NameCensus.

UK surname

Hanly

An Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó hAinlidhe, meaning descendant of Ainlidhe, a personal name of uncertain meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 154 people recorded with the Hanly surname, ranking it #15,259 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 249, ranked #16,847, down from #15,259 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, St Pancras and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, North Lincolnshire and St Albans.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hanly is 266 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.7%.

1881 census count

154

Ranked #15,259

Modern count

249

2016, ranked #16,847

Peak year

1861

266 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hanly had 154 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,259 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016, ranked #16,847.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 266 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Hanly surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hanly surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hanly 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 221 #9,630
1861 historical 266 #9,318
1881 historical 154 #15,259
1891 historical 111 #22,421
1901 historical 87 #24,386
1911 historical 93 #23,492
1997 modern 224 #16,392
1998 modern 231 #16,555
1999 modern 243 #16,094
2000 modern 233 #16,524
2001 modern 224 #16,716
2002 modern 237 #16,413
2003 modern 237 #16,191
2004 modern 249 #15,739
2005 modern 235 #16,335
2006 modern 230 #16,690
2007 modern 244 #16,186
2008 modern 249 #16,111
2009 modern 252 #16,323
2010 modern 263 #16,205
2011 modern 253 #16,493
2012 modern 247 #16,661
2013 modern 244 #17,072
2014 modern 248 #16,991
2015 modern 250 #16,803
2016 modern 249 #16,847

Geography

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Where Hanlys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, St Pancras, Edinburgh, Manchester and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, North Lincolnshire, St Albans and Coventry. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 011 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 North Lincolnshire 015 North Lincolnshire
3 St Albans 018 St Albans
4 Coventry 036 Coventry
5 North Lincolnshire 017 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hanly

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hanly

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Hanly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Hanly household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Hanly 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

Hanly 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

Hanly falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hanly 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Hanly

The surname HANLY is of Irish origin and has its roots in the Gaelic language. It is believed to have originated in County Clare, Ireland, in the late medieval period.

HANLY is a variant spelling of the Irish surname Hanley, which is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name O'Conalladha. This name is derived from the Irish words "con" meaning hound or wolf, and "all" meaning cliff or wild. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a cliff or rocky area frequented by wolves or other wild animals.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HANLY name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a Conalladh O'Conalladha, who was a member of a prominent family in County Clare in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the HANLY surname appears in various records and documents from County Clare, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Chancery Rolls. Some of the earliest recorded bearers of the name were from the parishes of Kilmurry and Kilfarboy in County Clare.

Notable individuals with the HANLY surname throughout history include:

1. Sir Michael Hanly (1589-1641), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the English during the Nine Years' War in Ireland. 2. Reverend John Hanly (1691-1755), an Irish Catholic priest and writer who published several works on theology and philosophy. 3. Patrick Hanly (1753-1826), an Irish-born military officer who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. 4. Michael Hanly (1823-1892), an Irish-born architect who designed several notable buildings in Melbourne, Australia, including St. Patrick's Cathedral. 5. William Hanly (1856-1929), an Irish playwright and poet who was a part of the Irish Literary Revival in the late 19th century.

The HANLY surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Hanlystown and Hanly's Cross, which are located in County Clare. These place names likely derived from the HANLY surname and reflect the historical presence of families bearing this name in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hanly families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hanly 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 50 Hanlys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.82x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 50 2.82x
Yorkshire 23 1.56x
Middlesex 19 1.27x
Glamorgan 10 3.85x
Midlothian 8 4.00x
Derbyshire 6 2.57x
Lincolnshire 4 1.68x
Clackmannanshire 3 24.35x
Cornwall 3 1.78x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 13.89x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.49x
Shropshire 3 2.33x
Durham 2 0.45x
Hertfordshire 2 1.94x
Monmouthshire 2 1.85x
Staffordshire 2 0.40x
Surrey 2 0.28x
Warwickshire 2 0.53x
Hampshire 1 0.33x
Kent 1 0.20x
Northamptonshire 1 0.71x
Northumberland 1 0.45x
Renfrewshire 1 0.86x
Suffolk 1 0.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Marylebone London in Middlesex leads with 13 Hanlys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.32x.

Place Total Index
St Marylebone London 13 16.32x
Merthyr Tydfil 8 32.04x
South Leith 8 35.56x
Everton 7 12.40x
Whitley Upper 7 3333.33x
Golborne 6 259.74x
Leeds 6 7.19x
Liverpool 6 5.58x
Toxteth Park 6 10.01x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 35.56x
Bingley 4 42.46x
Limber Magna 4 1600.00x
Pennington In Leigh 4 117.65x
Alloa 3 50.17x
Buittle 3 588.24x
Illogan 3 67.11x
Longwood 3 126.05x
Manchester 3 3.77x
Ockbrook 3 303.03x
Snenton 3 37.97x
Birmingham 2 1.59x
Camberwell 2 2.10x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 7.11x
Clerkenwell London 2 5.68x
Derby St Alkmund 2 28.57x
Madeley 2 42.28x
Manningham 2 10.98x
Newton In Makerfield 2 36.90x
Oldham 2 3.50x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 2 39.22x
Urmston 2 173.91x
Wheathampstead 2 168.07x
Wolverhampton 2 5.16x
Bedwellty 1 5.25x
Bishopston Lower 1 555.56x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.62x
Bromley London 1 3.05x
Broughton In Salford 1 6.18x
Chepstow 1 54.35x
Cheriton 1 48.08x
East Greenock 1 9.16x
Gorleston 1 21.65x
Hulme 1 2.70x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 8.69x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 14.01x
Pontefract 1 31.35x
Shirland 1 57.14x
Southampton St Michael 1 99.01x
St George In East London 1 7.12x
St Pancras London 1 0.83x
Stoke Newington London 1 8.61x
Stoke St Milborough 1 370.37x
Stranton 1 6.69x
Swansea Town 1 4.69x
Withington 1 17.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Margaret 8
Emma 5
Ellen 4
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Catherine 2
Emily 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Delia 1
Elizth. 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Honora 1
Julia 1
Kathrine 1
M. 1
Margary 1
Naomi 1
S. 1
Susannah 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
James 10
Thomas 7
Michael 5
William 5
Patrick 4
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Aaron 1
Arthur 1
Carny 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Dominick 1
Edmund 1
Ellen 1
Falan 1
Fred 1
George 1
Harold 1
Michal 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
W. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hanly surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hanly surname in 1881?

In 1881, 154 people were recorded with the Hanly surname. That placed it at #15,259 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hanly surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 249 in 2016. That gives Hanly a modern rank of #16,847.

What does the Hanly surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó hAinlidhe, meaning descendant of Ainlidhe, a personal name of uncertain meaning.

What does the Hanly map show?

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