NameCensus.

UK surname

Heeley

A locational surname derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,320 people recorded with the Heeley surname, ranking it #3,108 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,098, ranked #3,085, up from #3,108 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mirfield, Sheffield and Kirkburton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Barnsley and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Heeley is 2,188 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.9%.

1881 census count

1,320

Ranked #3,108

Modern count

2,098

2016, ranked #3,085

Peak year

2010

2,188 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Heeley had 1,320 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,108 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,098 in 2016, ranked #3,085.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,012 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Heeley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Heeley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Heeley 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 635 #4,088
1861 historical 649 #4,140
1881 historical 1,320 #3,108
1891 historical 1,327 #3,281
1901 historical 1,838 #2,859
1911 historical 2,012 #2,475
1997 modern 2,040 #3,012
1998 modern 2,130 #3,003
1999 modern 2,167 #2,980
2000 modern 2,142 #2,992
2001 modern 2,107 #2,975
2002 modern 2,116 #3,026
2003 modern 2,070 #3,028
2004 modern 2,058 #3,047
2005 modern 2,050 #3,011
2006 modern 2,058 #3,009
2007 modern 2,085 #2,999
2008 modern 2,078 #3,035
2009 modern 2,154 #3,013
2010 modern 2,188 #3,028
2011 modern 2,188 #2,990
2012 modern 2,101 #3,044
2013 modern 2,163 #3,013
2014 modern 2,166 #3,030
2015 modern 2,129 #3,051
2016 modern 2,098 #3,085

Geography

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Where Heeleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mirfield, Sheffield, Kirkburton, Walsall and Rotherham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Barnsley, Kirklees and Stafford. 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 Mirfield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Kirkburton Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Walsall Staffordshire
5 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 034 Doncaster
2 Barnsley 020 Barnsley
3 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
4 Kirklees 002 Kirklees
5 Stafford 003 Stafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Heeley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Heeley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Heeley, 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 Heeley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Heeley 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, Heeley 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

Heeley is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Heeley 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 Heeley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Heeley

The surname Heeley is of English origin, derived from a place name in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It is believed to have originated in the 13th century, with the earliest known spelling being "de Heley" in records from the year 1275.

The name Heeley is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hea" meaning "high" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a settlement or location situated in a high woodland clearing.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called "Heleie" is mentioned, which is believed to be the modern-day Heeley in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. This early recording provides evidence of the name's long-standing presence in the region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Heeley was John de Heeley, who was mentioned in the Yorkshire Inquisitions of 1285. Another early record is that of Walter de Heeley, who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379.

Over the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Heley, Helay, and Healy, before the modern spelling of Heeley became more widely adopted.

Notable individuals with the surname Heeley include:

1. Sir Samuel Heeley (1636-1701), an English politician and landowner from Hertfordshire. 2. Robert Heeley (1753-1824), an English clergyman and author from Derbyshire. 3. Mary Heeley (1801-1876), an English painter and illustrator known for her botanical illustrations. 4. John Heeley (1831-1909), an English businessman and philanthropist from Sheffield, founder of the Heeley Institute. 5. Arthur Heeley (1891-1962), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire and England in the early 20th century.

