NameCensus.

UK surname

Findley

Derived from the Old English words "fyn" and "leah," meaning a pleasant or fair clearing or meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 798 people recorded with the Findley surname, ranking it #4,665 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 891, ranked #6,345, down from #4,665 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Wigston, Magna and Ibstock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North West Leicestershire, Milton Keynes and Blaby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Findley is 910 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.7%.

1881 census count

798

Ranked #4,665

Modern count

891

2016, ranked #6,345

Peak year

2013

910 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Findley had 798 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,665 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 891 in 2016, ranked #6,345.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 887 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Findley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Findley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Findley 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 490 #5,099
1861 historical 556 #4,739
1881 historical 798 #4,665
1891 historical 742 #5,363
1901 historical 782 #5,746
1911 historical 887 #5,020
1997 modern 848 #6,255
1998 modern 871 #6,317
1999 modern 882 #6,306
2000 modern 864 #6,367
2001 modern 851 #6,330
2002 modern 877 #6,299
2003 modern 849 #6,351
2004 modern 869 #6,251
2005 modern 854 #6,293
2006 modern 841 #6,370
2007 modern 854 #6,351
2008 modern 863 #6,342
2009 modern 908 #6,216
2010 modern 906 #6,353
2011 modern 897 #6,335
2012 modern 883 #6,331
2013 modern 910 #6,299
2014 modern 909 #6,327
2015 modern 897 #6,341
2016 modern 891 #6,345

Geography

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Where Findleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Wigston, Magna, Ibstock, London parishes and Blaby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North West Leicestershire, Milton Keynes and Blaby. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Wigston, Magna Leicestershire
3 Ibstock Leicestershire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Blaby Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North West Leicestershire 013 North West Leicestershire
2 North West Leicestershire 011 North West Leicestershire
3 Milton Keynes 028 Milton Keynes
4 North West Leicestershire 010 North West Leicestershire
5 Blaby 006 Blaby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Findley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Findley

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Findley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Findley is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Findley

The surname Findley originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "fionn," meaning fair or white, and the diminutive suffix "ag" or "óg," meaning little or young. The name likely referred to someone with fair hair or a pale complexion.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Findley can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One entry lists a "Finlay de Campsie" from the village of Campsie in Stirlingshire.

In the 15th century, the Findley surname appears in the records of the Burgh of Lanark, Scotland. A certain "John Findlay" is mentioned as a merchant and burgess of the town in 1456.

The name has also been associated with the Clan Farquharson, a Scottish Highland clan from Aberdeenshire. One of the earliest recorded members of the clan was "Findla Mor," who lived in the late 12th century and is considered the progenitor of the Farquharson family.

Notable individuals with the surname Findley throughout history include:

1. Robert Findley (1721-1814), a Scottish-American pioneer and frontiersman who helped establish the first permanent settlement in West Virginia.

2. William Findley (1741-1821), an American politician and one of the founders of the Democratic-Republican Party, serving in the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the United States House of Representatives.

3. David Findley (1813-1890), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the city of Findlay, Ohio, named after him and his family.

4. Jesse Findley (1867-1942), an American journalist and newspaper editor who worked for the New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

