NameCensus.

UK surname

Horsley

Derived from a place name meaning "horse clearing" or "horse wood" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,792 people recorded with the Horsley surname, ranking it #1,597 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,538, ranked #1,918, down from #1,597 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Soham and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Hartlepool and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Horsley is 3,967 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.7%.

1881 census count

2,792

Ranked #1,597

Modern count

3,538

2016, ranked #1,918

Peak year

1911

3,967 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Horsley had 2,792 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,597 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,538 in 2016, ranked #1,918.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,967 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Horsley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Horsley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Horsley 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 1,705 #1,693
1861 historical 1,689 #1,691
1881 historical 2,792 #1,597
1891 historical 3,000 #1,566
1901 historical 3,529 #1,583
1911 historical 3,967 #1,291
1997 modern 3,511 #1,844
1998 modern 3,665 #1,839
1999 modern 3,687 #1,846
2000 modern 3,707 #1,820
2001 modern 3,611 #1,826
2002 modern 3,652 #1,856
2003 modern 3,613 #1,831
2004 modern 3,569 #1,851
2005 modern 3,511 #1,859
2006 modern 3,509 #1,863
2007 modern 3,540 #1,861
2008 modern 3,574 #1,854
2009 modern 3,625 #1,875
2010 modern 3,697 #1,881
2011 modern 3,661 #1,875
2012 modern 3,552 #1,893
2013 modern 3,638 #1,887
2014 modern 3,654 #1,889
2015 modern 3,589 #1,896
2016 modern 3,538 #1,918

Geography

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Where Horsleys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Hartlepool and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Soham Cambridgeshire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Hartlepool Durham
5 Stranton Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 003 Allerdale
2 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
3 Hartlepool 003 Hartlepool
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 009 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Horsley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Horsley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Horsley, 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 Horsley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Horsley 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, Horsley 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

Horsley is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Horsley falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Horsley

The surname Horsley originated in England and has been present since the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from various places in England called Horsley, which means "a clearing or pasture where horses graze." The name comes from the Old English words "hors" meaning horse and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Horsley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Horsleie" and "Horslegh." This suggests that people were already taking on the name Horsley from their place of residence around the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, records show a Roger de Horsley living in Northumberland, indicating the presence of the name in that region. The Horsley family also had a strong presence in Gloucestershire, where they owned lands and properties.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Horsley (c. 1490-1544), a courtier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1536.

Another historical figure was John Horsley (1685-1732), an English mathematician and astronomer. He was appointed the Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford in 1719 and made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

In the 19th century, Samuel Horsley (1733-1806) was a renowned English bishop and composer. He served as the Bishop of Rochester and later became the Bishop of St. Asaph. Horsley was also an accomplished musician and wrote various sacred compositions.

The name Horsley has also been associated with notable places, such as Horsley Hill in South Gloucestershire, which was once owned by the Horsley family, and Horsley Park in New South Wales, Australia, named after an early settler with the surname.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Victor Horsley (1857-1916), a pioneering British neurosurgeon and scientist. He made significant contributions to the field of neurology and was one of the first to perform successful brain surgeries.

These examples illustrate the historical presence and significance of the surname Horsley, which has its roots in Old English and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Horsley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Horsley 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 792 Horsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.93x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 792 2.93x
Durham 233 2.87x
Derbyshire 208 4.86x
Middlesex 207 0.76x
Surrey 157 1.18x
Lancashire 123 0.38x
Warwickshire 119 1.73x
Norfolk 110 2.62x
Northumberland 106 2.61x
Cambridgeshire 90 5.20x
Nottinghamshire 90 2.44x
Essex 78 1.45x
Leicestershire 64 2.11x
Lincolnshire 59 1.35x
Northamptonshire 47 1.83x
Cumberland 32 1.36x
Staffordshire 31 0.34x
Oxfordshire 28 1.66x
Kent 24 0.26x
Gloucestershire 23 0.43x
Sussex 21 0.46x
Berkshire 18 0.88x
Cheshire 18 0.30x
Suffolk 17 0.51x
Angus 15 0.59x
Hampshire 14 0.25x
Worcestershire 10 0.28x
Hertfordshire 7 0.37x
Isle of Man 7 1.38x
Renfrewshire 7 0.33x
Westmorland 6 1.00x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.43x
Midlothian 5 0.14x
Perthshire 5 0.41x
Rutland 5 2.49x
Flintshire 4 0.54x
Devon 3 0.05x
Glamorgan 2 0.04x
Royal Navy 2 0.61x
Somerset 2 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.06x
Cornwall 1 0.03x
East Lothian 1 0.28x
Herefordshire 1 0.09x
Monmouthshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hartlepool in Durham leads with 100 Horsleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 86.59x.

