NameCensus.

UK surname

Lawley

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "meadow by a hill" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,803 people recorded with the Lawley surname, ranking it #2,414 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,045, ranked #3,157, down from #2,414 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, London parishes and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lawley is 2,267 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.4%.

1881 census count

1,803

Ranked #2,414

Modern count

2,045

2016, ranked #3,157

Peak year

1911

2,267 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lawley had 1,803 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,414 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,045 in 2016, ranked #3,157.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,267 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Lawley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lawley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lawley 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 1,187 #2,393
1861 historical 1,015 #2,759
1881 historical 1,803 #2,414
1891 historical 1,696 #2,664
1901 historical 2,138 #2,516
1911 historical 2,267 #2,232
1997 modern 2,077 #2,958
1998 modern 2,175 #2,947
1999 modern 2,200 #2,943
2000 modern 2,209 #2,915
2001 modern 2,144 #2,930
2002 modern 2,155 #2,977
2003 modern 2,132 #2,945
2004 modern 2,130 #2,945
2005 modern 2,079 #2,969
2006 modern 2,090 #2,968
2007 modern 2,085 #2,999
2008 modern 2,073 #3,043
2009 modern 2,124 #3,047
2010 modern 2,143 #3,084
2011 modern 2,125 #3,073
2012 modern 2,080 #3,078
2013 modern 2,100 #3,110
2014 modern 2,109 #3,117
2015 modern 2,089 #3,109
2016 modern 2,045 #3,157

Geography

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Where Lawleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, London parishes, Birmingham Town: Birmingham, Birmingham Town: Aston and West Bromwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell. 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 London parishes London 2
3 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
4 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire
5 West Bromwich Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 010 Sandwell
2 Sandwell 013 Sandwell
3 Sandwell 004 Sandwell
4 Sandwell 039 Sandwell
5 Sandwell 018 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lawley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lawley

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Lawley is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lawley 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

Lawley 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 Lawley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Lawley

The surname Lawley is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words "hlaw" meaning "hill" or "mound," and "leah" meaning "woodland" or "clearing." This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a wooded hill or clearing on a hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a William de la Leygh residing in Staffordshire.

Throughout the medieval period, the name appeared in various spellings, including Lawelegh, Laweleygh, and Lawley, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. The Lawley family held land and properties in Shropshire, with records indicating their presence in the area as early as the 14th century.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Lawley name was Sir Thomas Lawley (c. 1520-1559), who served as Sheriff of Shropshire and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent individual was Sir Francis Lawley (1572-1634), a Member of Parliament and landowner in Shropshire.

During the 17th century, the Lawley family continued to maintain a strong presence in Shropshire, with several members serving as Members of Parliament and holding influential positions within the local community. One such figure was Sir Robert Lawley (1607-1668), who served as a Royalist during the English Civil War and was later knighted by King Charles II.

In the 18th century, the Lawley name gained further prominence with the rise of Sir Robert Lawley (1736-1834), a prominent politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for several decades. He was also involved in the establishment of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia.

Another notable figure from this time period was Sir Edward Lawley (1770-1846), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Battle of Trafalgar and later became a Member of Parliament.

As the centuries progressed, the Lawley surname continued to be associated with influential individuals in various fields, including politics, military, and landownership, primarily concentrated in the Shropshire region and other parts of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lawley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lawley 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 413 Lawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.95x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 413 6.95x
Warwickshire 269 6.06x
Shropshire 263 17.30x
Worcestershire 177 7.70x
Lancashire 122 0.58x
Yorkshire 114 0.65x
Middlesex 98 0.56x
Cheshire 66 1.70x
Surrey 47 0.55x
Derbyshire 30 1.09x
Kent 26 0.43x
Somerset 22 0.78x
Buckinghamshire 18 1.69x
Lincolnshire 16 0.57x
Essex 13 0.37x
Denbighshire 11 1.65x
Durham 11 0.21x
Herefordshire 11 1.52x
Devon 9 0.25x
Gloucestershire 9 0.26x
Carmarthenshire 8 1.08x
Leicestershire 8 0.41x
Berkshire 6 0.45x
Norfolk 6 0.22x
Cornwall 5 0.25x
Glamorgan 5 0.16x
Bedfordshire 3 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.13x
Suffolk 3 0.14x
Channel Islands 2 0.38x
Hampshire 2 0.06x
Cumberland 1 0.07x
Hertfordshire 1 0.08x
Monmouthshire 1 0.08x
Northamptonshire 1 0.06x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 0.48x
Sussex 1 0.03x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x

