NameCensus.

UK surname

Florey

A surname derived from a French place name referring to a flowering meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 165 people recorded with the Florey surname, ranking it #14,559 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 435, ranked #11,084, up from #14,559 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Isleworth, London parishes and Ealing, Chiswick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Oxfordshire, Leeds and Sedgemoor.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Florey is 449 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 163.6%.

1881 census count

165

Ranked #14,559

Modern count

435

2016, ranked #11,084

Peak year

2010

449 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Florey had 165 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,559 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 435 in 2016, ranked #11,084.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 267 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Florey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Florey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Florey 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 133 #16,835
1881 historical 165 #14,559
1891 historical 236 #13,278
1901 historical 267 #12,587
1911 historical 241 #13,229
1997 modern 391 #11,196
1998 modern 432 #10,737
1999 modern 435 #10,754
2000 modern 424 #10,919
2001 modern 412 #10,980
2002 modern 431 #10,820
2003 modern 419 #10,875
2004 modern 410 #11,077
2005 modern 400 #11,189
2006 modern 411 #10,998
2007 modern 426 #10,809
2008 modern 427 #10,892
2009 modern 440 #10,888
2010 modern 449 #10,931
2011 modern 442 #10,942
2012 modern 432 #11,015
2013 modern 446 #10,911
2014 modern 441 #11,082
2015 modern 436 #11,099
2016 modern 435 #11,084

Geography

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Where Floreys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Isleworth, London parishes, Ealing, Chiswick and Standlake. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Oxfordshire, Leeds, Sedgemoor and Sandwell. 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 Isleworth Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
4 Standlake Oxfordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Oxfordshire 015 West Oxfordshire
2 Leeds 050 Leeds
3 Sedgemoor 001 Sedgemoor
4 Sandwell 028 Sandwell
5 Leeds 035 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Florey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Florey

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Florey is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Florey 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

Florey falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Florey 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 Florey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Florey

The surname Florey originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Flowerie, which was located in Somerset. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "flouer" or "flor," meaning flower, and "hie," meaning meadow or pasture, suggesting a connection to a flowery meadow or pasture land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Florey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Floure." This ancient record suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including Flory, Florye, and Florey, as evidenced by records from the time. Notable individuals with this surname during this period include Robert Flory, who lived in Gloucestershire in 1279, and William Flory, who resided in Somerset in 1327.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name continued to appear in various records, often associated with landowners and gentry in the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire. One notable figure from this era was Sir John Floyer (1649-1734), a renowned physician and author who wrote extensively on the subject of pulse measurement and its relation to health.

In the 18th century, the surname Florey gained further prominence with the birth of William Florey (1744-1824), a prominent British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Whitchurch from 1790 to 1806.

Another notable figure with the surname Florey is Lord Howard Walter Florey (1898-1968), an Australian pathologist and pharmacologist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 for his role in the development of penicillin. His groundbreaking work revolutionized the field of antibiotics and saved countless lives.

Throughout its history, the surname Florey has been associated with various place names, such as Flowerie in Somerset, Flory Hill in Gloucestershire, and Flory Farm in Dorset, further solidifying its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Florey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Florey 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. Oxfordshire leads with 57 Floreys recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.35x.

County Total Index
Oxfordshire 57 57.35x
Middlesex 45 2.80x
Norfolk 18 7.27x
Berkshire 10 8.28x
Essex 9 2.83x
Kent 8 1.46x
Warwickshire 7 1.72x
Gloucestershire 5 1.58x
Northamptonshire 2 1.32x
Surrey 2 0.26x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Standlake in Oxfordshire leads with 31 Floreys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7948.72x.

Place Total Index
Standlake 31 7948.72x
Isleworth 11 153.63x
Ealing 9 62.59x
Ingham 7 2800.00x
Aston 6 5.37x
Chatham 5 33.09x
Headington 5 324.68x
Lechlade 5 769.23x
Poplar London 5 16.46x
Stoke Newington London 5 39.87x
West Ham 5 7.13x
Gasthorpe 4 8000.00x
North Hinksey 4 2500.00x
St Osyth 4 519.48x
Stanwell 4 336.13x
Aston Cote 3 769.23x
Besselsleigh 3 5000.00x
Brighthampton 3 7500.00x
Coggs 3 789.47x
Ducklington 3 1250.00x
Holy Trinity Less London 3 731.71x
Ludham 3 681.82x
Pusey 3 5000.00x
Shoreditch London 3 4.30x
South Hinksey 3 566.04x
Brize Norton 2 476.19x
Bromley London 2 5.65x
Camberwell 2 1.95x
East Farleigh 2 217.39x
Witney 2 120.48x
Abingdon St Helen 1 28.33x
Brackley St Peter 1 96.15x
Great Yarmouth 1 4.88x
Greenwich 1 3.90x
Halliwell 1 14.39x
Hammersmith London 1 2.52x
Hampstead London 1 3.99x
Hatton 1 185.19x
Norwich St Stephen 1 44.05x
Paddington London 1 1.69x
Salford 1 476.19x
Scarborough 1 6.90x
Smallburgh 1 344.83x
Thorpe Next Norwich 1 38.17x
Welford 1 196.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Mary 8
Ann 5
Maria 5
Sarah 5
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Amy 3
Charlotte 3
Emma 3
Margaret 3
Annie 2
Caroline 2
E. 2
Harriett 2
Jane 2
M. 2
Alice 1
Apollonia 1
Debrah 1
Eliz. 1
Emily 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Isaac 1
Johannah 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lizzie 1
Martha 1
Millest 1
Penelope 1
R. 1
Rosa 1
Rosetta 1
Selina 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 8
Henry 7
Albert 4
Charles 4
George 4
James 4
Robert 4
Frank 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Daniel 2
David 2
H. 2
Harry 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Cyril 1
Emmanuel 1
J. 1
Jacob 1
Mark 1
Stephen 1
W. 1

FAQ

Florey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Florey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 165 people were recorded with the Florey surname. That placed it at #14,559 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Florey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 435 in 2016. That gives Florey a modern rank of #11,084.

What does the Florey surname mean?

A surname derived from a French place name referring to a flowering meadow.

What does the Florey map show?

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