Place Total Index
Hartlepool 100 86.59x
Soham 61 163.85x
North Bierley 55 37.64x
Holbrook 40 416.23x
Camberwell 39 2.24x
Holy Trinity 38 5.84x
Ratley 36 944.88x
Islington London 33 1.25x
Heanor 32 50.04x
Lambeth 31 1.30x
Nottingham St Mary 31 3.26x
Scarborough 31 12.60x
Denby 30 229.89x
Fakenham 30 145.07x
Croydon 28 3.79x
Hackney London 27 1.76x
Stranton 27 9.87x
Norton In Malton 25 76.20x
West Ham 25 2.10x
Leeds 23 1.50x
Kensington London 20 1.32x
South Lynn 20 42.20x
Aston 19 1.00x
St Pancras London 19 0.86x
Wales 19 88.87x
Loughborough 18 13.10x
Middlesbrough 18 5.11x
Newington 16 1.59x
Toxteth Park 16 1.46x
York St Mary 16 14.27x
Darlington 15 4.78x
Foleshill 15 20.70x
Brightside Bierlow 14 2.64x
Hartshead 14 115.42x
Horsley 14 54.41x
New Malton 14 43.26x
Bethnal Green London 13 1.10x
Beverley St Martin 13 28.77x
Henley On Thames 13 37.62x
Hornsey 13 3.76x
Litchurch 13 7.55x
Manningham 13 3.90x
Pocklington 13 50.88x
Birmingham 12 0.52x
Chirton 12 13.05x
Clapham 12 3.51x
Gateshead 12 1.97x
Tonge With Haulgh 12 19.02x
Bradford 11 1.68x
Cloughton 11 215.69x
Great Driffield 11 19.80x
Halifax 11 2.77x
Hammersmith London 11 1.63x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 11 8.72x
Sheffield 11 1.28x
Sherburn 11 49.46x
Southwell 11 41.04x
Byker 10 4.98x
Derby St Werburgh 10 4.05x
Elloughton Cum Brough 10 120.05x
Ilkeston 10 8.34x
Longhurst 10 127.06x
Melbourne 10 34.21x
Nether Poppleton 10 364.96x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 10 4.12x
Osbaldwick 10 653.59x
Penrith 10 11.51x
Sculcoates 10 2.33x
Skircoat 10 9.37x
Alfreton 9 6.93x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 9 3.57x
Blyton 9 136.36x
Castle Sowerby 9 172.41x
Halstead 9 14.31x
Holme On Spalding Moor 9 50.73x
Newark Upon Trent 9 6.80x
Paddington London 9 0.90x
Pattiswick 9 283.02x
Seaton Ross 9 202.70x
Newmarket St Mary 8 31.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 198
Elizabeth 98
Sarah 98
Ann 71
Annie 54
Jane 53
Eliza 48
Emily 41
Alice 35
Emma 35
Hannah 32
Ellen 29
Margaret 28
Edith 26
Harriet 24
Fanny 20
Louisa 20
Ada 19
Florence 19
Maria 19
Martha 15
Charlotte 13
Isabella 12
Rose 12
Catherine 11
Gertrude 11
Sophia 11
Betsy 10
Caroline 10
Eleanor 10
Elizth. 10
Frances 10
Julia 10
Kate 10
Susannah 10
Anne 9
Clara 9
Lucy 9
Amelia 8
Harriett 8
Susan 7
Ethel 6
Helen 6
Lydia 6
Minnie 6
Anna 5
Margret 5
Rachel 5
Rebecca 5
Amy 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 167
William 165
George 100
Thomas 79
James 67
Henry 55
Robert 53
Joseph 44
Edward 33
Arthur 31
Charles 31
Richard 30
Samuel 21
Walter 20
Alfred 19
Frederick 18
Harry 17
Herbert 16
David 13
Albert 12
Edwin 11
Ernest 10
Fred 10
Frank 9
Matthew 8
Francis 7
Thos. 6
Robt. 5
Stephen 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Chas. 4
Isaac 4
Jonathan 4
Marmaduke 4
Reuben 4
Richd. 4
Sidney 4
Abraham 3
Anthony 3
Daniel 3
Edwd. 3
Elias 3
Geo. 3
Michael 3
Percy 3
Beaumont 2
Cornelius 2
Cuthbert 2
Leonard 2

FAQ

Horsley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Horsley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,792 people were recorded with the Horsley surname. That placed it at #1,597 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Horsley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,538 in 2016. That gives Horsley a modern rank of #1,918.

What does the Horsley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "horse clearing" or "horse wood" in Old English.

What does the Horsley map show?

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