NameCensus.

UK surname

Liley

A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Liley in Somerset, England.

In the 1881 census there were 406 people recorded with the Liley surname, ranking it #7,880 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 462, ranked #10,607, down from #7,880 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Birstall, Lambeth and Horsham, Sullington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lancaster, Newark and Sherwood and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Liley is 605 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.8%.

1881 census count

406

Ranked #7,880

Modern count

462

2016, ranked #10,607

Peak year

1911

605 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Liley had 406 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,880 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 462 in 2016, ranked #10,607.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 605 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Liley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Liley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Liley 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 283 #7,996
1861 historical 298 #8,485
1881 historical 406 #7,880
1891 historical 556 #6,822
1901 historical 554 #7,498
1911 historical 605 #6,798
1997 modern 456 #9,971
1998 modern 472 #10,032
1999 modern 480 #9,971
2000 modern 474 #10,029
2001 modern 459 #10,082
2002 modern 469 #10,105
2003 modern 450 #10,293
2004 modern 438 #10,532
2005 modern 428 #10,619
2006 modern 443 #10,369
2007 modern 453 #10,281
2008 modern 450 #10,416
2009 modern 449 #10,690
2010 modern 455 #10,802
2011 modern 459 #10,607
2012 modern 470 #10,332
2013 modern 474 #10,421
2014 modern 474 #10,486
2015 modern 459 #10,667
2016 modern 462 #10,607

Geography

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Where Lileys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Birstall, Lambeth, Horsham, Sullington, St Mary Islington and Gravesend, Milton next Gravesend. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lancaster, Newark and Sherwood and Scarborough. 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 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Lambeth London (South Districts)
3 Horsham, Sullington Sussex
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Gravesend, Milton next Gravesend Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lancaster 016 Lancaster
2 Newark and Sherwood 012 Newark and Sherwood
3 Scarborough 014 Scarborough
4 Lancaster 001 Lancaster
5 Scarborough 011 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Liley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Liley

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Liley is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Liley is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Liley falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Liley

The surname Liley is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ly," which means a meadow or a clearing in a forest. The name is thought to have been given to individuals who lived near or worked in such areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Liley can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1275, where it appears as "William de la Lyle." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 14th century, the name Liley was recorded in various forms, such as "Lylye," "Lylly," and "Lylly de Lyghton" in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1356. This latter spelling suggests a connection to the place name Lighton, which may have been the origin of this particular branch of the Liley family.

The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Liley. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as "Lylinge" in Middlesex and "Lillingstone" in Buckinghamshire.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Liley was John Liley, born in Worcestershire in 1502. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his family's coat of arms included a bend azure between three mullets or on a field argent.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir William Liley (1590-1658), a member of the English gentry from Shropshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was known for his support of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the name Liley gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Liley (1713-1788), an English mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1763.

The 19th century saw the birth of James Liley (1826-1901), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor. He was instrumental in mapping and exploring vast areas of Western Australia and played a crucial role in the development of the state's infrastructure.

Finally, one cannot discuss the surname Liley without mentioning Sir Archibald Liley (1915-1983), a pioneer in the field of obstetrics and neonatal care. He was the first to develop a successful method for treating Rh hemolytic disease, a condition that can cause severe complications during pregnancy, saving countless lives.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Liley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Liley 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. Yorkshire leads with 168 Lileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.28x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 168 4.28x
Surrey 46 2.38x
Middlesex 37 0.93x
Kent 31 2.29x
Nottinghamshire 20 3.75x
Lincolnshire 17 2.68x
Lancashire 14 0.30x
Devon 11 1.33x
Leicestershire 9 2.05x
Sussex 8 1.20x
Oxfordshire 7 2.86x
Lanarkshire 6 0.47x
Worcestershire 6 1.16x
Ayrshire 5 1.69x
Cornwall 5 1.12x
Essex 5 0.64x
Durham 3 0.25x
Glamorgan 3 0.44x
Berkshire 2 0.67x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.40x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Norfolk 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liversedge in Yorkshire leads with 36 Lileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 206.07x.

