NameCensus.

UK surname

Gorley

An English surname derived from a place name most likely referring to someone from Gorley, Hampshire.

In the 1881 census there were 83 people recorded with the Gorley surname, ranking it #21,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #21,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Bridekirk and Kirkpatrick-Fleming. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale and Deer and Mormond.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gorley is 157 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.7%.

1881 census count

83

Ranked #21,808

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

1861

157 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gorley had 83 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 157 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gorley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gorley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gorley 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 157 #14,732
1881 historical 83 #21,808
1891 historical 106 #23,105
1901 historical 142 #18,633
1911 historical 138 #18,811
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 98 #27,923
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 115 #25,591
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 113 #26,024
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 108 #26,741
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 115 #26,348
2008 modern 113 #26,920
2009 modern 114 #27,363
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 98 #30,612
2013 modern 98 #31,078
2014 modern 103 #30,539
2015 modern 102 #30,624
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Gorleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Bridekirk, Kirkpatrick-Fleming, Cleator and Flimby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale and Deer and Mormond. 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 Bridekirk Cumberland
3 Kirkpatrick-Fleming Dumfries
4 Cleator Cumberland
5 Flimby Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 006 Allerdale
2 Allerdale 004 Allerdale
3 Allerdale 005 Allerdale
4 Allerdale 009 Allerdale
5 Deer and Mormond Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gorley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gorley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gorley, 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 Gorley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gorley 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, Gorley 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

Gorley is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gorley falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gorley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gorley

The surname Gorley is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Gorley or Gurley, possibly located in the county of Dorset or Hampshire.

One of the earliest known references to the name Gorley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Dorset from the year 1195, where a certain Robertus de Gorley is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

The name Gorley is thought to be derived from the Old English words "gor" or "goor," meaning "muddy" or "boggy," and "leah," meaning "a wood" or "a clearing in a wood." Thus, the name likely referred to someone who resided near a muddy or boggy woodland area.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called "Gorelei" is recorded in Dorset, which is believed to be the earliest known spelling of the place name that gave rise to the surname Gorley.

Some notable individuals bearing the surname Gorley throughout history include:

1. Sir Walter Gorley (c. 1400 - 1469), an English military commander who served in the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of the Roses. 2. John Gorley (1568 - 1624), an English poet and clergyman who published several works during the Elizabethan era. 3. Thomas Gorley (1619 - 1685), an English merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and schools in London. 4. William Gorley (1760 - 1832), a British explorer and naturalist who contributed to the study of flora and fauna in the Pacific region. 5. Elizabeth Gorley (1825 - 1903), a British author and social reformer who campaigned for women's rights and education in the Victorian era.

It's worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Gurley, Gorly, and Gourley, may also be derived from the same root name and share a similar origin and historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gorley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gorley 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. Cumberland leads with 46 Gorleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.22x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 46 65.22x
Devon 11 6.45x
Surrey 6 1.50x
Kent 5 1.79x
Middlesex 5 0.61x
Essex 3 1.86x
Channel Islands 1 4.12x
Durham 1 0.41x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Lincolnshire 1 0.76x
Midlothian 1 0.91x
Northumberland 1 0.82x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.91x
Yorkshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cockermouth in Cumberland leads with 14 Gorleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 945.95x.

Place Total Index
Cockermouth 14 945.95x
Cleator 8 272.11x
Exeter St Thomas The 6 344.83x
Great Clifton 6 2222.22x
Flimby 5 833.33x
Paignton 5 384.62x
Crosscanonby 4 171.67x
Papcastle 3 1500.00x
South Shoebury 3 461.54x
Gilcrux 2 1428.57x
Greenwich 2 15.34x
Newington 2 6.61x
Woking 2 82.99x
Aspatria 1 147.06x
Canterbury St Mildred 1 151.52x
Distington 1 277.78x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 109.89x
Ellenborough Ewanrigg 1 204.08x
Fulham London 1 8.42x
Gateshead 1 5.48x
Habergham Eaves 1 11.26x
Hayton Mealo 1 1250.00x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 19.12x
Horton Kirby 1 232.56x
Longbenton 1 19.38x
Radford 1 17.83x
Reigate Borough 1 108.70x
Shoreditch London 1 2.82x
Spalding 1 38.46x
St George Hanover Square 1 6.93x
St Helier 1 12.66x
St Martin In Fields 1 20.41x
St Pancras London 1 1.52x
Streatham 1 16.45x
Swanscombe 1 79.37x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
Joseph 4
Thomas 4
William 4
Wm. 4
Edward 2
Frank 2
George 2
Bartholemu 1
Charles 1
Christopher 1
Farrel 1
Fredrick 1
James 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Gorley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gorley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 83 people were recorded with the Gorley surname. That placed it at #21,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gorley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Gorley a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Gorley surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name most likely referring to someone from Gorley, Hampshire.

What does the Gorley map show?

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