NameCensus.

UK surname

Donkersley

In the 1881 census there were 172 people recorded with the Donkersley surname, ranking it #14,163 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #14,163 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Huddersfield, Kirkburton and Almondbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Ashford and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Donkersley is 210 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 29.7%.

1881 census count

172

Ranked #14,163

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

1891

210 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Donkersley had 172 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,163 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 210 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Donkersley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Donkersley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Donkersley 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 115 #15,634
1861 historical 114 #19,011
1881 historical 172 #14,163
1891 historical 210 #14,412
1901 historical 203 #14,969
1911 historical 205 #14,733
1997 modern 163 #20,038
1998 modern 156 #21,144
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 166 #20,426
2001 modern 165 #20,199
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 155 #21,217
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 146 #22,146
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 145 #22,693
2008 modern 135 #24,123
2009 modern 130 #25,176
2010 modern 129 #25,900
2011 modern 124 #26,367
2012 modern 115 #27,717
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 133 #25,851
2015 modern 121 #27,405
2016 modern 121 #27,399

Geography

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Where Donkersleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Huddersfield, Kirkburton and Almondbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Ashford, Calderdale and Teignbridge. 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 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Kirkburton Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Almondbury Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 053 Kirklees
2 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
3 Ashford 003 Ashford
4 Calderdale 010 Calderdale
5 Teignbridge 008 Teignbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Donkersley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Donkersley

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Donkersley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Donkersley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Donkersley 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

Donkersley is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Donkersley 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 Donkersley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

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

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Donkersley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Donkersley 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. Yorkshire leads with 153 Donkersleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.42x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 153 9.42x
Lancashire 7 0.36x
Surrey 5 0.63x
Middlesex 2 0.12x
Northumberland 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Almondbury in Yorkshire leads with 41 Donkersleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 522.29x.

Place Total Index
Almondbury 41 522.29x
Honley 23 809.86x
Huddersfield 20 84.53x
Lockwood 14 239.73x
Golcar 9 209.79x
Halifax 9 37.75x
South Crosland 9 526.32x
Longwood 7 267.18x
Liverpool 6 5.08x
Lambeth 5 3.50x
Upperthong 5 362.32x
Wooldale 5 181.82x
Batley 4 25.92x
Thurstonland 4 714.29x
Morley 3 35.55x
Hanwell 2 68.97x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 31.15x
Stretford 1 9.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 11
Eliza 7
Mary 7
Elizabeth 6
Hannah 6
Annie 5
Martha 5
Jane 4
Clara 3
Ellen 3
Louisa 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Edith 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Lydia 2
Alice 1
Amy 1
C.A. 1
Catherine 1
Christiana 1
Christonia 1
Contance 1
Elsie 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Isabel 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lavinia 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Myra 1
Nancy 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Susannah 1
Virginia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 10
George 5
Allen 4
James 4
Joe 4
Bengeman 2
Fred 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Ben 1
Benjamin 1
Benjm. 1
Fenton 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jerimiah 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Kaye 1
Law 1
Lewis 1
Newton 1
Norman 1
Oldfield 1
Roberts 1
Thomas 1
Timothy 1
Wilby 1
Wilfred 1
Willie 1
Willy 1

FAQ

Donkersley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Donkersley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 172 people were recorded with the Donkersley surname. That placed it at #14,163 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Donkersley surname today?

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

What does the Donkersley map show?

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