NameCensus.

UK surname

Hemley

An English surname derived from a place name, possibly related to a hemlock tree or meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 82 people recorded with the Hemley surname, ranking it #21,957 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, down from #21,957 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Watford and Hemel Hempstead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mansfield, Bolsover and Dacorum.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hemley is 155 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.4%.

1881 census count

82

Ranked #21,957

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

1911

155 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hemley had 82 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,957 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hemley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hemley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hemley 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 31 #27,734
1861 historical 64 #25,747
1881 historical 82 #21,957
1891 historical 120 #21,292
1901 historical 131 #19,552
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 129 #23,143
1998 modern 130 #23,603
1999 modern 137 #23,083
2000 modern 129 #23,901
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 134 #23,492
2003 modern 136 #23,045
2004 modern 138 #22,997
2005 modern 124 #24,529
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 124 #25,086
2008 modern 129 #24,790
2009 modern 130 #25,176
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 130 #25,547
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 143 #24,621
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Hemleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Watford, Hemel Hempstead and Bushey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mansfield, Bolsover, Dacorum, North Tyneside and Hertsmere. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Watford Hertfordshire
3 Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire
4 Bushey Hertfordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mansfield 001 Mansfield
2 Bolsover 007 Bolsover
3 Dacorum 011 Dacorum
4 North Tyneside 027 North Tyneside
5 Hertsmere 013 Hertsmere

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hemley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hemley

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Hemley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hemley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Hemley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hemley 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

Hemley 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 Hemley 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 Hemley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hemley

The surname Hemley is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from a place name, possibly a location called "Hemley" or a variation thereof, which may have referred to a clearing or meadow near a river or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1379, which mentions a John de Hemley. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.

Throughout the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Hemeley, Hemmeley, and Hemmely. These variations reflect the evolution of language and regional dialects, as well as the inconsistencies in record-keeping during earlier times.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the name Hemley was William Hemley, who served as the Mayor of Nottingham in 1561. This suggests that the name had gained some prominence and social standing by that point.

During the 17th century, the Hemley surname appears in several historical records, including the Parish Registers of Northamptonshire, which mention a family of Hemleys residing in the village of Middleton Cheney.

One of the earliest emigrations of the Hemley family to the American colonies can be traced to John Hemley, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. This suggests that the name had already begun to spread beyond its English origins.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the Hemley surname was Thomas Hemley, a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He played a role in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, which marked a significant turning point in the conflict.

Another notable individual with the Hemley surname was John Hemley, an English architect who lived from 1766 to 1833. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Covent Garden Theatre.

As the centuries progressed, the Hemley surname continued to be represented in various fields, from politics and military service to the arts and sciences. While not a particularly common name, it has maintained a presence throughout the English-speaking world, bearing the legacy of its medieval English origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hemley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hemley 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. Hertfordshire leads with 44 Hemleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 80.81x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 44 80.81x
Bedfordshire 20 48.90x
Middlesex 9 1.14x
Aberdeenshire 4 5.47x
Essex 1 0.64x
Flintshire 1 4.71x
Hampshire 1 0.62x
Warwickshire 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire leads with 35 Hemleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1428.57x.

Place Total Index
Hemel Hempstead 35 1428.57x
Billington 14 11666.67x
Bushey 9 692.31x
Kensington London 5 11.38x
Leighton Buzzard 5 284.09x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 29.22x
Ampthill 1 163.93x
Aston 1 1.82x
Chelsea London 1 4.20x
Hanmer Bettisfield 1 1000.00x
Poplar London 1 6.71x
Southampton St Mary 1 9.82x
St Luke London 1 7.89x
West Ham 1 2.90x
Westminster St Margaret 1 26.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 5
Fanny 3
Adelaide 2
Ann 2
Anna 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Mary 2
Olivet 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Beatrice 1
Catharine 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Maria 1
Mariah 1
Phoebe 1
Prisilla 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
George 4
Samuel 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
James 2
John 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Edwin 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Henry 1
Jabez 1
Jesse 1
Joseph 1
Montague 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Zachariah 1

FAQ

Hemley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hemley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 82 people were recorded with the Hemley surname. That placed it at #21,957 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hemley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Hemley a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Hemley surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name, possibly related to a hemlock tree or meadow.

What does the Hemley map show?

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