NameCensus.

UK surname

Lalley

From a surname of Manx/Scottish Gaelic origin meaning "having bright hair" or "fair-haired".

In the 1881 census there were 259 people recorded with the Lalley surname, ranking it #10,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 256, ranked #16,534, down from #10,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Stockport and Glossop. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Wakefield and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lalley is 271 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.2%.

1881 census count

259

Ranked #10,808

Modern count

256

2016, ranked #16,534

Peak year

1891

271 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lalley had 259 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 256 in 2016, ranked #16,534.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 271 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Lalley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lalley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lalley 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 76 #20,127
1861 historical 139 #16,263
1881 historical 259 #10,808
1891 historical 271 #11,992
1901 historical 196 #15,329
1911 historical 143 #18,401
1997 modern 235 #15,895
1998 modern 247 #15,813
1999 modern 250 #15,802
2000 modern 256 #15,510
2001 modern 247 #15,637
2002 modern 251 #15,770
2003 modern 242 #15,960
2004 modern 241 #16,086
2005 modern 232 #16,480
2006 modern 238 #16,288
2007 modern 243 #16,243
2008 modern 240 #16,535
2009 modern 243 #16,742
2010 modern 249 #16,837
2011 modern 252 #16,543
2012 modern 248 #16,618
2013 modern 254 #16,603
2014 modern 261 #16,421
2015 modern 267 #16,050
2016 modern 256 #16,534

Geography

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Where Lalleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Stockport, Glossop, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Wakefield, Shropshire and Manchester. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Glossop Derbyshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 059 Liverpool
2 Wakefield 002 Wakefield
3 Shropshire 009 Shropshire
4 Manchester 050 Manchester
5 Liverpool 044 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lalley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lalley

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Lalley is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lalley is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lalley falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Lalley

The surname Lalley is of Irish origin and is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "Laighile," which means "a descendant of Laidh." It is thought to have originated in County Mayo, Ireland, in the early medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Lalley can be traced back to the 16th century in County Mayo. In the Annals of the Four Masters, a manuscript compiled in the 17th century, there are references to several individuals with the surname Lalley or variations of the spelling, such as Lally or Laley.

One notable individual with the surname Lalley was Seán Ó Laighile, a 16th-century Irish poet and historian from County Mayo. He is best known for his work "The Book of the O'Lallys," which chronicled the history and genealogy of the Lalley family.

Another prominent figure with the surname Lalley was Thomas Arthur Lally, a French military officer of Irish descent who lived from 1702 to 1766. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the French forces in India during the Seven Years' War.

In the 18th century, the surname Lalley was also found in County Roscommon, Ireland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Lally." One notable individual from this area was Michael Lally, a renowned Irish scholar and historian who lived from 1762 to 1840.

During the 19th century, many individuals with the surname Lalley emigrated from Ireland to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. Some notable individuals from this period include John Lalley, an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly in the 1870s, and James Lalley, an Irish-born Australian businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1824 to 1898.

While the surname Lalley is not among the most common Irish surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back to the early medieval period in County Mayo, Ireland. Throughout the centuries, individuals with this surname have made significant contributions in various fields, including literature, military, academia, and politics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lalley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lalley 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. Lancashire leads with 69 Lalleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.30x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 69 2.30x
Staffordshire 40 4.69x
Cheshire 39 6.99x
Yorkshire 32 1.28x
Middlesex 20 0.79x
Derbyshire 15 3.79x
Stirlingshire 9 9.66x
Durham 6 0.80x
Shropshire 5 2.29x
Warwickshire 5 0.78x
Leicestershire 4 1.43x
Surrey 3 0.24x
East Lothian 2 5.98x
Norfolk 2 0.51x
Northumberland 2 0.53x
Worcestershire 2 0.61x
Angus 1 0.43x
Hampshire 1 0.19x
Lanarkshire 1 0.12x
Midlothian 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 18 Lalleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.35x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 18 13.35x
Glossop Dale 15 80.99x
Liverpool 14 7.69x
Birkenhead 11 24.74x
Stockport 11 38.33x
Bilston 10 60.50x
Wolverhampton 10 15.25x
Parr 9 83.88x
Preston 9 652.17x
Stirling 9 76.60x
Salford 7 7.94x
West Bromwich 7 14.34x
Chester St John Baptist 6 59.88x
Hammersmith London 6 9.64x
Latchford 6 162.16x
Leeds 6 4.24x
Oldham 6 6.20x
St Giles In Fields London 6 48.43x
Birmingham 5 2.35x
Bradford 5 8.25x
Doncaster 5 27.34x
Shotton 5 268.82x
Walsall Foreign 5 11.35x
Wellington 5 40.75x
Wolstanton 5 19.31x
Grappenhall 4 588.24x
Newchurch 4 16.31x
West Derby 4 4.56x
Leicester St Margaret 3 4.39x
York St Saviour 3 125.52x
Burslem 2 8.19x
Croydon 2 2.93x
Dewsbury 2 7.79x
Dunbar 2 42.64x
Eccleston In Prescot 2 13.29x
Kensington London 2 1.42x
Pennington In Leigh 2 34.78x
St Anne Soho London 2 13.86x
Stourbridge 2 23.56x
Thetford St Peter 2 196.08x
Widnes 2 9.25x
Aldershot 1 5.76x
Armley 1 9.06x
Bromborough 1 86.21x
Chelsea London 1 1.31x
Desford 1 128.21x
Dundee 1 1.14x
Glasgow 1 0.69x
Hackney London 1 0.71x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 3.07x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.86x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 5.13x
Sheffield 1 1.25x
Spitalfields London 1 5.26x
Tynemouth 1 4.97x
Wednesbury 1 4.69x
West Calder 1 14.99x
Whiston 1 42.74x
Woking 1 13.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Ellen 11
Catherine 9
Margaret 9
Ann 6
Bridget 6
Sarah 6
Elizabeth 5
Annie 4
Maria 4
Charlotte 2
Jane 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Barbara 1
Briget 1
Cath. 1
Cathrine 1
Chatherine 1
Eliza 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Johanna 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katrine 1
Lavinia 1
Lizzie 1
Mabel 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Rosean 1
Winnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
James 17
Michael 16
Thomas 11
William 10
Patrick 7
Peter 6
Joseph 5
Alfred 2
Edward 2
George 2
Martin 2
Pat 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Aantioney 1
Anthony 1
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Dan 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Henry 1
Jas. 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Michcael 1
Micheal 1
Michl. 1
Nicholas 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Lalley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lalley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 259 people were recorded with the Lalley surname. That placed it at #10,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lalley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 256 in 2016. That gives Lalley a modern rank of #16,534.

What does the Lalley surname mean?

From a surname of Manx/Scottish Gaelic origin meaning "having bright hair" or "fair-haired".

What does the Lalley map show?

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