NameCensus.

UK surname

Kightly

In the 1881 census there were 48 people recorded with the Kightly surname, ranking it #26,869 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 93, ranked #31,945, down from #26,869 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lewisham, St Saviour Southwark and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kightly is 142 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 93.8%.

1881 census count

48

Ranked #26,869

Modern count

93

2016, ranked #31,945

Peak year

1911

142 bearers

Map years

2

1901 to 1911

Key insights

  • Kightly had 48 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,869 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 93 in 2016, ranked #31,945.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 142 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kightly surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kightly surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kightly 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 51 #27,498
1881 historical 48 #26,869
1891 historical 63 #28,881
1901 historical 107 #21,955
1911 historical 142 #18,487
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 96 #28,188
1999 modern 90 #29,056
2000 modern 83 #29,809
2001 modern 90 #28,793
2002 modern 93 #28,920
2003 modern 88 #29,506
2004 modern 97 #28,455
2005 modern 86 #30,094
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 89 #30,713
2009 modern 97 #30,076
2010 modern 103 #29,780
2011 modern 97 #30,552
2012 modern 92 #31,528
2013 modern 91 #32,020
2014 modern 94 #31,909
2015 modern 94 #31,872
2016 modern 93 #31,945

Geography

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Where Kightlys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lewisham, St Saviour Southwark, London parishes, Stony Stratford 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 Fenland, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Lewisham London (South Districts)
2 St Saviour Southwark London (South Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Stony Stratford Northamptonshire
5 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 011 Fenland
2 Hartlepool 011 Hartlepool
3 Stockton-on-Tees 009 Stockton-on-Tees
4 Stockton-on-Tees 010 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Stockton-on-Tees 014 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kightly

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kightly

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kightly is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Kightly is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Kightly families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kightly 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. Northamptonshire leads with 15 Kightlys recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.08x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 15 34.08x
Kent 7 4.38x
Staffordshire 6 3.80x
Derbyshire 5 6.82x
Warwickshire 5 4.24x
Buckinghamshire 3 10.60x
Cambridgeshire 3 10.12x
Surrey 3 1.32x
Middlesex 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lewisham in Kent leads with 7 Kightlys recorded in 1881 and an index of 82.26x.

Place Total Index
Lewisham 7 82.26x
Dallington 6 2307.69x
West Bromwich 6 66.37x
Leamington Priors 5 172.41x
Litchurch 5 169.49x
Northampton St Peter 4 1481.48x
Chatteris 3 394.74x
Northampton Priory St 2 75.76x
Southwark St Saviour 2 82.99x
Bletchley 1 1250.00x
Higham Ferrers 1 416.67x
Islington London 1 2.20x
Lambeth 1 2.45x
Linslade 1 357.14x
Little Weldon 1 1428.57x
Rothwell 1 227.27x
Steeple Claydon 1 714.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Eleanor 2
Emma 2
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Margarate 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3
Charles 2
Clarence 2
Ebenezer 2
Edward 2
George 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Ephraim 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
G. 1
G.H. 1
Henry 1
John 1
Peter 1
T. 1
Thos. 1
W.E. 1
Walter 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 Kightly households.

FAQ

Kightly surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kightly surname in 1881?

In 1881, 48 people were recorded with the Kightly surname. That placed it at #26,869 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kightly surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 93 in 2016. That gives Kightly a modern rank of #31,945.

What does the Kightly map show?

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