5. John Van Ness Findley (1888-1964), an American lawyer and jurist who served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The surname Findley has also appeared in various place names, such as Findley Lake in New York and Findley Township in Pennsylvania, further demonstrating its historical significance and geographical spread.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Findley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Findley 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. Leicestershire leads with 126 Findleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.73x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 126 14.73x
Lancashire 85 0.93x
Middlesex 75 0.97x
Northumberland 53 4.62x
Lanarkshire 48 1.92x
Durham 38 1.66x
Surrey 35 0.93x
Staffordshire 32 1.23x
Ayrshire 29 5.02x
Cumberland 29 4.37x
Yorkshire 28 0.37x
Derbyshire 20 1.66x
Kent 17 0.65x
Orkney 16 18.85x
Cheshire 15 0.88x
Angus 14 1.96x
Hertfordshire 12 2.26x
Somerset 12 0.97x
Aberdeenshire 11 1.54x
Renfrewshire 11 1.84x
Devon 10 0.62x
Essex 8 0.53x
Shropshire 8 1.20x
Banffshire 6 3.75x
Westmorland 6 3.54x
Hampshire 4 0.25x
Kincardineshire 4 4.26x
Lincolnshire 4 0.32x
Norfolk 4 0.34x
Royal Navy 4 4.35x
Sussex 3 0.23x
Warwickshire 3 0.15x
Dorset 2 0.39x
Huntingdonshire 2 1.31x
Midlothian 2 0.19x
Wiltshire 2 0.29x
Worcestershire 2 0.20x
Bedfordshire 1 0.25x
Clackmannanshire 1 1.57x
Denbighshire 1 0.34x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.59x
Flintshire 1 0.48x
Glamorgan 1 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.90x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.10x
Peeblesshire 1 2.76x
Perthshire 1 0.29x
Suffolk 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 22 Findleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.55x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 22 10.55x
Countesthorpe 21 719.18x
Cramlington 18 118.66x
Shoreditch London 18 5.38x
Wigston Magna 17 149.78x
Burslem 16 21.44x
Orphir 16 594.80x
Ibstock 15 241.16x
Old Monkland 14 14.14x
Liff Benvie 13 11.98x
Oadby 13 283.84x
Toxteth Park 13 4.19x
Westoe 13 9.99x
Stockton On Tees 11 9.94x
Govan 10 1.62x
St Cuthbert W O Harraby 10 1111.11x
Tynemouth 10 16.27x
Barrow In Furness 9 7.23x
Carluke 9 39.72x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 6.19x
Hensingham 9 165.75x
Lambeth 9 1.34x
Leicester St Martin 9 156.79x
Skene 9 189.87x
Southwark St Saviour 9 22.70x
St Pancras London 9 1.45x
Wolborough 9 44.34x
Hillingdon 8 32.52x
Leicester St Leonard 8 98.77x
Old Cumnock 8 62.21x
Plumstead 8 9.12x
Richmond 8 15.19x
West Derby 8 2.99x
Barony 7 1.11x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 7 88.05x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 4.50x
Gorton 7 8.13x
Leicester St Nicholas 7 144.63x
Lyncombe Widcombe 7 21.53x
Middle Greenock 7 42.89x
Newton On Ayr 7 40.49x
Seaton Delaval 7 69.44x
Westminster St Margaret 7 18.81x
Blatchinworth 6 28.78x
Cainham 6 194.17x
Distington 6 175.44x
Elswick 6 6.55x
Glossop Dale 6 10.61x
Hipperholme Cum 6 17.86x
Islington London 6 0.80x
Kilmarnock 6 8.73x
Rathven 6 19.96x
St Quivox 6 30.74x
West Bromwich 6 4.02x
Bishop Stortford 5 28.15x
Evenwood Barony 5 64.10x
Glasgow 5 1.13x
Hartlepool 5 15.33x
Monks Coppenhall 5 7.78x
Morland 5 510.20x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 1.81x
Abbey 4 4.38x
Burnham 4 42.24x
Byker 4 7.05x
Conisbrough 4 55.79x
Croydon 4 1.92x
Leyton 4 15.24x
Mile End Old Town London 4 2.44x
Portsea 4 1.29x
Runcorn 4 10.19x
Spalding 4 16.34x
Stevenage 4 48.48x
Strachan 4 218.58x
Westminster St John 4 4.26x
Woodford 4 23.20x
Droylsden 3 10.04x
Newcastle On Tyne St 3 5.04x
Preston 3 1.22x
St George Hanover Square 3 2.21x
Wolstanton 3 3.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 42
Sarah 25
Elizabeth 21
Margaret 16
Ann 15
Annie 14
Jane 13
Alice 9
Ellen 9
Clara 8
Emily 8
Caroline 7
Eliza 7
Emma 6
Isabella 6
Maria 6
Hannah 5
Louisa 5
Martha 5
Ada 4
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Harriett 3
Kate 3
Minnie 3
Susan 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Jessie 2
Rebecca 2
Ruth 2
Anna 1
Cathrine 1
Charlotte 1
Emiley 1
Emmelina 1
Ester 1
Ethel 1
Euphemia 1
Flora 1
Jemina 1
Levinie 1
Lilian 1
Lilly 1
Lisebeth 1
Violetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 48
John 38
James 27
George 24
Thomas 24
Robert 15
Henry 14
Arthur 9
Joseph 9
Alfred 7
Harry 6
Alexander 5
Charles 5
Edward 5
Samuel 5
Andrew 4
Fred 4
Richard 4
Tom 4
Walter 4
David 3
Douglas 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Even 2
Fredrick 2
Nicholas 2
Vernon 2
Archibald 1
Elija 1
Frederic 1
G. 1
Hector 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
J. 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Ninian 1
Owen 1
Patrick 1
Robt. 1
Robt.A. 1
Rueben 1
Sidney 1
Spencer 1

FAQ

Findley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Findley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 798 people were recorded with the Findley surname. That placed it at #4,665 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Findley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 891 in 2016. That gives Findley a modern rank of #6,345.

What does the Findley surname mean?

Derived from the Old English words "fyn" and "leah," meaning a pleasant or fair clearing or meadow.

What does the Findley map show?

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