NameCensus.

UK surname

Leightley

In the 1881 census there were 37 people recorded with the Leightley surname, ranking it #28,418 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 134, ranked #25,636, up from #28,418 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Leightley is 160 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 262.2%.

1881 census count

37

Ranked #28,418

Modern count

134

2016, ranked #25,636

Peak year

2010

160 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Leightley had 37 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,418 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016, ranked #25,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 64 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Leightley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Leightley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Leightley 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 23 #29,205
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 37 #28,418
1891 historical 44 #30,838
1901 historical 45 #29,156
1911 historical 64 #26,435
1997 modern 130 #23,021
1998 modern 125 #24,198
1999 modern 134 #23,378
2000 modern 137 #23,048
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 138 #23,094
2003 modern 146 #22,069
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 157 #21,322
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 151 #22,323
2009 modern 157 #22,271
2010 modern 160 #22,487
2011 modern 156 #22,690
2012 modern 135 #24,952
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 138 #25,103
2016 modern 134 #25,636

Geography

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Where Leightleys 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 Northumberland. 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 Northumberland 029 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 017 Northumberland
3 Northumberland 020 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 025 Northumberland
5 Northumberland 021 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Leightley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Leightley

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Leightley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Leightley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Leightley is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Leightley is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Leightley 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 Leightley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Leightley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Leightley 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. Northumberland leads with 30 Leightleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.89x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 30 55.89x
Durham 3 2.79x
Lincolnshire 2 3.47x
Cumberland 1 3.22x
Nottinghamshire 1 2.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cramlington in Northumberland leads with 13 Leightleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1830.99x.

Place Total Index
Cramlington 13 1830.99x
Bedlington 9 502.79x
Elswick 5 116.82x
Monkwearmouth Shore 3 142.86x
Cowpen 2 161.29x
Northorpe 2 10000.00x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 35.97x
Rickergate 1 151.52x
Sturton 1 1428.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Margaret 3
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Cecilia 1
Eleanor 1
Hannah 1
Isabel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Henry 3
Joseph 3
William 3
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Edward 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1

FAQ

Leightley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Leightley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 37 people were recorded with the Leightley surname. That placed it at #28,418 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Leightley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016. That gives Leightley a modern rank of #25,636.

What does the Leightley map show?

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