NameCensus.

UK surname

Kaley

Of English origin meaning "from the town of Kale" or "meadow".

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Kaley surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 117, ranked #28,033, down from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ealing, Chiltern and Thurrock.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kaley is 134 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 129.4%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

2008

134 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kaley had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 87 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Kaley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kaley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kaley 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 87 #25,802
1901 historical 84 #24,759
1911 historical 67 #26,152
1997 modern 107 #25,924
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 117 #25,362
2000 modern 112 #25,978
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 119 #25,231
2003 modern 119 #25,026
2004 modern 120 #25,078
2005 modern 117 #25,433
2006 modern 120 #25,269
2007 modern 125 #24,987
2008 modern 134 #24,249
2009 modern 127 #25,564
2010 modern 132 #25,519
2011 modern 124 #26,367
2012 modern 118 #27,250
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 114 #28,608
2015 modern 115 #28,319
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

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Where Kaleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ealing, Chiltern, Thurrock and Hastings. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ealing 017 Ealing
2 Chiltern 002 Chiltern
3 Thurrock 008 Thurrock
4 Chiltern 006 Chiltern
5 Hastings 001 Hastings

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kaley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kaley

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Kaley is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kaley is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kaley falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kaley 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
Asian - Indian

This describes the area pattern most associated with Kaley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Kaley

The surname Kaley originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "calu" or "calu-heafod," which means "bald-headed" or "bald." The name likely referred to someone with a distinctive physical characteristic, either a man who was bald or had a prominent bald spot.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kaley can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it is spelled "Calwe." The Hundred Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English government during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Calwe," "Caluwe," and "Calewe," indicating variations in spelling and pronunciation. The spelling "Kaley" seems to have emerged in the 16th century, as evidenced by records from the parish of St. Mary Magdalene in Canterbury, Kent, where a John Kaley was mentioned in 1575.

The surname Kaley has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 16th century, Sir William Kaley (c. 1500-1570) was a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 18th century, John Kaley (1726-1798) was a renowned British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary-le-Strand and the Adelphi Buildings.

During the 19th century, James Kaley (1823-1898) was a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the shipping industry. He was known for his generous donations to educational institutions and cultural organizations in his adopted hometown of Chicago.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Kaley (1871-1943), a British Army officer who served in the Second Boer War and World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery in action during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

In the 20th century, Margaret Kaley (1906-1988) was an American author and journalist who wrote several books on social issues and women's rights. Her most famous work, "The Feminine Mystique," published in 1963, is considered a seminal text of the second-wave feminist movement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kaley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kaley 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 14 Kaleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.02x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 14 3.02x
Middlesex 12 2.56x
Buckinghamshire 10 35.35x
Lancashire 5 0.90x
Warwickshire 4 3.39x
Hampshire 1 1.04x
Shropshire 1 2.47x
Surrey 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wooburn in Buckinghamshire leads with 10 Kaleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2564.10x.

Place Total Index
Wooburn 10 2564.10x
Kensington London 5 19.22x
Broughton In Skipton 4 13333.33x
Coventry St Michael 4 105.54x
Leeds 4 15.27x
St Pancras London 4 10.62x
Long Preston 3 2727.27x
Holy Trinity 2 17.94x
Limehouse London 2 38.91x
Alverstoke 1 28.82x
Drayton In Hales 1 120.48x
Great Bolton 1 13.59x
Lambeth 1 2.45x
Linthorpe 1 36.10x
Liverpool 1 2.96x
North Meols 1 18.38x
Pemberton 1 45.25x
St Giles In Fields London 1 43.48x
Warrington 1 15.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Flowrence 1
Grace 1
Henrietta 1
Jane 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Michael 1
Phoebe 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
George 3
Thomas 3
William 3
James 2
Barnard 1
Joseph 1
Lawrence 1
Patric 1
Patrick 1
Samuel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Kaley households.

FAQ

Kaley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kaley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Kaley surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kaley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Kaley a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Kaley surname mean?

Of English origin meaning "from the town of Kale" or "meadow".

What does the Kaley map show?

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