These examples demonstrate the long-standing presence of the Heeley surname in England, particularly in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire regions, where it originated and flourished over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Heeley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Heeley 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 673 Heeleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.28x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 673 5.28x
Warwickshire 175 5.40x
Staffordshire 149 3.43x
Lancashire 92 0.60x
Derbyshire 43 2.14x
Middlesex 42 0.33x
Worcestershire 30 1.79x
Cheshire 25 0.88x
Northamptonshire 17 1.41x
Surrey 12 0.19x
Sussex 10 0.46x
Kent 6 0.14x
Denbighshire 5 1.03x
Hampshire 5 0.19x
Bedfordshire 4 0.60x
Durham 4 0.10x
Leicestershire 4 0.28x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.39x
Devon 3 0.11x
Lanarkshire 3 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.17x
Essex 2 0.08x
Berkshire 1 0.10x
Dorset 1 0.12x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Gloucestershire 1 0.04x
Lincolnshire 1 0.05x
Northumberland 1 0.05x
Oxfordshire 1 0.13x
Wiltshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 112 Heeleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.36x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 112 10.36x
Almondbury 52 84.40x
Nether Hallam 49 28.43x
Kimberworth 45 63.64x
Aston 36 4.03x
Sheffield 24 5.92x
Denby 23 334.79x
Wooldale 23 106.43x
Darton 21 160.92x
Ecclesall Bierlow 20 7.72x
Walsall Foreign 20 8.92x
Batley 19 15.69x
Whitwell 19 237.20x
Fulstone 18 193.13x
Honley 18 80.72x
Liversedge 18 31.73x
Mirfield 18 25.73x
West Bromwich 18 7.24x
Brightside Bierlow 17 6.80x
Cawthorne In Wortley 14 272.37x
Harborne 14 10.07x
Thornhill 14 37.65x
Kirkburton 13 86.55x
Skelmanthorpe 13 94.55x
South Crosland 13 96.94x
Wolverhampton 13 3.90x
Barnsley 12 9.13x
Ecclesfield 12 12.85x
Hulme 12 3.77x
Stone 12 21.62x
Blakesley 11 594.59x
Handsworth 11 10.28x
Handsworth 11 32.66x
Hoyland Nether 11 35.20x
Shelley 11 147.65x
Ashburnham 10 293.26x
Chesterfield 10 13.25x
Hackney London 10 1.39x
Macclesfield 10 7.93x
Morley 10 15.10x
Rushall 10 39.15x
Tipton 10 7.53x
Upperthong 10 92.25x
Whittington 10 35.91x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 9 7.58x
Bilston 9 10.70x
Blackrod 9 47.47x
Emley 9 158.17x
Hepworth 9 175.10x
Kidderminster Borough 9 9.16x
Leeds 9 1.25x
St Luke London 9 4.36x
Stafford St Mary 9 14.65x
Worsley 9 9.57x
Ardwick 8 5.81x
Birkenhead 8 3.54x
Bradley 8 366.97x
Edgbaston 8 7.96x
Huddersfield 8 4.31x
Worcester St John 8 39.90x
Cartworth 7 66.41x
Dewsbury 7 5.36x
Linthwaite 7 26.14x
Manchester 7 1.02x
Scarborough 7 6.05x
Sedgley 7 4.34x
West Derby 7 1.57x
Worsbrough 7 18.75x
Barugh 6 55.76x
Bradford 6 8.40x
Dodworth 6 45.35x
Harthill Cum Woodall 6 122.95x
Islington London 6 0.48x
Oswaldtwistle 6 11.13x
Swinton In Rotherham 6 17.81x
Tankersley 6 63.16x
Doncaster 5 5.37x
Esclusham Above 5 248.76x
Maidford 5 420.17x
Rugby 5 11.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 81
Elizabeth 57
Sarah 51
Ann 30
Eliza 25
Martha 23
Ellen 22
Emma 21
Annie 20
Jane 20
Alice 18
Clara 18
Hannah 18
Emily 14
Fanny 12
Harriet 10
Margaret 10
Ada 8
Charlotte 7
Matilda 7
Edith 6
Maria 6
Florence 5
Harriett 5
Lucy 5
Rose 5
Ruth 5
Amy 4
Anne 4
Caroline 4
Catherine 4
Gertrude 4
Louisa 4
Phoebe 4
Frances 3
Rachel 3
Rebecca 3
Sophia 3
Amelia 2
Beatrice 2
Bridget 2
Dinah 2
Elizth. 2
Ellin 2
Kate 2
Libbeath 2
Lydia 2
Maggie 2
Minnie 2
Precilla 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 80
William 73
George 44
Thomas 44
James 36
Joseph 34
Henry 22
Charles 17
Samuel 17
Arthur 15
Harry 13
Alfred 12
Edward 12
Walter 12
Albert 10
David 10
Frederick 10
Tom 9
Richard 8
Benjamin 7
Fred 7
Herbert 7
Joe 7
Abraham 4
Edwin 4
Francis 4
Joshua 4
Willie 4
Amos 3
Ernest 3
Geo. 3
Noah 3
Patrick 3
Robert 3
Sam 3
Benjn. 2
Clement 2
Daniel 2
Dyson 2
Earnest 2
Ellis 2
Enock 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Lewis 2
Luke 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Saml. 2

FAQ

Heeley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Heeley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,320 people were recorded with the Heeley surname. That placed it at #3,108 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Heeley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,098 in 2016. That gives Heeley a modern rank of #3,085.

What does the Heeley surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England.

What does the Heeley map show?

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