NameCensus.

UK surname

Heatley

A surname derived from a place name in England containing the Old English word "hēath" meaning a heathland or area of uncultivated land.

In the 1881 census there were 715 people recorded with the Heatley surname, ranking it #5,089 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,062, ranked #5,497, down from #5,089 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitchurch, Newport and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Shropshire and Bridgend.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heatley is 1,129 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.5%.

1881 census count

715

Ranked #5,089

Modern count

1,062

2016, ranked #5,497

Peak year

1999

1,129 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heatley had 715 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,089 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,062 in 2016, ranked #5,497.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 947 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Heatley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heatley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heatley 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 533 #4,713
1861 historical 574 #4,590
1881 historical 715 #5,089
1891 historical 922 #4,481
1901 historical 947 #4,944
1911 historical 883 #5,042
1997 modern 1,097 #5,084
1998 modern 1,116 #5,196
1999 modern 1,129 #5,183
2000 modern 1,107 #5,244
2001 modern 1,063 #5,317
2002 modern 1,097 #5,284
2003 modern 1,040 #5,425
2004 modern 1,035 #5,456
2005 modern 1,030 #5,415
2006 modern 1,033 #5,417
2007 modern 1,042 #5,435
2008 modern 1,079 #5,298
2009 modern 1,108 #5,296
2010 modern 1,118 #5,362
2011 modern 1,114 #5,318
2012 modern 1,054 #5,477
2013 modern 1,079 #5,469
2014 modern 1,088 #5,457
2015 modern 1,068 #5,492
2016 modern 1,062 #5,497

Geography

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Where Heatleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitchurch, Newport, Gateshead, Kenilworth and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Shropshire, Bridgend, Cardiff and Halton. 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 Whitchurch Shropshire
2 Newport Shropshire
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Kenilworth Warwickshire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 039 Wakefield
2 Shropshire 001 Shropshire
3 Bridgend 008 Bridgend
4 Cardiff 041 Cardiff
5 Halton 007 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heatley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heatley

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Heatley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Heatley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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, Heatley 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

Heatley is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Heatley falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Heatley

The surname Heatley is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hēath" meaning "heather" and "lēah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." It is a locational surname, indicating that the original bearers of the name lived near a heather-covered meadow or clearing.

Heatley is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Hethelegh" and "Hetelea," referring to places in Derbyshire and Staffordshire, respectively. This suggests that the name was already in use before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname itself is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a William de Hetheley. In the same century, the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire (1272) mention a William de Heteleg.

The name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Heatley, Heatly, Hetley, and Hetly. These variations can be found in historical records from different regions of England.

Notable individuals with the surname Heatley include:

1. John Heatley (c. 1590-1670), an English clergyman and religious writer. 2. George Heatley (1768-1828), an English landscape painter known for his depictions of the Lake District. 3. Thomas Heatley (1835-1912), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada. 4. Samuel Heatley (1849-1929), a New Zealand politician and businessman who served as Mayor of Invercargill. 5. Cyril Heatley (1888-1965), a British Army officer who served in World War I and World War II, and was awarded the Military Cross.