Place Total Index
Liversedge 36 206.07x
Drighlington 26 454.55x
Lambeth 15 4.34x
Milton In Gravesend 14 69.10x
Wortley In Bramley 14 45.05x
Leeds 13 5.87x
Islington London 10 2.61x
Battersea 9 6.18x
Feniton 9 1875.00x
South Collingham 9 857.14x
Aldrington 8 4000.00x
Croydon 8 7.47x
Oldham 8 5.27x
Batley 7 18.77x
Dewsbury 7 17.39x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 7 49.93x
Oxford St Thomas 7 61.35x
Cleckheaton 6 41.49x
Holbeck 6 23.08x
Hornsey 6 11.98x
Westerham 6 192.31x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 5 35.09x
Barony 5 1.54x
Castleton 5 10.65x
Egloskerry 5 847.46x
Evesham St Lawrence 5 181.82x
Gomersal 5 27.29x
Honley 5 72.78x
Horbury 5 72.89x
Hucknall Under 5 181.82x
Irvine 5 60.75x
Leicester St Margaret 5 4.67x
Lepton 5 121.95x
Limpsfield 5 271.74x
Prittlewell 5 46.17x
Skegby 5 152.91x
Tottenham 5 7.93x
Billingborough 4 248.45x
Deptford St Paul 4 3.84x
Eagle 4 645.16x
Hammersmith London 4 4.10x
Langfield 4 58.22x
Seagrave 4 816.33x
Chelsea London 3 2.51x
Halifax 3 5.21x
Southwark Christchurch 3 16.16x
Waddington 3 258.62x
Binbrooke 2 126.58x
Chislehurst 2 27.59x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.14x
Coulsdon 2 56.98x
Hunslet 2 3.27x
Merthyr Tydfil 2 3.02x
Morley 2 9.80x
New Windsor 2 20.02x
St John Lincoln 2 294.12x
Stoke Damerel 2 3.47x
Bassingham 1 102.04x
Clapham 1 2.02x
Doddington 1 54.35x
Doncaster 1 3.49x
Finchley 1 6.59x
Gateshead 1 1.13x
Glasgow 1 0.44x
Heston 1 7.60x
Hunsworth 1 48.54x
Midgley 1 23.92x
Penge 1 3.95x
Scarborough 1 2.80x
Sevenoaks 1 9.13x
Shoreditch London 1 0.58x
Snitterby 1 270.27x
St Marylebone London 1 0.47x
Stoke Newington London 1 3.24x
Sunderland 1 4.81x
Swanscombe 1 16.47x
Warsop Soulkholme 1 227.27x
West Derby 1 0.73x
Witton Gilbert 1 21.51x
Wonersh 1 41.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Sarah 16
Elizabeth 15
Emma 8
Jane 8
Annie 7
Eliza 7
Hannah 6
Ada 5
Ann 5
Catherine 5
Ellen 5
Clara 4
Martha 4
Agnes 3
Alice 3
Charlotte 3
Emily 3
Harriet 3
Lucy 3
Lydia 3
Selina 3
Agness 2
Beatrice 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Grace 2
Julia 2
Margaret 2
Rachel 2
Rose 2
Annar 1
Bertha 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Cathrine 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Emmer 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lavania 1
Liza 1
Louisa 1
M.A. 1
Maria 1
Thomasine 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 23
John 20
Thomas 14
James 13
George 12
Henry 11
Joseph 11
Arthur 10
Charles 9
Albert 5
Frederick 5
Walter 5
Edward 4
Frank 4
Fred 4
Herbert 4
Tom 4
Edwin 3
Richard 3
Alfred 2
Ben 2
Benjamin 2
Edmund 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Jonathan 2
Allen 1
Auther 1
Benjamine 1
Bill 1
Claude 1
Dan 1
David 1
Ernest 1
Firth 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Hy. 1
Harvey 1
Horace 1
Joe 1
Joss 1
Middleton 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Sykes 1
T. 1
Wilfred 1
Wm.E. 1

FAQ

Liley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Liley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 406 people were recorded with the Liley surname. That placed it at #7,880 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Liley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 462 in 2016. That gives Liley a modern rank of #10,607.

What does the Liley surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Liley in Somerset, England.

What does the Liley map show?

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