NameCensus.

UK surname

Lilley

Derived from a place name meaning "island of lilies" in Old English, or referring to someone living near lilies.

In the 1881 census there were 4,143 people recorded with the Lilley surname, ranking it #1,093 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,985, ranked #968, up from #1,093 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool, South Cambridgeshire and Rothesay Town.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lilley is 7,619 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.6%.

1881 census count

4,143

Ranked #1,093

Modern count

6,985

2016, ranked #968

Peak year

1998

7,619 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lilley had 4,143 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,093 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,985 in 2016, ranked #968.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,510 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lilley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lilley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lilley 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 2,325 #1,275
1861 historical 2,283 #1,289
1881 historical 4,143 #1,093
1891 historical 4,599 #1,019
1901 historical 5,684 #979
1911 historical 6,510 #794
1997 modern 7,405 #868
1998 modern 7,619 #880
1999 modern 7,602 #891
2000 modern 7,545 #896
2001 modern 7,419 #885
2002 modern 7,520 #893
2003 modern 7,344 #892
2004 modern 7,313 #895
2005 modern 7,152 #905
2006 modern 7,098 #914
2007 modern 7,160 #913
2008 modern 7,181 #918
2009 modern 7,316 #921
2010 modern 7,424 #928
2011 modern 7,289 #930
2012 modern 7,112 #930
2013 modern 7,206 #935
2014 modern 7,215 #942
2015 modern 7,065 #955
2016 modern 6,985 #968

Geography

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Where Lilleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Lambeth and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool, South Cambridgeshire, Rothesay Town and Chorley. 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 Dudley Staffordshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
2 Hartlepool 001 Hartlepool
3 South Cambridgeshire 015 South Cambridgeshire
4 Rothesay Town Argyll and Bute
5 Chorley 014 Chorley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lilley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lilley

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Lilley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Lilley is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lilley 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 Lilley 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 Lilley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lilley

The surname Lilley is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "le" meaning a meadow or clearing and "leah" meaning a wood or grove. It is thought to have originated as a place name referring to a meadow within a grove or forest clearing.

Lilley is an ancient name, with records dating back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lillai" and "Lillea". The earliest known bearer of the name was Radulfus de Lillai, recorded in Wiltshire, England in 1148.

Over the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Lilley, Lilly, Lillie, Lylly, and Lyly. The different spellings reflect regional dialects and changes in pronunciation over time.

One notable bearer of the name was John Lyly (c. 1554-1606), an English playwright, poet, and courtier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He is best known for his novel "Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit" and his plays, which are considered some of the earliest examples of English prose fiction.

Another notable figure was Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680), a Dutch painter who worked in England during the 17th century. His real name was Pieter van der Faes, but he adopted the name Lely after the town of Lille in the Netherlands, where he was born.

In the 18th century, James Lilly (1737-1804) was a noted English engraver and print publisher, known for his work on maps and topographical prints.

The Lilley family also has connections to the American colonies. John Lilley (1663-1719) was an early settler in Pennsylvania, arriving in the late 17th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was William Lilley (1817-1863), an English cricketer who played for Surrey and is considered one of the earliest professional cricketers.

While the name Lilley has its roots in England, it has spread across the English-speaking world and can be found in many countries today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lilley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lilley 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 450 Lilleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.12x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 450 1.12x
Middlesex 351 0.87x
Lancashire 316 0.66x
Lincolnshire 251 3.88x
Essex 243 3.04x
Northamptonshire 218 5.73x
Surrey 216 1.10x
Warwickshire 215 2.11x
Kent 191 1.38x
Derbyshire 161 2.54x
Worcestershire 154 2.92x
Durham 146 1.21x
Cambridgeshire 142 5.54x
Nottinghamshire 135 2.48x
Staffordshire 113 0.83x
Suffolk 105 2.13x
Northumberland 97 1.61x
Hampshire 80 0.96x
Bedfordshire 60 2.86x
Leicestershire 55 1.23x
Hertfordshire 52 1.86x
Norfolk 52 0.84x
Cheshire 36 0.40x
Devon 35 0.42x
Huntingdonshire 26 3.24x
Glamorgan 24 0.34x
Sussex 23 0.34x
Somerset 22 0.34x
Lanarkshire 21 0.16x
Herefordshire 19 1.15x
Cumberland 17 0.49x
Gloucestershire 17 0.21x
Dorset 13 0.49x
Angus 11 0.29x
Wiltshire 11 0.31x
Monmouthshire 9 0.31x
Berkshire 8 0.26x
Channel Islands 6 0.50x
Fife 6 0.25x
Midlothian 5 0.09x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.16x
Roxburghshire 4 0.55x
Royal Navy 4 0.83x
Rutland 4 1.35x
Shropshire 4 0.11x
Berwickshire 3 0.61x
Flintshire 3 0.28x
Renfrewshire 3 0.10x
Isle of Man 2 0.27x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Ayrshire 1 0.03x
Kincardineshire 1 0.20x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.08x