The name Heatley has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Heatley in Northumberland, Heatley Green in Cheshire, and Heatley Lane in Lancashire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heatley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heatley 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 152 Heatleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.84x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 152 1.84x
Northumberland 111 10.73x
Shropshire 108 17.97x
Warwickshire 92 5.24x
Staffordshire 42 1.79x
Cheshire 39 2.54x
Middlesex 34 0.49x
Durham 23 1.11x
Surrey 14 0.41x
Leicestershire 13 1.69x
Glamorgan 10 0.83x
Midlothian 9 0.97x
Yorkshire 8 0.12x
Cumberland 6 1.00x
East Lothian 6 6.51x
Essex 6 0.44x
Flintshire 6 3.21x
Gloucestershire 5 0.37x
Derbyshire 4 0.37x
Roxburghshire 4 3.18x
Worcestershire 3 0.33x
Berkshire 2 0.38x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.48x
Fife 2 0.49x
Hampshire 2 0.14x
Perthshire 2 0.64x
Berwickshire 1 1.19x
Clackmannanshire 1 1.74x
Denbighshire 1 0.38x
Herefordshire 1 0.35x
Kent 1 0.04x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Somerset 1 0.09x
Wiltshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 36 Heatleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.39x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 36 16.39x
Aston 23 4.76x
Newport 19 262.07x
Kenilworth 18 182.00x
Whitchurch 15 128.64x
Birmingham 14 2.39x
Earsdon 14 166.27x
Over 14 89.74x
Alnwick 13 73.07x
St Andrew Holborn London 13 43.18x
Pendleton In Salford 12 12.20x
Whitchurch Tilstock 12 805.37x
Leicester St Mary 11 17.66x
Marton In Whitegate 11 666.67x
Foleshill 10 54.20x
Bedlington 9 26.05x
Carham 9 335.82x
Cornhill 9 576.92x
Edgmond 9 136.16x
Livesey 9 62.15x
Stoke Upon Tern 9 405.41x
Witton 9 86.71x
Coventry Holy Trinity 8 15.28x
Doddington 8 1111.11x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 2.13x
Much Woolton 8 71.43x
Walton Le Dale 8 36.07x
Adbaston 7 542.64x
Brindle 7 245.61x
Chorley 7 15.12x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 11.33x
Patshull 7 1521.74x
Toxteth Park 7 2.50x
Tudhoe 7 38.67x
Wellington 7 20.73x
Westgate 7 10.92x
Burslem 6 8.92x
Byker 6 11.73x
Chirton 6 25.62x
Hanmer 6 416.67x
Ingrave 6 480.00x
Rainhill 6 113.42x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 2.41x
Sutton Coldfield 6 32.54x
Tranent 6 48.19x
Wall Town 6 4000.00x
Wallsend 6 18.28x
West Derby 6 2.48x
Bishopwearmouth 5 2.82x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 5 40.23x
Burton Upon Trent 5 9.10x
Chetwynd 5 257.73x
Everton 5 1.90x
Gateshead 5 3.23x
Nuneaton 5 24.61x
Salford 5 2.06x
Broughton 4 816.33x
Camberwell 4 0.90x
Ednam 4 272.11x
Elvet 4 26.77x
Lesbury 4 174.67x
Levenshulme 4 47.11x
Llandaff 4 9.93x
Meole Brace 4 128.62x
Roath 4 7.27x
Shrewsbury St Mary 4 16.87x
St Marylebone London 4 1.08x
Stoke Newington London 4 7.38x
Weaverham Cum Milton 4 98.52x
Wharton 4 47.85x
Workington 4 11.67x
Croydon 3 1.59x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 2.14x
Hartford 3 86.46x
Kirkdale 3 2.16x
Lilleshall 3 32.64x
Paddington London 3 1.17x
Preston 3 1.36x
Sheffield 3 1.37x
Walsall Borough 3 16.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 63
Elizabeth 32
Jane 23
Sarah 23
Alice 18
Emily 18
Margaret 18
Ellen 16
Ann 11
Eliza 9
Annie 8
Martha 7
Ada 6
Agnes 5
Eleanor 4
Elizth. 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Isabella 4
Catherine 3
Emma 3
Helen 3
Louisa 3
Susan 3
Alicia 2
Amy 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Lucy 2
Minnie 2
Nancy 2
Phillis 2
Selina 2
Amelia 1
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Betty 1
Elenor 1
Elisa 1
Ellenor 1
Isabel 1
Jennet 1
Julia 1
Lilly 1
Zellah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 54
William 51
Thomas 38
James 27
Edward 15
Henry 14
George 13
Robert 13
Samuel 10
Charles 9
Richard 8
Andrew 6
Joseph 6
Arthur 5
Frederick 4
Alfred 3
Frank 3
Thos. 3
Benjamin 2
Clement 2
David 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Hugh 2
Richd. 2
Rowland 2
Wilfred 2
Wm. 2
Archibald 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frdk. 1
Fredk. 1
G. 1
Geo.Hughes 1
Griffith 1
Guest 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Martha 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Saml. 1
Saml.Prince 1
Seymour 1
Sydney 1
Tom. 1

FAQ

Heatley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heatley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 715 people were recorded with the Heatley surname. That placed it at #5,089 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heatley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,062 in 2016. That gives Heatley a modern rank of #5,497.

What does the Heatley surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name in England containing the Old English word "hēath" meaning a heathland or area of uncultivated land.

What does the Heatley map show?

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