NameCensus.

UK surname

Insley

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the narrow woodland clearing."

In the 1881 census there were 471 people recorded with the Insley surname, ranking it #7,088 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 778, ranked #7,086, up from #7,088 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Sutton Coldfield and Stapenhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Derbyshire and East Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Insley is 886 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.2%.

1881 census count

471

Ranked #7,088

Modern count

778

2016, ranked #7,086

Peak year

1999

886 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Insley had 471 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,088 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 778 in 2016, ranked #7,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 770 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Insley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Insley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Insley 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 339 #6,922
1861 historical 293 #8,589
1881 historical 471 #7,088
1891 historical 536 #7,013
1901 historical 619 #6,894
1911 historical 770 #5,629
1997 modern 841 #6,295
1998 modern 870 #6,321
1999 modern 886 #6,289
2000 modern 877 #6,302
2001 modern 840 #6,401
2002 modern 852 #6,448
2003 modern 842 #6,383
2004 modern 859 #6,303
2005 modern 845 #6,334
2006 modern 855 #6,290
2007 modern 857 #6,339
2008 modern 866 #6,318
2009 modern 872 #6,437
2010 modern 851 #6,683
2011 modern 833 #6,714
2012 modern 802 #6,816
2013 modern 797 #6,985
2014 modern 797 #7,022
2015 modern 788 #7,016
2016 modern 778 #7,086

Geography

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Where Insleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Sutton Coldfield, Stapenhill, Ashby-de-la-Zouch 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 South Derbyshire 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Sutton Coldfield Warwickshire
3 Stapenhill Staffordshire
4 Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leicestershire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Derbyshire 012 South Derbyshire
2 South Derbyshire 011 South Derbyshire
3 South Derbyshire 009 South Derbyshire
4 South Derbyshire 007 South Derbyshire
5 East Staffordshire 011 East Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Insley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Insley

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Insley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Insley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Insley 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

Insley 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

Insley falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Insley

The surname Insley originated in England and can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ine" meaning "a meadow" and "leah" meaning "a clearing in a woodland or forest." The name likely referred to someone who lived in a clearing or meadow within a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Insley appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The name was spelled as "Ineslea" in this document.

The Insley surname was primarily found in the counties of Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Cheshire in the Midlands region of England during the medieval period. Some variations in spelling included Insleye, Insley, Insley, and Inslie.

In the 13th century, a man named Richard de Innesleye was recorded as a witness in a legal document in Staffordshire. Another early bearer of the name was John Insley, who was born in Derbyshire around 1430.

Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire were also areas where the Insley name was present in the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable individual was Robert Insley, a merchant from Nottingham who lived from 1550 to 1620.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain Thomas Insley fought for the Parliamentarian forces against King Charles I. He was born in Yorkshire in 1610 and died in battle in 1645.

Another historical figure was Sir John Insley, a member of the British East India Company who served as a governor of the Company's settlements in India from 1720 to 1725.

In the 18th century, the Insley surname was found in various places across England, such as Lincolnshire, where a notable family owned land and estates. One member of this family was William Insley, a prominent landowner who lived from 1735 to 1810.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Insley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Insley 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 139 Insleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.00x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 139 9.00x
Derbyshire 108 15.08x
Warwickshire 90 7.80x
Leicestershire 59 11.63x
Yorkshire 23 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 13 2.11x
Middlesex 8 0.17x
Surrey 6 0.27x
Lancashire 5 0.09x
Lincolnshire 5 0.68x
Worcestershire 3 0.50x
Flintshire 2 1.63x
Hampshire 2 0.21x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.54x
Channel Islands 1 0.74x
Cheshire 1 0.10x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Kent 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 35 Insleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.10x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 35 9.10x
Aston 30 9.44x
Shackerstone 19 4222.22x
Church Gresley 17 149.12x
Blackfordby 16 987.65x
Smisby 14 2978.72x
Stapenhill 14 131.33x
Barton Under Needwood 13 464.29x
Harborne 13 26.27x
Stanton Newhall 13 565.22x
Burton Upon Trent 12 33.21x
Sutton Coldfield 10 82.44x
Tutbury 9 239.36x
West Bromwich 9 10.18x
Bow London 7 12.02x
Brimington 7 128.68x
Nottingham St Mary 7 4.39x
Shenstone 7 178.12x
Stafford St Mary 7 32.02x
Walsall Foreign 7 8.78x
Wombwell 7 52.95x
Ashborne 6 123.20x
Colwich 6 163.49x
Drayton Bassett 6 857.14x
Kingswinford 6 10.70x
Lambeth 6 1.50x
Lichfield St Mary 6 134.83x
Ticknall 6 408.16x
Bretby 5 1086.96x
Fazeley 5 177.94x
Kimberworth 5 19.87x
Maxstoke 5 1315.79x
North Wingfield 5 156.25x
Snenton 5 20.64x
Swinfen Packington 5 793.65x
Twycross 5 877.19x
Appleby 4 336.13x
Bishop Thornton 4 533.33x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 4.34x
Hartshill 4 465.12x
Hartshorn 4 147.60x
Lichfield St Michael 4 82.47x
Measham 4 152.09x
Normanton 4 66.12x
Winshill 4 87.53x
Allestree 3 326.09x
Cleethorpes 3 69.77x
Melton Mowbray 3 32.89x
Rushall 3 33.00x
Seals 3 167.60x
Wolstanton 3 6.40x
Aldridge 2 67.34x
Ardwick 2 4.08x
Burntwood Edial 2 20.28x
Great Grimsby 2 4.31x
Holywell 2 12.95x
Kings Norton 2 3.73x
Nether Whitacre 2 217.39x
Pipe Hill 2 740.74x
Swepstone 2 243.90x
Tamworth 2 24.21x
Yoxall 2 98.04x
Aldershot 1 3.18x
Ashby De La Zouch 1 8.50x
Atherstone 1 16.98x
Church Broughton 1 108.70x
Grouville 1 26.46x
Handsworth 1 2.63x
Kings Bromley 1 112.36x
Litherland 1 8.81x
Llandudno 1 15.17x
Longdon 1 46.73x
Monks Kirby 1 39.37x
Newton In Makerfield 1 6.02x
Pembroke St Mary 1 5.34x
Pendleton In Salford 1 1.55x
Sibson 1 166.67x
St Luke London 1 1.36x
Tatenhill 1 95.24x
West Witton 1 128.21x

FAQ

Insley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Insley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 471 people were recorded with the Insley surname. That placed it at #7,088 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Insley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 778 in 2016. That gives Insley a modern rank of #7,086.

What does the Insley surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the narrow woodland clearing."

What does the Insley map show?

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