NameCensus.

UK surname

Edley

A surname derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Edley surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, up from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, Birmingham Town: Aston and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Edley is 237 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 137.2%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

2014

237 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Edley had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 161 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Edley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Edley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Edley 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 75 #24,238
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 130 #20,173
1901 historical 117 #20,830
1911 historical 161 #17,072
1997 modern 232 #16,012
1998 modern 229 #16,657
1999 modern 229 #16,744
2000 modern 218 #17,246
2001 modern 216 #17,103
2002 modern 224 #17,042
2003 modern 212 #17,454
2004 modern 207 #17,821
2005 modern 206 #17,786
2006 modern 215 #17,441
2007 modern 213 #17,744
2008 modern 218 #17,638
2009 modern 226 #17,587
2010 modern 232 #17,657
2011 modern 235 #17,328
2012 modern 236 #17,187
2013 modern 232 #17,663
2014 modern 237 #17,528
2015 modern 236 #17,477
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

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Where Edleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, Birmingham Town: Aston, Sheffield and Halifax. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield and Rotherham. 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 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 009 Sheffield
2 Sheffield 039 Sheffield
3 Sheffield 032 Sheffield
4 Sheffield 070 Sheffield
5 Rotherham 025 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Edley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Edley

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Edley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Edley is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Edley 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 Edley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Edley

The surname Edley is of English origin, first recorded in the late 12th century. It likely derives from the Old English words "ead" meaning prosperous or wealthy, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. This suggests the name may have referred to a prosperous landowner or someone who lived near a meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1197, where it appears as "Ailward de Eadleia". This latinized version indicates the name was already established by that time. A similar spelling "Edelie" is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273.

The Edley name is believed to have originated in the counties of Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire, where it was most prevalent in its early history. It may have been associated with specific place names like Edley Wood or Edley Farm, though records of such locations are sparse.

In the 14th century, a John Edley is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. This suggests the name had begun to spread beyond its original heartland.

Jumping forward a few centuries, notable bearers of the Edley surname include:

1) William Edley (c.1565-1616), an English clergyman and author of religious works.

2) John Edley (1622-1695), a prominent English lawyer and Judge of the King's Bench.

3) Francis Edley (1670-1732), an English politician who served as Member of Parliament for Wigan.

4) Henry Edley (1797-1872), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became an Admiral.

5) Elizabeth Edley (1837-1914), an English writer and poet known for her works on rural life and nature.

While originating as a locational surname, Edley has endured over the centuries and been borne by individuals of note across various fields in England's history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Edley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Edley 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 90 Edleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.91x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 90 9.91x
Gloucestershire 1 0.56x
Middlesex 1 0.11x
Northamptonshire 1 1.16x
Worcestershire 1 0.84x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 22 Edleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 76.07x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 22 76.07x
Rastrick 21 833.33x
Nether Hallam 12 97.64x
Thurgoland 10 1639.34x
Ecclesall Bierlow 9 48.70x
Brightside Bierlow 8 44.89x
Heeley 7 253.62x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 5.91x
Dudley 1 6.87x
Horton In Bradford 1 7.05x
Kingsthorpe 1 104.17x
Westminster St Margaret 1 22.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Annie 5
Sarah 4
Mary 3
Ada 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Florence 2
Lucy 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Annis 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Drusella 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Florance 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Liley 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
John 6
Henry 4
Albert 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Frank 2
George 2
James 2
Arthur 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Willie 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 Edley households.

FAQ

Edley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Edley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Edley surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Edley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Edley a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Edley surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name in England.

What does the Edley map show?

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