Dollar and Muckhart Clackmannanshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dalley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dalley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dalley, 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 Dalley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dalley 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Dalley is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dalley is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dalley falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dalley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dalley

The surname Dalley is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from the place name Dalley, which was a small village in Buckinghamshire. The name Dalley itself is believed to stem from the Old English words "dæl" meaning "valley" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing," suggesting the name was given to someone who lived in or near a woodland clearing in a valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dalley surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1198, where a William de Dalleyis mentioned. This indicates that the name was already established in the region by the late 12th century. The Dalley surname also appears in various other historical records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a Richard de Dalleys.

In the 14th century, the Dalley surname is recorded in the Register of the Freemen of the City of York, which includes an entry for a John Dalley in 1345. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its original locale and had become more widespread across England by this time.

Some notable individuals who bore the Dalley surname throughout history include:

1. Sir William Dalley (c. 1540 - c. 1610), an English landowner and member of parliament for Lincolnshire in the late 16th century. 2. John Dalley (1622 - 1695), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Colchester. 3. Thomas Dalley (1674 - 1749), a British naval officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession and later became a Member of Parliament. 4. Sir William Dalley (1834 - 1888), a British colonial statesman who served as the Attorney-General of New South Wales and later became the Premier of New South Wales. 5. Robert Dalley (1861 - 1924), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

While the Dalley surname may have originated in a specific region of England, it has since spread across the globe, carried by various individuals and families over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dalley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dalley 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. Middlesex leads with 97 Dalleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.33x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 97 1.33x
Kent 62 2.49x
Surrey 51 1.44x
Worcestershire 51 5.36x
Warwickshire 44 2.39x
Devon 40 2.64x
Yorkshire 38 0.53x
Gloucestershire 32 2.24x
Cornwall 29 3.52x
Somerset 27 2.30x
Glamorgan 26 2.05x
Bedfordshire 25 6.63x
Herefordshire 23 7.70x
Lancashire 20 0.23x
Dorset 17 3.55x
Nottinghamshire 17 1.73x
Staffordshire 17 0.69x
Leicestershire 16 1.98x
Derbyshire 15 1.31x
Essex 9 0.63x
Hampshire 9 0.60x
Wiltshire 9 1.40x
Argyllshire 8 3.94x
Berkshire 8 1.46x
Monmouthshire 8 1.52x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 6.64x
Lincolnshire 7 0.60x
Midlothian 7 0.72x
Hertfordshire 5 1.00x
Northamptonshire 4 0.58x
Lanarkshire 3 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.43x
Cardiganshire 2 1.13x
Northumberland 2 0.18x
Royal Navy 2 2.30x
Sussex 2 0.16x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.15x
Brecknockshire 1 0.69x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.23x
Norfolk 1 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.43x
Radnorshire 1 1.70x

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 33 Dalleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.39x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 33 5.39x
Ampthill 21 373.00x
Kensington London 18 4.44x
Lambeth 17 2.68x
Syston 15 198.41x
Great Malvern 14 70.53x
Ledbury 14 136.45x
St Marylebone London 14 3.60x
Dartford 12 47.21x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 3.83x
Barking 9 21.38x
Budock 9 144.93x
Dawlish 9 79.58x
Friern Barnet 9 56.07x
Keynsham 9 106.89x
Sandhurst 9 782.61x
Stansted 9 882.35x
Stapleford 9 112.78x
Suckley 9 576.92x
Walton On Thames 9 55.21x
Bethnal Green London 8 2.53x
Crayford 8 73.66x
Deptford St Paul 8 4.17x
Littleham 8 72.14x
Nether Compton 8 824.74x
Wokingham 8 64.10x
Aberdare 7 8.04x
Dudley 7 6.05x
Hampstead London 7 6.17x
Isle Brewers 7 886.08x
Kilbrandon 7 207.10x
Kirkcudbright 7 80.18x
Llanwonno 7 15.35x
Manchester 7 1.80x
Norton 7 642.20x
Paddington London 7 2.61x
St Woollos 7 11.91x
Tormoham 7 10.91x
Truro St Mary 7 101.01x
Edgbaston 6 10.53x
Hammersmith London 6 3.34x
Ribbesford 6 75.76x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 4.09x
St Nicholas Lincoln 6 53.86x
West Calder 6 31.19x
Aston 5 0.99x
Bradford 5 2.86x
Callington 5 103.95x
Chickerell 5 245.10x
Cobham 5 218.34x
Dewsbury 5 6.75x
Ilkestonderbypart 5 149.70x
Islington London 5 0.71x
Kings Norton 5 5.86x
Selby 5 33.13x
Shoreditch London 5 1.58x
South Petherton 5 82.51x
St Albans St Peter 5 29.50x
Westminster St James 5 6.67x
Ystradyfodwg 5 4.49x
Ash Next Ridley 4 253.16x
Atherton 4 12.71x
Camborne 4 11.77x
Clapham 4 4.39x
Clifton 4 5.54x
Great Bolton 4 3.49x
Greenwich 4 3.45x
Holbeck 4 8.36x
Keyworth 4 179.37x
Killamarsh 4 56.34x
Kingswood 4 412.37x
Leeds 4 0.98x
Welland 4 183.49x
Wendron 4 34.93x
Worplesdon 4 93.46x
Govan 3 0.51x
Kidderminster Borough 3 5.39x
Kidderminster Foreign 3 22.30x
Melcombe Regis 3 15.14x
Whitbourne 3 161.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 59
John 43
George 27
James 19
Thomas 19
Henry 18
Richard 11
Alfred 10
Charles 9
Edward 8
Joseph 8
Robert 8
Arthur 7
Harry 7
Albert 6
Edwin 5
Frank 5
Samuel 5
Benjamin 4
Ernest 4
Frederick 4
Lewis 4
Andrew 3
Daniel 3
David 3
Geo. 3
Thos. 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Francis 2
Hy. 2
Jas. 2
Stephen 2
Charlie 1
Chas. 1
Clement 1
Cornelius 1
F. 1
Fredrick 1
Geoffry 1
Godfrey 1
Harold 1
Josiah 1
Malachi 1
Mathew 1
Michael 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Wm.Robt. 1

FAQ

Dalley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dalley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 745 people were recorded with the Dalley surname. That placed it at #4,925 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dalley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,143 in 2016. That gives Dalley a modern rank of #5,159.

What does the Dalley surname mean?

An English surname likely from a location name "Dalley" or a variant spelling.

What does the Dalley map show?

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