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 103 Lilleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.03x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 103 3.03x
Dudley 92 14.33x
Lambeth 63 1.79x
Leeds 49 2.16x
Ickleton 40 435.73x
Aston 39 1.39x
Keighley 35 8.19x
St Pancras London 33 1.01x
Nottingham St Mary 30 2.13x
Islington London 28 0.71x
Ashton Under Lyne 27 2.57x
Alfreton 26 13.51x
Finchley 26 16.76x
Peterborough 26 9.44x
Wolverhampton 26 2.48x
Bethnal Green London 25 1.42x
West Ham 25 1.42x
Bedworth 24 32.24x
Hartlepool 24 14.03x
Helpstone 24 243.65x
Paddington London 23 1.55x
Gateshead 22 2.44x
Kettering 22 14.30x
Camberwell 21 0.81x
Greasley 21 17.07x
Irthlingborough 21 56.30x
Swansea Town 21 3.64x
Wellingborough 21 10.98x
Battersea 20 1.34x
Brightside Bierlow 20 2.54x
Hingham 20 92.89x
Leicester St Margaret 19 1.74x
Newton 19 5.14x
Sheffield 19 1.49x
Bermondsey 18 1.49x
Eccleston In Prescot 18 7.47x
Holy Trinity 18 1.87x
Polstead 18 156.66x
Ryhope 18 21.54x
Scampton 18 560.75x
St Marylebone London 18 0.83x
Bishop Stortford 17 18.25x
Bishopwearmouth 17 1.65x
Manchester 17 0.79x
St George Hanover Square 17 2.39x
Bury 16 2.92x
Codnor Loscoe 16 31.90x
Little Bolton 16 2.59x
Newington 16 1.07x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 16 11.17x
Portsea 16 0.98x
Ridgwell 16 175.82x
Cramlington 15 18.86x
Kempston 15 31.55x
Kimbolton 15 88.65x
Middlesbrough 15 2.87x
Northampton Priory St 15 6.57x
Sculcoates 15 2.36x
Tweedmouth 15 19.99x
Chatham 14 3.69x
Hampstead London 14 2.22x
Saddleworth 14 4.53x
Shoreditch London 14 0.80x
Tottenham 14 2.17x
Worksop 14 8.66x
Wye 14 65.51x
Bedlington 13 6.47x
Byker 13 4.37x
Christchurch 13 7.23x
Derby St Alkmund 13 6.85x
Everton 13 0.85x
Folkestone 13 4.86x
Kirkby In Ashfield 13 22.29x
Liverpool 13 0.45x
Mile End Old Town London 13 1.51x
Scarborough 13 3.57x
Shipley 13 6.25x
Smeeth 13 151.16x
Whittlesey St Mary St 13 14.53x
Windle 13 4.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 265
Sarah 166
Elizabeth 160
Jane 84
Ann 75
Alice 74
Eliza 67
Emma 59
Ellen 52
Annie 51
Emily 42
Hannah 39
Martha 36
Charlotte 35
Harriet 32
Louisa 30
Clara 28
Margaret 28
Maria 26
Ada 25
Caroline 25
Florence 25
Catherine 23
Rose 22
Fanny 20
Susannah 18
Kate 17
Esther 15
Lucy 15
Susan 15
Edith 14
Harriett 14
Isabella 14
Anne 13
Agnes 12
Matilda 12
Ethel 11
Lydia 11
Gertrude 9
Rebecca 9
Sophia 9
Maud 8
Minnie 8
Eleanor 7
Frances 7
Grace 7
Lizzie 7
Mabel 7
Anna 6
Margret 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 258
William 224
George 167
Thomas 137
James 136
Joseph 88
Charles 84
Henry 74
Edward 51
Robert 50
Frederick 46
Alfred 42
Arthur 42
Samuel 41
Walter 40
Harry 29
Albert 28
Richard 25
Ernest 18
Fred 18
David 17
Edwin 16
Benjamin 13
Herbert 13
Wm. 12
Francis 8
Fredrick 8
Earnest 7
Frank 7
Isaac 7
Tom 7
Alexander 6
Daniel 6
Mark 6
Abraham 5
Andrew 5
Geo. 5
Peter 5
Stephen 5
Adam 4
Chas. 4
Dennis 4
Edgar 4
Edmund 4
Enoch 4
Job 4
Percy 4
Horatio 3
Martin 3
Sidney 3

FAQ

Lilley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lilley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,143 people were recorded with the Lilley surname. That placed it at #1,093 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lilley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,985 in 2016. That gives Lilley a modern rank of #968.

What does the Lilley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "island of lilies" in Old English, or referring to someone living near lilies.

What does the Lilley map show?

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