NameCensus.

UK surname

Huntley

An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "huntsman's woodland clearing."

In the 1881 census there were 2,105 people recorded with the Huntley surname, ranking it #2,100 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,052, ranked #2,208, down from #2,100 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Devon, Portsmouth and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Huntley is 3,310 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.0%.

1881 census count

2,105

Ranked #2,100

Modern count

3,052

2016, ranked #2,208

Peak year

1998

3,310 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Huntley had 2,105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,100 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,052 in 2016, ranked #2,208.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,049 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Huntley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Huntley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Huntley 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 1,294 #2,217
1861 historical 1,198 #2,374
1881 historical 2,105 #2,100
1891 historical 2,171 #2,155
1901 historical 2,817 #1,976
1911 historical 3,049 #1,710
1997 modern 3,155 #2,036
1998 modern 3,310 #2,021
1999 modern 3,244 #2,086
2000 modern 3,198 #2,099
2001 modern 3,125 #2,105
2002 modern 3,212 #2,091
2003 modern 3,097 #2,120
2004 modern 3,112 #2,108
2005 modern 3,041 #2,128
2006 modern 3,072 #2,109
2007 modern 3,036 #2,158
2008 modern 3,086 #2,138
2009 modern 3,156 #2,139
2010 modern 3,210 #2,152
2011 modern 3,129 #2,178
2012 modern 3,069 #2,178
2013 modern 3,149 #2,159
2014 modern 3,162 #2,172
2015 modern 3,099 #2,180
2016 modern 3,052 #2,208

Geography

Back to top

Where Huntleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Gateshead and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Devon, Portsmouth, Cardiff, West Berkshire and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Devon 005 East Devon
2 Portsmouth 016 Portsmouth
3 Cardiff 023 Cardiff
4 West Berkshire 018 West Berkshire
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 016 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Huntley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Huntley

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Huntley is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Huntley 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

Huntley falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Huntley

The surname Huntley originated in England, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 12th century. It is a locational name, derived from one of several places called Huntley or Huntly, located in various counties across England. The name itself is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hunt," meaning hunter, and "leah," meaning a woodland or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1176, where a person named Robertus de Hunteleye is mentioned. Other early references include the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272, which mention a William de Hunteleye, and the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which record a John Huntele.

The Huntley surname is also found in several historical documents, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears in various spellings like Huntelei and Huntelegh. This suggests that the name was well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

Over the centuries, the Huntley name has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was John Huntley (c. 1349-1382), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. Another prominent figure was Sir John Huntley (c. 1460-1537), who served as Sheriff of Gloucestershire and was involved in the suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion in 1536.

Other notable individuals with the Huntley surname include:

1. George Huntley (1589-1658), an English clergyman and author. 2. Sir Charles Huntley (1688-1748), a British army officer and Member of Parliament. 3. Henry Huntley (1765-1836), an English industrialist and inventor. 4. Richard Huntley (1811-1892), an English businessman and founder of the Huntley & Palmers biscuit company. 5. Walter Huntley (1877-1944), a British stage and film actor.

