NameCensus.

UK surname

Ley

Derived from Old English "lēah," referring to a woodland, clearing, or meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 1,282 people recorded with the Ley surname, ranking it #3,184 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,827, ranked #3,468, down from #3,184 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Mevagissey and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge and North Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ley is 1,922 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.5%.

1881 census count

1,282

Ranked #3,184

Modern count

1,827

2016, ranked #3,468

Peak year

1999

1,922 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ley had 1,282 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,184 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,827 in 2016, ranked #3,468.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,655 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ley 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 1,179 #2,403
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1881 historical 1,282 #3,184
1891 historical 41 #31,095
1901 historical 1,655 #3,116
1997 modern 1,843 #3,267
1998 modern 1,909 #3,277
1999 modern 1,922 #3,282
2000 modern 1,868 #3,346
2001 modern 1,830 #3,343
2002 modern 1,850 #3,378
2003 modern 1,838 #3,336
2004 modern 1,800 #3,390
2005 modern 1,762 #3,436
2006 modern 1,728 #3,497
2007 modern 1,748 #3,496
2008 modern 1,743 #3,530
2009 modern 1,784 #3,535
2010 modern 1,812 #3,543
2011 modern 1,813 #3,514
2012 modern 1,820 #3,445
2013 modern 1,859 #3,437
2014 modern 1,890 #3,408
2015 modern 1,843 #3,465
2016 modern 1,827 #3,468

Geography

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Where Leys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Mevagissey, London parishes, Ilfracombe and Braunton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge and North Devon. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Mevagissey Cornwall
3 London parishes London 3
4 Ilfracombe Devon
5 Braunton Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 009 Torridge
2 Torridge 008 Torridge
3 North Devon 009 North Devon
4 North Devon 008 North Devon
5 North Devon 014 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ley

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Ley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

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

Ley is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ley falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ley

The surname Ley has its origins in England and dates back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'leah', meaning a meadow, clearing, or woodland glade. The name was originally used as a topographic surname, given to people who lived in or near a meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as 'de la Ley', 'atte Ley', and 'de la Leye'.

During the medieval period, the surname Ley was particularly prevalent in the counties of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. It was also associated with several place names, such as Ley Hill in Buckinghamshire and Ley Green in Hertfordshire.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John de la Ley, a prominent landowner and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born around 1320 and died in 1386.

Another historical figure with the surname Ley was Sir James Ley (1552-1628), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 1625 to 1628.

In the 17th century, John Ley (1583-1662) was an English clergyman and author who served as a chaplain to King Charles I and wrote several religious works.

During the 18th century, James Ley (1737-1808) was an English botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification.

In the 19th century, Clement Ley (1823-1904) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Courts of Justice.

While the Ley surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to immigration and migration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ley 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. Devon leads with 539 Leys recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.29x.

County Total Index
Devon 539 20.29x
Middlesex 111 0.87x
Glamorgan 92 4.14x
Cornwall 86 5.95x
Gloucestershire 60 2.40x
Surrey 59 0.95x
Lancashire 44 0.29x
Somerset 32 1.56x
Aberdeenshire 25 2.12x
Essex 21 0.83x
Kent 21 0.48x
Yorkshire 20 0.16x
Hampshire 19 0.73x
Nottinghamshire 18 1.05x
Angus 15 1.27x
Berkshire 12 1.25x
Carmarthenshire 11 2.05x
Northamptonshire 11 0.92x
Leicestershire 10 0.71x
Dorset 9 1.07x
Kincardineshire 9 5.79x
Northumberland 9 0.47x
Derbyshire 8 0.40x
Huntingdonshire 7 2.76x
Oxfordshire 7 0.89x
Herefordshire 6 1.15x
Lincolnshire 6 0.29x
Staffordshire 6 0.14x
Lanarkshire 5 0.12x
Wiltshire 5 0.44x
Hertfordshire 4 0.45x
Worcestershire 4 0.24x
Monmouthshire 3 0.33x
Sussex 3 0.14x
Channel Islands 2 0.53x
Norfolk 2 0.10x
Ross-shire 2 0.57x
Royal Navy 2 1.32x
Warwickshire 2 0.06x
Durham 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ilfracombe in Devon leads with 40 Leys recorded in 1881 and an index of 146.31x.

