NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunley

In the 1881 census there were 60 people recorded with the Dunley surname, ranking it #25,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 106, ranked #29,927, down from #25,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southwark, Southend-on-Sea and Lewes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunley is 115 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.7%.

1881 census count

60

Ranked #25,133

Modern count

106

2016, ranked #29,927

Peak year

2010

115 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunley had 60 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016, ranked #29,927.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 90 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Dunley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunley 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 60 #22,584
1861 historical 56 #26,864
1881 historical 60 #25,133
1891 historical 90 #25,399
1901 historical 83 #24,900
1911 historical 86 #24,243
1997 modern 109 #25,650
1998 modern 114 #25,589
1999 modern 111 #26,182
2000 modern 112 #25,978
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 112 #26,165
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 106 #27,332
2007 modern 108 #27,391
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 115 #27,874
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 105 #29,916
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 102 #30,624
2016 modern 106 #29,927

Geography

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Where Dunleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southwark, Southend-on-Sea, Lewes, Conon and Neath Port Talbot. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southwark 033 Southwark
2 Southend-on-Sea 011 Southend-on-Sea
3 Lewes 007 Lewes
4 Conon Highland
5 Neath Port Talbot 018 Neath Port Talbot

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunley

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dunley, 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 Dunley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Dunley 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Dunley is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dunley 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

Dunley 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 Dunley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Dunley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunley 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 19 Dunleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.28x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 19 3.28x
Clackmannanshire 7 144.93x
Derbyshire 7 7.64x
Devon 7 5.75x
Middlesex 7 1.20x
Surrey 4 1.40x
Kent 3 1.50x
Lancashire 2 0.29x
Northumberland 2 2.30x
Hampshire 1 0.83x
Monmouthshire 1 2.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 8 Dunleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.35x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 8 57.35x
Alloa 7 299.15x
Bolsover 7 1521.74x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 33.93x
Exeter Holy Trinity 4 833.33x
St Marylebone London 4 12.80x
Eltham 3 256.41x
Exeter St David 3 288.46x
Ruswarp Hawsker Cum 3 2142.86x
Sculcoates 3 32.64x
Southwark Christchurch 3 109.49x
Wallsend 2 72.46x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 9.07x
Croydon 1 6.32x
Kensington London 1 3.07x
Newport 1 49.51x
Paddington London 1 4.65x
Portsea 1 4.25x
Preston 1 5.38x
St Giles Cripplegate 1 128.21x
Sutton Stoneferry 1 60.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 3
Elizabeth 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Bridjet 1
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Harriett 1
Hilda 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Marianne 1
Mary 1
Rebecca 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 4
Edward 2
George 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
James 1
Peter 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

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 Dunley households.

FAQ

Dunley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 60 people were recorded with the Dunley surname. That placed it at #25,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016. That gives Dunley a modern rank of #29,927.

What does the Dunley map show?

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