The Huntley name has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Huntley in Gloucestershire, Huntley in Somerset, and Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, reflecting the locational origins of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Huntley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Huntley 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. Middlesex leads with 266 Huntleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.29x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 266 1.29x
Kent 262 3.73x
Durham 234 3.82x
Northumberland 171 5.58x
Surrey 164 1.63x
Wiltshire 122 6.70x
Sussex 104 3.00x
Yorkshire 103 0.50x
Gloucestershire 85 2.10x
Hampshire 83 1.97x
Berkshire 74 4.79x
Somerset 74 2.23x
Lancashire 62 0.25x
Glamorgan 43 1.20x
Monmouthshire 33 2.22x
Essex 32 0.79x
Staffordshire 29 0.42x
East Lothian 25 9.17x
Worcestershire 18 0.67x
Devon 17 0.40x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.88x
Derbyshire 10 0.31x
Isle of Man 9 2.35x
Oxfordshire 9 0.71x
Dorset 8 0.59x
Norfolk 8 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.29x
Cumberland 7 0.39x
Warwickshire 7 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.38x
Bedfordshire 4 0.38x
Berwickshire 4 1.60x
Ayrshire 3 0.19x
Brecknockshire 3 0.73x
Hertfordshire 3 0.21x
Lincolnshire 3 0.09x
Cheshire 2 0.04x
Herefordshire 2 0.24x
Cornwall 1 0.04x
Flintshire 1 0.18x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Northamptonshire 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. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 68 Huntleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.79x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 68 3.79x
Bishopwearmouth 46 8.75x
Hackney London 40 3.46x
Kensington London 37 3.23x
Folkestone 33 24.21x
Byker 32 21.13x
St Marylebone London 32 2.91x
Dunbar 25 65.38x
Southampton St Mary 25 9.42x
Brighton 23 3.28x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 22 8.29x
Newington 21 2.76x
Hungerford 20 95.65x
Trowbridge 20 24.84x
Bradford On Avon 19 32.59x
Croydon 19 3.41x
Westgate 19 10.01x
North Bradley 17 127.92x
St Pancras London 17 1.03x
Heworth 16 13.25x
Stranton 16 7.76x
Tonbridge 16 6.31x
Westoe 16 4.61x
Hedon 15 219.30x
Islington London 15 0.75x
Reading St Giles 15 9.89x
Acton 14 11.60x
Charlton Next Woolwich 14 19.11x
Greenwich 14 4.27x
St Woollos 14 8.43x
Gateshead 13 2.83x
Leeds 13 1.13x
Longbenton 13 10.02x
Preshute 13 116.07x
Wolverhampton 13 2.43x
Deptford St Paul 12 2.21x
Plumstead 12 5.12x
Westerham 12 74.03x
Cranbrook 11 36.96x
Deptford St Nicholas 11 19.73x
Liverpool 11 0.74x
South Kirkby 11 246.09x
Stockton On Tees 11 3.72x
Brandon Byshottles 10 13.03x
Eastbourne 10 6.26x
Lyncombe Widcombe 10 11.52x
Middlesbrough 10 3.76x
Paddington London 10 1.32x
Barton Upon Irwell 9 4.89x
Chiddingstone 9 98.04x
Hammersmith London 9 1.77x
Northfleet 9 14.54x
Onchan 9 8.17x
Richmond 9 6.40x
Ringmer 9 92.02x
St Giles 9 23.54x
Swansea Town 9 3.06x
Tenterden 9 36.32x
Toxteth Park 9 1.09x
Wallsend 9 9.26x
West Ham 9 1.00x
Widdrington 9 122.78x
Alton Barnes 8 727.27x
Chelsea London 8 1.29x
Halifax 8 2.67x
Hartlepool 8 9.19x
Hempstead 8 161.94x
Kingston On Thames 8 3.32x
Lamberhurst 8 91.43x
Lamesley 8 24.26x
Llanwonno 8 6.21x
Monkwearmouth Shore 8 6.69x
Nether Hallam 8 2.90x
Newcastle On Tyne St 8 5.04x
Penkridge 8 44.62x
Portsea 8 0.97x
Slimbridge 8 133.11x
South Lynn 8 22.39x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 1.93x
Woodchurch 8 91.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 137
Elizabeth 83
Sarah 69
Jane 44
Eliza 43
Ann 34
Margaret 32
Alice 31
Emma 30
Emily 29
Charlotte 26
Annie 22
Ellen 22
Hannah 19
Martha 19
Florence 16
Louisa 15
Maria 15
Edith 14
Kate 14
Ada 11
Lucy 10
Clara 9
Frances 9
Harriet 9
Susan 9
Agnes 8
Fanny 8
Eleanor 7
Isabella 7
Rose 7
Gertrude 6
Julia 6
Rebecca 6
Anna 5
Anne 5
Catherine 5
Dorothy 5
Ethel 5
Harriett 5
Margt. 5
Selina 5
Alma 4
Amelia 4
Grace 4
Matilda 4
Susannah 4
Caroline 3
Laura 3
Maud 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 118
William 116
George 95
Thomas 70
James 63
Henry 54
Robert 46
Charles 44
Joseph 28
Edward 26
Alfred 19
Arthur 19
Frederick 18
Richard 17
Walter 16
Albert 14
Harry 12
Samuel 12
Stephen 10
Wm. 9
Ernest 8
Thos. 8
Benjamin 7
Herbert 7
David 6
Francis 6
Frank 6
Fredrick 6
Sidney 5
Daniel 4
Fred 4
Mark 4
Andrew 3
Edmund 3
Edwin 3
Isaac 3
Job 3
Matthew 3
Percy 3
Peter 3
Robt. 3
Anthony 2
Cuthbert 2
Edwd. 2
Enos 2
Geo. 2
Horace 2
Josiah 2
Mary 2
Simeon 2

FAQ

Huntley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Huntley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,105 people were recorded with the Huntley surname. That placed it at #2,100 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Huntley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,052 in 2016. That gives Huntley a modern rank of #2,208.

What does the Huntley surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "huntsman's woodland clearing."

What does the Huntley map show?

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