Place Total Index
Ilfracombe 40 146.31x
Combmartin 32 554.59x
Swansea Town 32 17.57x
Braunton 28 310.77x
Topsham 27 215.31x
Swansea St Thomas 26 116.49x
Plymouth St Andrew 24 11.73x
Barnstaple 23 55.17x
Lambeth 21 1.89x
Berrynarbor 20 662.25x
Stoke Damerel 20 10.76x
Bideford 17 59.75x
Mevagissey 17 177.08x
Llansamlet Higher 16 96.50x
St Pancras London 16 1.56x
Buckland Brewer 15 464.40x
Aberdeen Old Machar 14 5.67x
Montrose 13 18.15x
Thornbury 13 955.88x
Bristol St James St Paul 12 14.38x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 12 5.09x
Cookbury 12 1500.00x
Lanteglos 12 179.64x
Portsea 12 2.34x
Clifton 11 8.70x
Croydon 11 3.19x
Exeter St Mary Major 11 68.71x
Fremington 11 204.08x
Llanelly 11 9.08x
Ashby Parva 10 1538.46x
Exeter St David 10 44.07x
Kentisbury 10 657.89x
Longworth 10 384.62x
Nottingham St Mary 10 2.25x
St Teath 10 114.94x
Clerkenwell London 9 2.99x
Exeter St Sidwell 9 14.80x
George Nympton 9 1046.51x
Islington London 9 0.73x
Maker 9 67.47x
Maldon St Peter 9 70.15x
Shebbear 9 225.56x
St Marylebone London 9 1.32x
Battersea 8 1.70x
Beaworthy 8 620.16x
Hampstead London 8 4.03x
Morchard Bishop 8 144.40x
Sithney 8 54.79x
Walthamstow 8 8.83x
Witham Friary 8 377.36x
Bridgerule West 7 686.27x
Dawlish 7 35.34x
Exeter St Edmund 7 122.16x
Georgeham 7 209.58x
Kenn 7 169.08x
Llansamlet Lower 7 34.81x
Northam 7 36.16x
Poplar London 7 2.91x
St George Hanover Square 7 3.11x
St Ives 7 53.27x
Toxteth Park 7 1.37x
Westbury On Trym 7 8.26x
Bradford 6 363.64x
Bristol St Michael 6 27.97x
Everton 6 1.24x
Mixbury 6 504.20x
Paddington London 6 1.28x
Plymouth Charles The 6 5.13x
Shobrooke 6 213.52x
Tiverton 6 13.11x
Walcot 6 5.49x
Wallsend 6 9.97x
Bristol St Paul In 5 7.50x
Easton 5 115.47x
Fordoun 5 57.47x
Harpurhey 5 23.80x
Lyncombe Widcombe 5 9.30x
Radford 5 5.72x
St Buryan 5 83.75x
Wolborough 5 14.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 100
William 90
George 43
James 41
Thomas 35
Henry 26
Samuel 19
Richard 17
Frederick 14
Edward 13
Alfred 12
Charles 11
Joseph 11
Robert 11
Arthur 10
Edwin 10
Frank 8
Harry 7
Albert 6
Nicholas 6
Wm. 6
Francis 5
Walter 5
Benjamin 4
Herbert 4
Jacob 4
Sidney 4
David 3
Ernest 3
Ralph 3
Charley 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Hugh 2
Jno. 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Phillip 2
Samuell 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Augustine 1
Chas. 1
Chas.Hy. 1
Elon. 1
Emmanuel 1
Ernet 1
Jabez 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Ley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,282 people were recorded with the Ley surname. That placed it at #3,184 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,827 in 2016. That gives Ley a modern rank of #3,468.

What does the Ley surname mean?

Derived from Old English "lēah," referring to a woodland, clearing, or meadow.

What does the Ley map show?

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