NameCensus.

UK surname

Hackley

A locational surname derived from a place named Hackley, likely referring to someone who lived near a hacked or cleared area.

In the 1881 census there were 90 people recorded with the Hackley surname, ranking it #20,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 125, ranked #26,827, down from #20,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellingborough, Chertsey and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Herefordshire and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hackley is 343 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.9%.

1881 census count

90

Ranked #20,965

Modern count

125

2016, ranked #26,827

Peak year

1861

343 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hackley had 90 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016, ranked #26,827.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 343 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hackley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hackley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hackley 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 100 #17,164
1861 historical 343 #7,444
1881 historical 90 #20,965
1891 historical 148 #18,506
1901 historical 95 #23,462
1911 historical 171 #16,461
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 128 #23,828
1999 modern 124 #24,508
2000 modern 131 #23,672
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 132 #23,680
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 131 #23,756
2005 modern 124 #24,529
2006 modern 119 #25,413
2007 modern 117 #26,066
2008 modern 120 #25,922
2009 modern 122 #26,220
2010 modern 129 #25,900
2011 modern 128 #25,793
2012 modern 131 #25,439
2013 modern 137 #25,149
2014 modern 138 #25,218
2015 modern 135 #25,481
2016 modern 125 #26,827

Geography

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Where Hackleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellingborough, Chertsey, Manchester, Witley and Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, Herefordshire, Bolton and Birmingham. 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 Wellingborough Northamptonshire
2 Chertsey Surrey
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Witley Surrey
5 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 027 Carmarthenshire
2 Herefordshire 003 Herefordshire, County of
3 Bolton 020 Bolton
4 Birmingham 085 Birmingham
5 Herefordshire 016 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hackley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hackley

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Hackley is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hackley is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hackley falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hackley

The surname Hackley is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "haca," which means "hack" or "cut," and the Old English word "leah," which means "meadow" or "clearing." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a meadow or clearing that had been hacked or cut out of a forest.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Hackley appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, an early census-like record from 1273, where it is spelled "Hakkele." This indicates that the name was already established in England by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name Hackley appears in various forms, such as "Hakkelay" and "Hackeley," in records from counties like Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling that were common during this period.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Hackley, who was born in Lincolnshire in the mid-15th century. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his family's coat of arms is recorded in the Heraldic Visitations of the 16th century.

Another significant figure with the Hackley surname was Sir Thomas Hackley (1574-1639), a wealthy English politician and landowner from Hertfordshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by King James I in 1617.

In the 17th century, the Hackley family had established itself in various parts of England, with branches in counties like Essex, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One notable member of this period was Richard Hackley (1621-1688), a Puritan minister and author who was born in Somerset and later immigrated to New England.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Hackley name continued to be found throughout England, with some members of the family achieving prominence in fields such as law, medicine, and the military. For example, William Hackley (1752-1827) was a renowned English barrister and judge, while Captain John Hackley (1780-1855) was a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars.

Throughout its history, the Hackley surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Hackley in Gloucestershire, Hackley Marsh in Suffolk, and Hackley Hall in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname itself.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hackley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hackley 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 30 Hackleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.88x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 30 2.88x
Staffordshire 19 6.41x
Surrey 13 3.04x
Kent 8 2.67x
Warwickshire 7 3.16x
Middlesex 4 0.46x
Essex 2 1.15x
Herefordshire 2 5.56x
Leicestershire 2 2.05x
Sussex 2 1.35x
Hampshire 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolstanton in Staffordshire leads with 10 Hackleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 111.11x.

Place Total Index
Wolstanton 10 111.11x
Gorton 9 91.93x
Trentham 9 357.14x
Windlesham 9 1125.00x
Deptford St Paul 7 30.30x
Salford 7 22.85x
Birmingham 6 8.13x
Heaton Norris 6 101.18x
Little Bolton 6 44.81x
Clapham 4 36.46x
Chelsea London 2 7.56x
Hastings St Leonards 2 91.74x
Hereford St Peter 2 208.33x
Rochford 2 400.00x
Cliviger 1 169.49x
Hartley Wintney 1 185.19x
Islington London 1 1.18x
Leamington 1 68.03x
Leicester All Sts 1 52.36x
Manchester 1 2.13x
Margate St John Baptist 1 18.25x
Staunton Harold 1 1428.57x
Stoke Newington London 1 14.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 4
Emma 4
Sarah 3
Anne 2
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Martha 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Constance 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marinda 1
Maud 1
Merred 1
Minnie 1
Rose 1
Susanah 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Hackley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hackley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 90 people were recorded with the Hackley surname. That placed it at #20,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hackley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016. That gives Hackley a modern rank of #26,827.

What does the Hackley surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place named Hackley, likely referring to someone who lived near a hacked or cleared area.

What does the Hackley map show?

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