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 124 Lawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.38x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 124 8.38x
Aston 118 9.66x
West Bromwich 85 24.99x
Bilston 58 50.38x
Wolverhampton 47 10.29x
Dudley 30 10.74x
Harborne 24 12.61x
Kingswinford 23 10.66x
Ribbesford 21 109.78x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 18 104.41x
Kidderminster Foreign 18 55.40x
Sedgley 18 8.16x
St Pancras London 17 1.20x
Kinlet 16 613.03x
Kinver 15 87.57x
Monks Coppenhall 15 10.23x
Little Neston 14 224.72x
Stoke Upon Trent 14 2.22x
Much Wenlock 13 92.72x
Neen Savage 13 646.77x
Worsley 13 10.10x
Lambeth 12 0.78x
Leeds 12 1.22x
Ness 12 530.97x
Oldbury 12 10.61x
Wellington 12 14.04x
Bethnal Green London 11 1.44x
Codsall 11 130.18x
Longwood 11 39.13x
Lower Mitton 11 54.32x
Rowley Regis 11 6.64x
Rugeley 11 25.81x
Shrewsbury St Mary 11 18.34x
Sudbury 11 350.32x
Widnes 11 7.30x
Burslem 10 5.88x
Monkhopton 10 970.87x
Walsall Foreign 10 3.26x
West Ham 10 1.30x
Wycombe 10 12.61x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 5.43x
Edgbaston 9 6.54x
Kidderminster Borough 9 6.69x
Limehouse London 9 4.66x
Manningham 9 4.19x
Shawbury 9 154.11x
Burnham 8 59.00x
Edgmond 8 47.82x
Hulme 8 1.84x
Liverpool 8 0.63x
Normanton 8 15.27x
Pattingham 8 860.22x
Rushbury 8 264.90x
Streatham 8 6.13x
Taunton St James 8 19.37x
Tipton 8 4.40x
Tranmere 8 5.60x
Winterton 8 82.82x
Yardley 8 13.61x
Brightside Bierlow 7 2.05x
Burton Upon Trent 7 5.04x
Chard 7 20.40x
Chertsey 7 12.63x
Clunbury 7 117.85x
Croydon 7 1.47x
Ditton Priors 7 193.91x
Grinshill 7 336.54x
Heworth 7 6.79x
Loughton 7 1372.55x
Newborough 7 178.57x
Newington 7 14.58x
Plumstead 7 3.50x
St George Hanover Square 7 2.26x
St Giles Cripplegate 7 29.97x
Walsall Borough 7 15.18x
Worsthorne Cum 7 105.42x
Acton 6 298.51x
Bristol St Augustine 6 10.77x
Shoreditch London 6 0.79x
Wolverley 6 29.75x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 127
John 103
Thomas 74
George 65
James 50
Joseph 39
Henry 36
Edward 29
Charles 23
Samuel 21
Alfred 16
Richard 15
Francis 13
Frederick 13
Walter 13
Albert 11
Arthur 11
Harry 10
Robert 10
Edwin 7
Ernest 7
Frank 7
Michael 7
Herbert 6
Daniel 5
Stephen 5
Thos. 5
Andrew 4
David 4
Peter 4
Fredrick 3
Hugh 3
Isaac 3
Levi 3
Patrick 3
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
Fredk. 2
Hugo 2
Jane 2
Job 2
Leonard 2
Mark 2
Raymond 2
Robt. 2
Saml. 2
Sidney 2
T. 2
Trevor 2
Vincent 2

FAQ

Lawley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lawley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,803 people were recorded with the Lawley surname. That placed it at #2,414 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lawley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,045 in 2016. That gives Lawley a modern rank of #3,157.

What does the Lawley surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "meadow by a hill" in Old English.

What does the Lawley map show?

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