NameCensus.

UK surname

Feeley

Derived from an Irish surname meaning "plunderer" or "helmet wearer," likely referring to a warrior or soldier.

In the 1881 census there were 263 people recorded with the Feeley surname, ranking it #10,692 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 969, ranked #5,947, up from #10,692 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winwick, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cardenden, Hyndburn and Paisley Ferguslie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Feeley is 1,013 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 268.4%.

1881 census count

263

Ranked #10,692

Modern count

969

2016, ranked #5,947

Peak year

2010

1,013 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Feeley had 263 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,692 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 969 in 2016, ranked #5,947.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 342 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Feeley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Feeley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Feeley 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 96 #21,648
1881 historical 263 #10,692
1891 historical 335 #10,181
1901 historical 334 #10,818
1911 historical 342 #10,445
1997 modern 881 #6,068
1998 modern 916 #6,064
1999 modern 926 #6,070
2000 modern 950 #5,924
2001 modern 929 #5,925
2002 modern 951 #5,924
2003 modern 945 #5,859
2004 modern 950 #5,842
2005 modern 943 #5,816
2006 modern 945 #5,817
2007 modern 935 #5,915
2008 modern 937 #5,944
2009 modern 987 #5,831
2010 modern 1,013 #5,828
2011 modern 984 #5,894
2012 modern 954 #5,952
2013 modern 973 #5,955
2014 modern 975 #5,981
2015 modern 961 #6,010
2016 modern 969 #5,947

Geography

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Where Feeleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winwick, London parishes, Gateshead, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cardenden, Hyndburn, Paisley Ferguslie and Merthyr Tydfil. 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 Winwick Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cardenden Fife
2 Hyndburn 004 Hyndburn
3 Paisley Ferguslie Renfrewshire
4 Hyndburn 002 Hyndburn
5 Merthyr Tydfil 007 Merthyr Tydfil

Forenames

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First names often paired with Feeley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Feeley

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Feeley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Feeley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Feeley 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

Feeley is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Feeley

The surname Feeley is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name O'Failbhe, which means "descendant of the generous one." The name can be traced back to the ancient Irish territory of Meath, where it was first recorded in the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Dermot O'Feeley, a chieftain who lived in the 13th century and was mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The name is also found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the 16th century.

Over time, the name evolved from its original Gaelic form to various English spellings, including Feely, Feelay, and Feeley. This was a common occurrence as Irish names were anglicized during the English conquest of Ireland.

The name Feeley is associated with several notable individuals throughout history, including:

1. Michael Feeley (1857-1932), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as the 52nd Mayor of New Haven, Connecticut.

2. John Feeley (1880-1947), an Irish-American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Lubbock, Texas.

3. Charles Feeley (1921-2011), an American journalist and war correspondent who covered World War II and the Vietnam War for various news organizations.

4. Patrick Feeley (born 1964), an Irish businessman and entrepreneur who co-founded the software company Cartesian.

5. Terrence Feeley (born 1947), an American artist and sculptor known for his large-scale public artworks and installations.

The name Feeley has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Feeleyfad and Feeleybeg, which are townlands in County Leitrim and County Fermanagh, respectively. These place names likely derived from the surname, reflecting the historical presence of the Feeley family in these areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Feeley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Feeley 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. Lancashire leads with 80 Feeleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.63x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 80 2.63x
Yorkshire 42 1.65x
Staffordshire 26 3.00x
Durham 24 3.14x
Surrey 21 1.68x
Cumberland 18 8.15x
Middlesex 14 0.55x
Lanarkshire 11 1.33x
Hampshire 6 1.14x
Renfrewshire 5 2.52x
Cheshire 4 0.71x
Essex 3 0.59x
Berkshire 2 1.04x
Kent 2 0.23x
Angus 1 0.42x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.96x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.62x
Dorset 1 0.59x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 18 Feeleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.25x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 18 29.25x
Great Bolton 15 37.20x
Liverpool 14 7.57x
Blackburn 12 14.82x
Walsall Foreign 12 26.83x
Keighley 10 36.90x
Over Darwen 10 41.14x
Clitheroe 9 100.45x
Bishop Auckland 8 78.13x
Camberwell 8 4.88x
Walsall Borough 8 119.05x
Widnes 8 36.43x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 21.18x
Crosscanonby 6 82.19x
Stone 6 54.15x
Barnsley 5 19.07x
New Monkland 5 20.39x
Portsea 5 4.85x
Renfrew 5 76.22x
Southwark St John 5 63.69x
Southwark St Olave 5 255.10x
Waverton 5 1190.48x
Wigton 5 151.06x
Brandon Byshottles 4 41.84x
Dukinfield 4 15.28x
Wakefield 4 20.50x
Barrow In Furness 3 7.25x
Carnwath 3 58.48x
Croydon 3 4.32x
Islington London 3 1.21x
Manchester 3 2.19x
West Ham 3 2.68x
Briery Cottages 2 2500.00x
Long Newton 2 800.00x
Paddington London 2 2.12x
St George Hanover Square 2 4.42x
St Marylebone London 2 1.46x
St Pancras London 2 0.97x
Woolwich 2 6.18x
Bangor 1 10.00x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 4.36x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.53x
Blantyre 1 11.57x
Bray 1 17.67x
Chapel Allerton 1 26.32x
Crossgate 1 29.94x
Crumpsall 1 13.95x
Darlington 1 3.39x
Fareham 1 15.82x
Gilling 1 131.58x
Govan 1 0.49x
Horton In Bradford 1 2.52x
Hulme 1 1.57x
Lanark 1 14.97x
Lancaster 1 5.52x
Lochee 1 47.17x
Middlesbrough 1 3.02x
Normanby In 1 14.71x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.12x
Portland 1 11.05x
Salford 1 1.12x
Spitalfields London 1 5.18x
St George In East London 1 4.14x
Sunninghill 1 37.45x
Toxteth Park 1 0.97x
Whitechapel London 1 3.95x
Wisbech St Peter 1 12.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Bridget 8
Catherine 8
Ellen 8
Ann 7
Margaret 6
Elizabeth 4
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Norah 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Cath. 1
Cathe.Ann 1
Eliza 1
Elizebeth 1
Emma 1
Ester 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Johnannah 1
Kate 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
May 1
Nellie 1
Rose 1
Susa. 1
Susan 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 21
James 18
Patrick 17
Thomas 13
Michael 10
William 8
Daniel 4
Richard 4
Charles 2
Christopher 2
Martin 2
Owen 2
Peter 2
Andrew 1
Bernard 1
Dennis 1
Dominic 1
Edward 1
Ellen 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
George 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Infant 1
Jas. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jos. 1
Joseph 1
Luke 1
Malachi 1
Mary 1
Maurice 1
Miles 1
Patk. 1
Patric 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Feeley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Feeley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 263 people were recorded with the Feeley surname. That placed it at #10,692 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Feeley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 969 in 2016. That gives Feeley a modern rank of #5,947.

What does the Feeley surname mean?

Derived from an Irish surname meaning "plunderer" or "helmet wearer," likely referring to a warrior or soldier.

What does the Feeley map show?

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