NameCensus.

UK surname

Hundley

Derived from a place name meaning "hound lea," referring to a meadow or clearing associated with hunting dogs.

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Hundley surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Loughton, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Worcester, Plymouth and Northampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hundley is 180 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.1%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

1911

180 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2006

Key insights

  • Hundley had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 180 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Hundley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hundley surname density by area, 2006 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hundley 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 72 #20,720
1861 historical 173 #13,553
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 173 #16,600
1901 historical 144 #18,505
1911 historical 180 #15,961
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 105 #27,035
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 101 #27,813
2005 modern 100 #28,025
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 100 #28,669
2008 modern 99 #29,181
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 101 #30,078
2013 modern 98 #31,078
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 96 #31,624
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

Back to top

Where Hundleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Loughton, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, London parishes and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Worcester, Plymouth and Northampton. 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 Loughton Essex
2 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Worcester 010 Worcester
2 Plymouth 006 Plymouth
3 Worcester 012 Worcester
4 Northampton 018 Northampton
5 Worcester 005 Worcester

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hundley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hundley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hundley, 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 Hundley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Hundley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Hundley is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hundley is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Hundley

The surname Hundley is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place called Hundleby or Hundelby in Lincolnshire. The name is thought to have originated from the Old Norse words "hundr," meaning hound or dog, and "by," meaning a farmstead or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hundley can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as Hundelby. This document was a census-like survey conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I. The name is also mentioned in the Inquisitiones Nonarum of 1341, which was a tax assessment record.

During the medieval period, the Hundley family was primarily concentrated in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. They were likely landowners or tenant farmers in these areas. In the 16th century, the spelling of the name began to evolve, with variations such as Hundeley, Hundly, and Hundley emerging.

One notable individual with the surname Hundley was John Hundley, a wealthy merchant and landowner born in Yorkshire in the late 15th century. He is recorded as having owned significant properties in the city of York and its surrounding areas.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Hundley, a member of the English gentry born in Lincolnshire in 1597. He served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham during the reign of King Charles I and was known for his staunch Royalist sympathies during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the Hundley family also had a presence in the American colonies. Thomas Hundley, born in England in 1620, was one of the early settlers in Virginia. He established a plantation in the area that later became Henrico County and was a prominent figure in the local community.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, individuals with the surname Hundley continued to make their mark in various fields. Benjamin Hundley, born in Virginia in 1747, was a noted lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and as a judge.

In the literary realm, Eliza Hundley, born in Alabama in 1824, was a celebrated poet and author. Her works, which often explored themes of Southern life and the Civil War, were widely published in her lifetime.

While the name Hundley has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era and the small villages of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, where the name first emerged.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hundley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hundley 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. Worcestershire leads with 54 Hundleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.30x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 54 49.30x
Essex 8 4.83x
Herefordshire 5 14.54x
Middlesex 5 0.60x
Kent 4 1.40x
Monmouthshire 2 3.30x
Yorkshire 2 0.24x
Bedfordshire 1 2.30x
Isle of Man 1 6.42x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Leicestershire 1 1.08x
Surrey 1 0.24x
Warwickshire 1 0.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hallow in Worcestershire leads with 15 Hundleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2777.78x.

Place Total Index
Hallow 15 2777.78x
Cotheridge 8 13333.33x
Loughton 8 975.61x
Ripple 7 3333.33x
Broadwas 6 6666.67x
Claines 6 199.34x
Worcester Blockhouse 6 1000.00x
Deptford St Paul 4 18.12x
Eardisland 2 909.09x
Kingsland 2 666.67x
Leigh 2 150.38x
Newport 2 69.20x
Thornhill 2 82.30x
Worcester St John 2 152.67x
Bedford St Peter 1 88.50x
Bromley London 1 5.42x
Cottesbach 1 2000.00x
Hereford St Owen 1 87.72x
Isleworth 1 26.81x
Leamington Priors 1 19.23x
Onchan 1 22.27x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 5.92x
St George Bloomsbury 1 20.79x
St Margaret Moses London 1 10000.00x
St Pancras London 1 1.48x
West Derby 1 3.43x
Worcester St Nicholas 1 192.31x
Worcester St Peter 1 48.31x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
George 4
Charles 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
A.C. 1
Cyril 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Harvey 1
Jane 1
John 1
Oswald 1
Philip 1
Richd.Frank 1
Sam.Willmore 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Hundley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hundley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Hundley surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hundley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Hundley a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Hundley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "hound lea," referring to a meadow or clearing associated with hunting dogs.

What does the Hundley map show?

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