NameCensus.

UK surname

Dearnaley

In the 1881 census there were 127 people recorded with the Dearnaley surname, ranking it #17,166 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 134, ranked #25,636, down from #17,166 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Glossop and Mottram-in-Longdendale. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hyndburn, Wigan and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dearnaley is 207 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.5%.

1881 census count

127

Ranked #17,166

Modern count

134

2016, ranked #25,636

Peak year

1911

207 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dearnaley had 127 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,166 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016, ranked #25,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 207 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Dearnaley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dearnaley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dearnaley 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 85 #18,940
1861 historical 119 #18,393
1881 historical 127 #17,166
1891 historical 178 #16,264
1901 historical 155 #17,704
1911 historical 207 #14,635
1997 modern 138 #22,227
1998 modern 141 #22,517
1999 modern 142 #22,607
2000 modern 139 #22,855
2001 modern 133 #23,132
2002 modern 130 #23,903
2003 modern 130 #23,672
2004 modern 138 #22,997
2005 modern 139 #22,887
2006 modern 137 #23,270
2007 modern 133 #24,059
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 144 #23,577
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 138 #24,615
2012 modern 129 #25,705
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 144 #24,504
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 134 #25,636

Geography

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Where Dearnaleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Glossop, Mottram-in-Longdendale, Almondbury and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hyndburn, Wigan, High Peak and Tameside. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Glossop Derbyshire
3 Mottram-in-Longdendale Lancashire
4 Almondbury Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hyndburn 005 Hyndburn
2 Hyndburn 007 Hyndburn
3 Wigan 026 Wigan
4 High Peak 002 High Peak
5 Tameside 011 Tameside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dearnaley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dearnaley

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

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Dearnaley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dearnaley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Dearnaley is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dearnaley 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

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

1881 census detail

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Dearnaley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dearnaley 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. Cheshire leads with 58 Dearnaleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.72x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 58 21.72x
Derbyshire 46 24.29x
Lancashire 20 1.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glossop Dale in Derbyshire leads with 46 Dearnaleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 518.60x.

Place Total Index
Glossop Dale 46 518.60x
Tintwistle 44 3076.92x
Ashton Under Lyne 16 51.00x
Bollington In 7 294.12x
Dukinfield 4 32.41x
Hollingworth 3 272.73x
Preston 2 5.21x
Cheetham 1 9.35x
Reddish 1 50.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ellen 6
Sarah 6
Hannah 5
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Betty 3
Catherine 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Edith 2
Elizabeth 2
Ruth 2
Ada 1
Amander 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Charlott 1
Clara 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Laura 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1
Selina 1
Susan 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Joseph 8
John 5
William 5
James 4
Samuel 4
Abel 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Amos 2
George 2
Isaac 2
Walter 2
Allan 1
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
David 1
Eli 1
Enoch 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Irvin 1
Irwin 1
Saml. 1
Tom 1
Wm.Hy. 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Dearnaley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dearnaley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 127 people were recorded with the Dearnaley surname. That placed it at #17,166 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dearnaley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016. That gives Dearnaley a modern rank of #25,636.

What does the Dearnaley map show?

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