NameCensus.

UK surname

Haly

Topographic surname indicating someone who lived in a nook or sheltered place.

In the 1881 census there were 185 people recorded with the Haly surname, ranking it #13,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 87, ranked #32,476, down from #13,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willesden, Manchester and Falmouth Town. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Somerset, Teignbridge and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Haly is 325 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 53.0%.

1881 census count

185

Ranked #13,506

Modern count

87

2016, ranked #32,476

Peak year

1861

325 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Haly had 185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 87 in 2016, ranked #32,476.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 325 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Haly surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Haly surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Haly 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 174 #11,590
1861 historical 325 #7,835
1881 historical 185 #13,506
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 96 #23,342
1911 historical 113 #21,168
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 108 #26,417
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 98 #27,988
2001 modern 92 #28,528
2002 modern 95 #28,666
2003 modern 91 #29,121
2004 modern 86 #30,019
2005 modern 92 #29,271
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 88 #30,515
2008 modern 88 #30,857
2009 modern 93 #30,682
2010 modern 92 #31,366
2011 modern 93 #31,169
2012 modern 90 #31,790
2013 modern 93 #31,785
2014 modern 90 #32,309
2015 modern 92 #32,075
2016 modern 87 #32,476

Geography

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Where Halys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willesden, Manchester, Falmouth Town, Boconnoc and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Somerset, Teignbridge, Cotswold, Chichester and South Bucks. 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 Willesden Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Falmouth Town Cornwall
4 Boconnoc Cornwall
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Somerset 005 North Somerset
2 Teignbridge 018 Teignbridge
3 Cotswold 004 Cotswold
4 Chichester 008 Chichester
5 South Bucks 003 South Bucks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Haly

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Haly

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Haly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Haly household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Haly 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

Haly 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

Haly 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 Haly is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Haly

The surname HALY is of Anglo-Saxon origin, stemming from the Old English personal name "Halga" or "Halhga", which means "holy" or "saintly". This name was commonly used in medieval England, particularly in the regions of Staffordshire and Shropshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HALY can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hali" in the county of Shropshire. This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in the area during the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the surname HALY underwent several spelling variations, including Haley, Halley, Halie, and Haly. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the scribes' interpretations of the name.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Haly was recorded as a prominent landowner in the village of Halesowen, Worcestershire. His descendants continued to use the surname HALY in the region for several generations.

Another historical reference to the surname HALY can be found in the records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a certain Robert Haly is mentioned as a church warden in the year 1523.

The surname HALY has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history, including:

1. Edmond Halley (1656-1742), an English astronomer best known for calculating the orbit of the comet that bears his name. 2. William Haly (1835-1909), an Irish journalist and novelist who wrote under the pen name "Dundreary". 3. Gabriel Haley (1857-1921), an American politician who served as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Idaho. 4. Alex Haley (1921-1992), an American writer and author of the critically acclaimed novel "Roots: The Saga of an American Family". 5. Jackie Haley (born 1951), an American actress known for her roles in films such as "Little Children" and "Watchmen".

While the surname HALY has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon period, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Ireland, Scotland, and North America, due to migration and settlement patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Haly families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Haly 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. Middlesex leads with 52 Halys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.91x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 52 2.91x
Cornwall 47 23.26x
Surrey 17 1.95x
Lancashire 11 0.52x
Yorkshire 10 0.57x
Sussex 9 2.99x
Worcestershire 7 3.00x
Durham 6 1.13x
Kent 3 0.49x
Monmouthshire 3 2.32x
Staffordshire 3 0.50x
Wiltshire 3 1.90x
Cumberland 2 1.30x
Derbyshire 1 0.36x
Devon 1 0.27x
Essex 1 0.28x
Northumberland 1 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.42x
Oxfordshire 1 0.91x
Renfrewshire 1 0.72x
Royal Navy 1 4.70x
Stirlingshire 1 1.52x
Suffolk 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Falmouth in Cornwall leads with 28 Halys recorded in 1881 and an index of 391.61x.

Place Total Index
Falmouth 28 391.61x
Bermondsey 16 30.11x
Ripe 9 3750.00x
St Pancras London 9 6.26x
Castleton 8 37.83x
Illogan 7 130.84x
Kidderminster Borough 7 51.32x
Bromley London 6 15.28x
Clerkenwell London 6 14.24x
Creed 6 4000.00x
St George Bloomsbury 5 48.83x
St Giles Cripplegate 5 210.97x
Bethnal Green London 4 5.16x
Hammersmith London 4 9.10x
Islington London 4 2.31x
Laneast 4 2500.00x
Southwick 4 79.52x
St George In East London 4 23.82x
Gomersal 3 36.32x
Liversedge 3 38.12x
Llanover 3 68.03x
Paddington London 3 4.57x
Walsall Foreign 3 9.64x
Warminster 3 86.71x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 2 31.15x
Budock 2 131.58x
Dover St James 2 74.91x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 8.70x
Liverpool 2 1.55x
Sowerby In Halifax 2 34.60x
St Mary Within 2 104.17x
Chipping Norton 1 39.22x
Devonport 1 23.42x
Fairfield 1 53.48x
Harwick St Nicholas 1 178.57x
Hulme 1 2.26x
Ipswich St Peter 1 34.13x
Lambeth 1 0.64x
Mile End Old Town London 1 2.63x
Muiravonside 1 59.88x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.61x
Port Glasgow 1 14.95x
Royal Navy 1 5.50x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.18x
Tonbridge 1 4.55x
Tynemouth 1 7.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 19
William 8
George 6
James 6
Thomas 5
Edward 4
Daniel 3
Harry 3
Joseph 3
Patrick 3
Charles 2
Henry 2
Jeremiah 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Aylines 1
Barnaby 1
Chas. 1
Chas.T.B. 1
Cornelias 1
Edwd. 1
Issaac 1
Jerry 1
Leighton 1
Micheal 1
Nicholas 1
Richard 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Haly surname: questions and answers

How common was the Haly surname in 1881?

In 1881, 185 people were recorded with the Haly surname. That placed it at #13,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Haly surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 87 in 2016. That gives Haly a modern rank of #32,476.

What does the Haly surname mean?

Topographic surname indicating someone who lived in a nook or sheltered place.

What does the Haly map show?

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