NameCensus.

UK surname

Hawley

Derived from a place name meaning "hedged meadow" or "fenced enclosure" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,931 people recorded with the Hawley surname, ranking it #1,526 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,663, ranked #1,859, down from #1,526 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Bolsover and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hawley is 4,213 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.0%.

1881 census count

2,931

Ranked #1,526

Modern count

3,663

2016, ranked #1,859

Peak year

1911

4,213 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hawley had 2,931 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,526 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,663 in 2016, ranked #1,859.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,213 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hawley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hawley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hawley 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 1,740 #1,660
1861 historical 1,791 #1,618
1881 historical 2,931 #1,526
1891 historical 3,257 #1,461
1901 historical 3,871 #1,458
1911 historical 4,213 #1,234
1997 modern 3,800 #1,709
1998 modern 4,038 #1,676
1999 modern 4,068 #1,668
2000 modern 3,984 #1,701
2001 modern 3,891 #1,701
2002 modern 3,963 #1,705
2003 modern 3,872 #1,710
2004 modern 3,872 #1,713
2005 modern 3,808 #1,713
2006 modern 3,777 #1,731
2007 modern 3,775 #1,749
2008 modern 3,765 #1,764
2009 modern 3,786 #1,799
2010 modern 3,837 #1,812
2011 modern 3,809 #1,798
2012 modern 3,736 #1,798
2013 modern 3,773 #1,817
2014 modern 3,763 #1,837
2015 modern 3,699 #1,847
2016 modern 3,663 #1,859

Geography

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Where Hawleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Sheffield and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Bolsover, Barnsley, North East Derbyshire and North Devon. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 027 Rotherham
2 Bolsover 007 Bolsover
3 Barnsley 012 Barnsley
4 North East Derbyshire 001 North East Derbyshire
5 North Devon 004 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hawley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hawley

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hawley 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

Hawley is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hawley falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Hawley

The surname Hawley is of English origin, and it is thought to have originated in the county of Dorset during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English words "haga" meaning "enclosure" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a fenced or enclosed clearing in a forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hawley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Haluelei" and "Halwele." This indicates that the name was present in England shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Haueleye" and "Hauleye" in various medieval documents, reflecting the linguistic evolution and variations in spelling that occurred over time.

One notable early bearer of the surname Hawley was John de Haulee, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230. Another early reference is to William de Hawele, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Hawley gained prominence in various parts of England. Sir John Hawley (1545-1616) was an English landowner and Member of Parliament who served as High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Thomas Hawley (1570-1638) was an English divine and author who served as a chaplain to King Charles I.

In the 18th century, Joseph Hawley (1723-1788) was an American patriot and lawyer who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War. He served as a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and the Continental Congress.

