UK surname
Derived from a place name meaning "meadow clearing" in Old English.
In the 1881 census there were 18 people recorded with the Danley surname, ranking it #31,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3, ranked #38,594, down from #31,019 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Danley is 193 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 83.3%.
1881 census count
18
Ranked #31,019
Modern count
3
2016, ranked #38,594
Peak year
1861
193 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Danley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Danley surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 73 | #20,581 |
| 1861 | historical | 193 | #12,371 |
| 1881 | historical | 18 | #31,019 |
| 1891 | historical | 97 | #24,447 |
| 1901 | historical | 59 | #27,609 |
| 1911 | historical | 90 | #23,797 |
| 1997 | modern | 2 | #38,557 |
| 1998 | modern | 1 | #38,814 |
| 2000 | modern | 3 | #38,248 |
| 2001 | modern | 1 | #38,647 |
| 2002 | modern | 1 | #38,709 |
| 2003 | modern | 1 | #38,735 |
| 2004 | modern | 1 | #38,771 |
| 2005 | modern | 1 | #38,814 |
| 2006 | modern | 1 | #38,879 |
| 2007 | modern | 1 | #38,907 |
| 2008 | modern | 2 | #38,673 |
| 2009 | modern | 1 | #38,998 |
| 2010 | modern | 1 | #39,020 |
| 2011 | modern | 1 | #39,015 |
| 2012 | modern | 1 | #38,986 |
| 2013 | modern | 1 | #39,008 |
| 2014 | modern | 4 | #38,376 |
| 2015 | modern | 3 | #38,558 |
| 2016 | modern | 3 | #38,594 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull Holy Trinity | Yorkshire, East Riding |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| 5 | St Giles Camberwell | London (South Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Danley surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Danley, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Danley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Danley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Danley is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Danley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Danley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Danley originates from England, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Daneley or Danley, which was likely a small village or hamlet in one of the English counties.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1195, where it appears as "de Daneleye." This early spelling variation suggests that the name may have originated from a place with a name similar to "Daneley" or "Daneley."
The name Danley is thought to be derived from the Old English words "dene," meaning a valley, and "ley," signifying a clearing or meadow. Thus, the name could have referred to someone who lived in a valley clearing or a meadow-like area.
During the 13th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1268, where it is recorded as "Daneleye." This demonstrates the spread of the name across different regions of England.
One notable figure bearing the Danley surname was Sir John Danley, a prominent knight who lived during the 14th century. He fought alongside Edward, the Black Prince, in the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.
In the 16th century, the name is found in the records of the Parish of St. Mary's in Gloucestershire, where a certain William Danley is mentioned in the baptismal register from 1578.
Another historical figure of note was Thomas Danley, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 17th century. He served as a Justice of the Peace and was a landowner in the county of Wiltshire.
During the 18th century, the Danley family had established a presence in various parts of England, with records showing members of the family in counties such as Dorset, Somerset, and Yorkshire.
One notable bearer of the name from this period was Robert Danley, a successful merchant and entrepreneur who lived in Bristol in the late 1700s. He was involved in the transatlantic trade and amassed considerable wealth.
As the centuries progressed, the Danley surname continued to spread across England and beyond, with some members of the family emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Danley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 7 Danleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.99x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 7 | 3.99x |
| Lancashire | 4 | 1.92x |
| Devon | 2 | 5.47x |
| Bedfordshire | 1 | 11.00x |
| Buckinghamshire | 1 | 9.43x |
| Essex | 1 | 2.89x |
| Ross-shire | 1 | 20.75x |
| Shropshire | 1 | 6.59x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kensington London in Middlesex leads with 3 Danleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.74x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Kensington London | 3 | 30.74x |
| Chorlton On Medlock | 2 | 60.42x |
| St Luke London | 2 | 70.92x |
| St Pancras London | 2 | 14.15x |
| Toxteth Park | 2 | 28.37x |
| Ellesmere | 1 | 384.62x |
| Exeter St Paul | 1 | 1428.57x |
| Harberton | 1 | 1250.00x |
| Luton | 1 | 63.69x |
| Stornoway | 1 | 158.73x |
| Taplow | 1 | 1666.67x |
| West Ham | 1 | 13.07x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Danley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Danley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Danley households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Bording House Keeper | 1 |
| Gen Serv | 1 |
| General Servant | 1 |
| Independent | 1 |
| Joiner | 1 |
| Joiner Wife | 1 |
| Quarry Labourer (Slate) | 1 |
| Railway Clearing Clerk | 1 |
| Railway Servt | 1 |
| Scholar | 1 |
| Seaman | 1 |
| Stone Mason | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 18 people were recorded with the Danley surname. That placed it at #31,019 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 3 in 2016. That gives Danley a modern rank of #38,594.
Derived from a place name meaning "meadow clearing" in Old English.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Danley bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.