NameCensus.

UK surname

Ingley

Derived from the Old English word "ing" meaning meadow, referring to someone who lived near or by a meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 156 people recorded with the Ingley surname, ranking it #15,114 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 148, ranked #23,958, down from #15,114 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, Drayton Bassett and Tamworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Tamworth and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ingley is 216 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.1%.

1881 census count

156

Ranked #15,114

Modern count

148

2016, ranked #23,958

Peak year

1911

216 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ingley had 156 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,114 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016, ranked #23,958.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 216 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Ingley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ingley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ingley 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 124 #14,792
1861 historical 127 #17,469
1881 historical 156 #15,114
1891 historical 138 #19,411
1901 historical 160 #17,387
1911 historical 216 #14,240
1997 modern 173 #19,295
1998 modern 172 #19,883
1999 modern 170 #20,153
2000 modern 173 #19,889
2001 modern 170 #19,838
2002 modern 177 #19,759
2003 modern 172 #19,893
2004 modern 173 #19,937
2005 modern 165 #20,468
2006 modern 162 #20,886
2007 modern 156 #21,650
2008 modern 154 #22,034
2009 modern 158 #22,168
2010 modern 163 #22,205
2011 modern 158 #22,473
2012 modern 146 #23,681
2013 modern 152 #23,438
2014 modern 151 #23,745
2015 modern 145 #24,246
2016 modern 148 #23,958

Geography

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Where Ingleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, Drayton Bassett, Tamworth, Tutbury and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Tamworth, Dudley, Cannock Chase and East Staffordshire. 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 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
2 Drayton Bassett Staffordshire
3 Tamworth Staffordshire
4 Tutbury Staffordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 013 Cheshire East
2 Tamworth 002 Tamworth
3 Dudley 021 Dudley
4 Cannock Chase 003 Cannock Chase
5 East Staffordshire 005 East Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ingley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ingley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ingley, 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 Ingley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Ingley 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Ingley is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Ingley is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ingley falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ingley

The surname Ingley originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "ing" meaning a meadow or pasture, and "ley" meaning a clearing or field. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a clearing or meadow.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which list Adam del Yngley and John de Yngley. The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain any direct references to the name Ingley, but it does mention places with similar names like Ingleborough and Ingleton in Yorkshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appeared in various spellings such as Ingley, Ingleye, Inglie, and Inglie. Notable bearers of the name from this period include John Ingley (c.1565-1625), an English clergyman and author of theological works, and Christopher Ingley (1593-1661), a merchant and member of the Virginia Company.

In the 18th century, the Ingley family spread to other parts of England and beyond. William Ingley (1736-1805) was a poet and schoolmaster from Derbyshire, while James Ingley (1764-1844) was a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

The 19th century saw the name carried to North America and other parts of the world by English emigrants. One prominent bearer was Sir John Ingley (1847-1922), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

Throughout history, the surname Ingley has been associated with various occupations and professions, from clergy and educators to merchants and politicians. While it may not be a widely recognized name today, it has a rich history rooted in the northern English countryside.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ingley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ingley 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. Staffordshire leads with 93 Ingleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.34x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 93 18.34x
Warwickshire 38 10.03x
Durham 7 1.57x
Cheshire 5 1.51x
Lancashire 5 0.28x
Yorkshire 3 0.20x
Kent 2 0.39x
Gloucestershire 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fazeley in Staffordshire leads with 21 Ingleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2282.61x.

Place Total Index
Fazeley 21 2282.61x
Aston 16 15.34x
Birmingham 14 11.09x
Tutbury 11 887.10x
Drayton Bassett 10 4347.83x
Aldridge 7 721.65x
Stockton On Tees 7 32.50x
Horninglow 6 251.05x
Rushall 6 201.34x
Wilnecote 6 550.46x
Bollington In 5 169.49x
Great Barr 5 862.07x
Harborne 5 30.77x
Walsall Foreign 5 19.09x
Kingswinford 4 21.73x
Stafford St Mary 4 55.71x
Handsworth 3 24.00x
Middlesbrough 3 15.48x
Shenstone 3 232.56x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 7.06x
Selling 2 476.19x
Wolverhampton 2 5.13x
Charlton Kings 1 49.02x
Grendon 1 312.50x
Harpurhey 1 40.49x
Liverpool 1 0.92x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.86x
Sutton Coldfield 1 25.13x
West Derby 1 1.92x

FAQ

Ingley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ingley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 156 people were recorded with the Ingley surname. That placed it at #15,114 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ingley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016. That gives Ingley a modern rank of #23,958.

What does the Ingley surname mean?

Derived from the Old English word "ing" meaning meadow, referring to someone who lived near or by a meadow.

What does the Ingley map show?

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