Other notable individuals with the surname Hawley include Henry Hawley (1679-1759), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament, and Michael Hawley (1638-1699), an English clergyman and academic who was the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Throughout its history, the surname Hawley has been associated with various place names, such as Hawley in Hampshire, Hawley Green in Staffordshire, and Hawley Hill in Buckinghamshire, further reinforcing its English origins and geographical connections.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hawley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hawley 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. Yorkshire leads with 631 Hawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.23x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 631 2.23x
Staffordshire 454 4.71x
Derbyshire 361 8.08x
Lancashire 293 0.86x
Middlesex 205 0.72x
Warwickshire 154 2.14x
Nottinghamshire 151 3.92x
Surrey 107 0.77x
Leicestershire 102 3.22x
Lincolnshire 85 1.86x
Cheshire 55 0.87x
Kent 50 0.51x
Durham 30 0.35x
Somerset 23 0.50x
Buckinghamshire 21 1.22x
Essex 19 0.34x
Northamptonshire 19 0.71x
Bedfordshire 16 1.08x
Sussex 16 0.33x
Lanarkshire 14 0.15x
Gloucestershire 13 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 13 2.29x
Worcestershire 12 0.32x
Northumberland 8 0.19x
Rutland 8 3.82x
Berkshire 7 0.33x
Cumberland 7 0.28x
Glamorgan 6 0.12x
Midlothian 6 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.28x
Devon 5 0.08x
Dorset 5 0.27x
Hampshire 5 0.09x
Norfolk 5 0.11x
Wiltshire 4 0.16x
Isle of Man 3 0.57x
Flintshire 2 0.26x
Hertfordshire 2 0.10x
Shropshire 2 0.08x
Anglesey 1 0.20x
Channel Islands 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 101 Hawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.88x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 101 9.88x
Sheffield 91 10.10x
Birmingham 62 2.58x
Bradfield 49 44.93x
Leicester St Margaret 44 5.70x
Rawmarsh 41 41.02x
Walsall Foreign 38 7.63x
Ilkeston 36 28.72x
Basford 35 19.73x
Ecclesall Bierlow 34 5.91x
Lambeth 30 1.21x
Manchester 30 1.97x
Sherburn 30 129.03x
Cheadle 28 60.49x
Nether Hallam 28 7.31x
Radford 28 14.32x
Walsall Borough 26 34.75x
Nottingham St Mary 25 2.51x
Brightside Bierlow 24 4.32x
Checkley 24 95.88x
Leeds 24 1.50x
Aston 23 1.16x
Monyash 23 589.74x
Ashton Under Lyne 22 2.97x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 22 8.35x
Chelsea London 22 2.56x
Coventry Holy Trinity 22 10.23x
Mapperley 22 521.33x
West Derby 22 2.22x
Rugeley 21 30.36x
Wirksworth 21 51.67x
Islington London 20 0.72x
Marsden In Almondbury 19 73.82x
Burslem 18 6.52x
Matlock 18 29.99x
Trentham 18 21.96x
Willenhall 18 9.97x
Liverpool 17 0.83x
Newton 17 6.51x
Penistone 17 77.06x
Stone 17 13.79x
Melton Mowbray 16 28.11x
Pinxton 16 70.42x
Toxteth Park 16 1.39x
Horsley 15 55.76x
Mile End Old Town London 15 2.47x
Barnsley 14 4.80x
Caverswall 14 27.94x
Wilnecote 14 67.83x
Wolstanton 14 4.78x
York St Mary 14 11.95x
Bedminster 13 3.01x
Dukinfield 13 4.46x
Gorton 13 4.08x
Holy Trinity 13 1.91x
Loughborough 13 9.05x
Rotherham 13 8.15x
Wolverhampton 13 1.75x
Burton Upon Trent 12 5.32x
Derby St Werburgh 12 4.65x
St Botolph Aldgate London 12 20.41x
St Nicholas Lincoln 12 27.50x
Baslow With Bubnell 11 133.50x
Bowling 11 3.93x
Droylsden 11 9.95x
Ecclesfield 11 5.30x
Great Little Marsden 11 7.09x
St Giles In Fields London 11 7.85x
Brighton 10 1.03x
Buckminster 10 404.86x
Clerkenwell London 10 1.48x
Coventry St Michael 10 4.32x
Gainsborough 10 9.29x
Heanor 10 14.96x
Hornsey 10 2.77x
Newcastle Under Lyme 10 5.86x
Ripon 10 15.23x
Sculcoates 10 2.23x
St Swithin Lincoln 10 13.93x
Warrington 10 2.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 189
Elizabeth 115
Sarah 104
Ann 64
Annie 60
Eliza 53
Emma 50
Alice 43
Jane 41
Hannah 39
Ellen 37
Martha 30
Emily 27
Ada 24
Harriet 24
Margaret 24
Louisa 23
Fanny 21
Frances 20
Clara 19
Anne 18
Edith 18
Florence 18
Maria 16
Catherine 13
Charlotte 12
Kate 12
Lucy 11
Gertrude 9
Harriett 9
Elizth. 8
Lydia 8
Susannah 8
Julia 7
Rachel 7
Ruth 7
Susan 7
Agnes 6
Caroline 6
Helen 6
Rebecca 6
Grace 5
Minnie 5
Rose 5
Lilly 4
Matilda 4
Maud 4
Sophia 4
Amelia 3
Georgina 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 204
William 163
Thomas 97
George 87
James 70
Henry 63
Joseph 59
Arthur 46
Charles 43
Frederick 31
Samuel 27
Albert 26
Robert 26
Alfred 23
Harry 23
Walter 23
Herbert 22
Richard 22
Edward 21
Frank 16
Francis 15
Wm. 15
Ernest 11
Sidney 11
Benjamin 9
Fred 9
Edwin 8
Philip 8
Fredrick 7
Isaac 7
Leonard 7
Tom 7
Thos. 6
Abraham 5
David 5
Elijah 5
Michael 5
Adam 4
Daniel 4
Geo. 4
Joe 4
Joel 4
Matthew 4
Oliver 4
Ralph 4
Willm. 4
Edgar 3
Josiah 3
Sam 3
Saml. 3

FAQ

Hawley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hawley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,931 people were recorded with the Hawley surname. That placed it at #1,526 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hawley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,663 in 2016. That gives Hawley a modern rank of #1,859.

What does the Hawley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "hedged meadow" or "fenced enclosure" in Old English.

What does the Hawley map show?

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