NameCensus.

UK surname

Kiley

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Caoile, meaning "descendant of Caol" (a personal name meaning "slender").

In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Kiley surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 456, ranked #10,705, up from #18,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea and Cannock Chase.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kiley is 561 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 314.5%.

1881 census count

110

Ranked #18,695

Modern count

456

2016, ranked #10,705

Peak year

1861

561 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kiley had 110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 456 in 2016, ranked #10,705.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 561 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Kiley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kiley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kiley 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 254 #8,683
1861 historical 561 #4,697
1881 historical 110 #18,695
1891 historical 560 #6,775
1901 historical 292 #11,861
1911 historical 324 #10,814
1997 modern 417 #10,674
1998 modern 427 #10,825
1999 modern 440 #10,648
2000 modern 428 #10,850
2001 modern 418 #10,860
2002 modern 412 #11,192
2003 modern 423 #10,805
2004 modern 438 #10,532
2005 modern 433 #10,516
2006 modern 440 #10,435
2007 modern 438 #10,568
2008 modern 448 #10,458
2009 modern 460 #10,481
2010 modern 468 #10,550
2011 modern 450 #10,790
2012 modern 446 #10,733
2013 modern 459 #10,682
2014 modern 461 #10,694
2015 modern 450 #10,819
2016 modern 456 #10,705

Geography

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Where Kileys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Swansea and Cannock Chase. 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 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 011 Swansea
2 Swansea 019 Swansea
3 Swansea 013 Swansea
4 Swansea 015 Swansea
5 Cannock Chase 002 Cannock Chase

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kiley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kiley

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Kiley 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

Kiley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Kiley

The surname Kiley originates from Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Ceallaigh" or "Ua Ceallaigh", meaning "descendant of Ceallach". Ceallach was a personal name derived from the Irish word "ceall", meaning "church" or "monastery". The surname is believed to have emerged in the 10th or 11th century in County Offaly, Ireland.

The Kiley surname was first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters in the 13th century, which was a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention several members of the Ua Ceallaigh family, including Maolruanaidh Ua Ceallaigh, who died in 1031, and Donnchadh Ua Ceallaigh, who was the Bishop of Clonmacnoise in 1201.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is no record of the surname Kiley. This suggests that the name had not yet spread to England at that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kiley is in the Irish Annals of Loch Cé, which mentions a Murchadh Ua Ceallaigh who was killed in 1188. Another early reference is in the Annals of Ulster, which mention a Domhnall Ua Ceallaigh who was the King of Uí Maine in 1227.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the surname began to evolve into more modern forms, including Kiely, Keely, and Kiley. One notable individual from this period was Sir John Keely, who was the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1554 to 1556.

Other notable individuals with the surname Kiley throughout history include:

1. Thomas Kiley (1828-1907), an American politician who served as the 37th Mayor of Boston from 1888 to 1890.

2. James Kiley (1887-1952), an Irish-American actor and playwright who appeared in numerous Broadway productions and films.

3. Brendan Kiely (born 1976), an American author known for his young adult novels, including "The Last True Poets of the Sea" and "All American Boys".

4. John Kiley (1901-1983), an American football player and coach who played for the Chicago Bears and later coached at the University of Notre Dame.

5. William Kiley (1919-1994), an American architect and urban planner who designed several prominent public spaces in cities across the United States, including the East Miami Plaza in Miami, Florida.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kiley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kiley 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. Essex leads with 18 Kileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.82x.

County Total Index
Essex 18 8.82x
Monmouthshire 15 20.07x
Middlesex 14 1.35x
Glamorgan 12 6.67x
Lancashire 11 0.90x
Hampshire 7 3.30x
Ayrshire 4 5.17x
Cumberland 4 4.49x
Warwickshire 3 1.15x
Wiltshire 3 3.28x
Devon 2 0.93x
Gloucestershire 2 0.99x
Surrey 2 0.40x
Dumfriesshire 1 4.38x
Kent 1 0.28x
Norfolk 1 0.63x
Northumberland 1 0.65x
Pembrokeshire 1 3.04x
Royal Navy 1 8.12x
Staffordshire 1 0.29x
Sussex 1 0.57x
Yorkshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 17 Kileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.73x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 17 37.73x
Newport 8 224.09x
Swansea Town 7 47.43x
Salford 6 16.63x
St Marylebone London 6 10.87x
St Woollos 6 71.94x
Wymering 5 1428.57x
Dundonald 4 140.35x
Birmingham 3 3.45x
Cardiff St John 3 51.02x
Chiswick 3 53.10x
Downton 3 250.00x
Ealing 3 32.47x
Bristol St Nicholas 2 555.56x
East Stonehouse 2 47.17x
Liverpool 2 2.68x
Rickergate 2 106.38x
Widley 2 526.32x
Aberystruth 1 15.17x
Burton Upon Trent 1 12.25x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 5.13x
East Ham 1 26.39x
Egham 1 32.36x
Folkestone 1 14.62x
Gelligaer 1 24.33x
Great Yarmouth 1 7.59x
Harrington 1 93.46x
Huddersfield 1 6.70x
Islington London 1 1.00x
Kirkdale 1 4.85x
Lambeth 1 1.11x
Llandaff 1 16.69x
Middlebie 1 144.93x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 12.55x
Pembroke St Mary 1 23.64x
Preston Quarter 1 40.16x
Royal Navy 1 9.50x
St Pancras London 1 1.20x
Stoughton 1 454.55x
Walton On Hill 1 15.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Ellen 5
Margaret 5
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Bridget 2
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 2
Hannah 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Cathe. 1
Charlotte 1
Esther 1
Jemima 1
Katie 1
Lenora 1
Lily 1
Maggie 1
May 1
Nora 1
Norah 1
Rose 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
Thomas 8
William 5
James 4
Charles 2
Jeremiah 2
Michael 2
... 1
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
Dom 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.C. 1
Henry 1
Mathew 1
Mike 1
Morris 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Roland 1
Simon 1
Thos 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Kiley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kiley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Kiley surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kiley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 456 in 2016. That gives Kiley a modern rank of #10,705.

What does the Kiley surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Caoile, meaning "descendant of Caol" (a personal name meaning "slender").

What does the Kiley map show?

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