NameCensus.

UK surname

Liney

An English surname derived from a place name referring to a lineage or family line.

In the 1881 census there were 187 people recorded with the Liney surname, ranking it #13,407 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 260, ranked #16,349, down from #13,407 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Rotherwick and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Linwood South, Swansea and Leicester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Liney is 312 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.0%.

1881 census count

187

Ranked #13,407

Modern count

260

2016, ranked #16,349

Peak year

1998

312 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Liney had 187 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,407 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 260 in 2016, ranked #16,349.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 284 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Liney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Liney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Liney 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 181 #11,256
1861 historical 162 #14,310
1881 historical 187 #13,407
1891 historical 240 #13,123
1901 historical 282 #12,145
1911 historical 284 #11,862
1997 modern 301 #13,492
1998 modern 312 #13,532
1999 modern 311 #13,642
2000 modern 304 #13,791
2001 modern 298 #13,784
2002 modern 301 #13,962
2003 modern 284 #14,331
2004 modern 293 #14,082
2005 modern 284 #14,306
2006 modern 272 #14,834
2007 modern 265 #15,295
2008 modern 260 #15,648
2009 modern 261 #15,926
2010 modern 288 #15,162
2011 modern 283 #15,193
2012 modern 267 #15,791
2013 modern 275 #15,719
2014 modern 276 #15,788
2015 modern 268 #16,007
2016 modern 260 #16,349

Geography

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Where Lineys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Rotherwick, St Pancras and Winterslow, Idmiston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Linwood South, Swansea, Leicester and Torridge. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Rotherwick Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Winterslow, Idmiston Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Linwood South Renfrewshire
2 Swansea 003 Swansea
3 Leicester 026 Leicester
4 Leicester 028 Leicester
5 Torridge 007 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Liney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Liney

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Liney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Liney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Liney is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Liney 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

Liney falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Liney

The surname Liney has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "lin," meaning a pool, lake, or waterfall. This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who resided near such water sources.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Liney can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a person named Radulfus de la Line is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "de la Line," further reinforces the connection to the Old English word for a body of water.

During the 13th century, the surname Liney appeared in various historical records, such as the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1269, where a Richard de la Lyne is listed. The spelling "Lyne" was a common variation at the time, and it is thought to have been influenced by the Old French word "ligne," meaning a line or boundary.

In the 14th century, the surname Liney gained prominence in the counties of Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Worcestershire mention a John de la Lyne, while the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 for Gloucestershire include a Thomas de la Lyne.

One notable individual bearing the surname Liney was Sir Henry Liney, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He was born around 1370 in Gloucestershire and served as a member of the English Parliament for the county in 1402 and 1406.

Another significant figure was John Liney, a 16th-century English explorer and navigator. He was born in Bristol around 1510 and is known for his voyages to the West Indies and the Caribbean, where he mapped several islands and made valuable contributions to the field of cartography.

In the 17th century, the surname Liney gained recognition with the artist and engraver Peter Liney, who was born in London in 1618. His works included intricate engravings of landscapes and architectural subjects, which were highly sought after by collectors during his lifetime.

The 18th century saw the rise of the poet and playwright Samuel Liney, who was born in Worcestershire in 1739. He is best known for his satirical plays and poems that commented on the social and political issues of his time.

In the 19th century, the Liney surname was associated with the industrialist and philanthropist William Liney, born in Manchester in 1824. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his charitable contributions to educational institutions and local communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Liney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Liney 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. Middlesex leads with 39 Lineys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.15x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 39 2.15x
Hampshire 33 8.87x
Buckinghamshire 23 20.97x
Warwickshire 23 5.03x
Wiltshire 15 9.35x
Surrey 11 1.24x
Berkshire 8 5.87x
Sussex 7 2.29x
Lincolnshire 6 2.07x
Derbyshire 5 1.76x
Kent 3 0.48x
Yorkshire 3 0.17x
Norfolk 2 0.72x
Bedfordshire 1 1.06x
Devon 1 0.26x
Fife 1 0.93x
Gloucestershire 1 0.28x
Northumberland 1 0.37x
Oxfordshire 1 0.89x
Shropshire 1 0.64x
Staffordshire 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. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 17 Lineys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.15x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 17 11.15x
Winterslow 15 2777.78x
Quainton 14 2592.59x
St Pancras London 14 9.59x
Kensington London 9 8.92x
Rotherwick 9 3103.45x
Battersea 8 11.98x
Hurstbourne Tarrant 7 1346.15x
West Tytherley 7 2692.31x
Aston 6 4.76x
Wellingore 6 1224.49x
Winnall 6 7500.00x
Wolverton 6 264.32x
Islington London 5 2.84x
Morton 5 909.09x
West Dean 5 1086.96x
Cookham 4 94.12x
Hackney London 4 3.93x
Paddington London 3 4.50x
Reading St Giles 3 22.46x
Stratfieldsaye 3 833.33x
Wycombe 3 36.67x
Chelsfield 2 338.98x
Holy Trinity 2 4.63x
Lambeth 2 1.26x
Marham 2 425.53x
St Marylebone London 2 2.06x
Acton 1 9.40x
Brighton 1 1.62x
Chatham 1 5.87x
Cheltenham 1 3.64x
Dunfermline 1 6.06x
Ellesmere 1 37.17x
Harbridge 1 434.78x
Heugh 1 500.00x
Leeds 1 0.99x
Luton 1 6.15x
Oxford St Giles 1 18.73x
South Bersted 1 38.46x
St George Martyr London 1 27.25x
Stoke Damerel 1 3.78x
Streatham 1 7.43x
West Swallowfield 1 153.85x
Wolverhampton 1 2.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 9
Alice 6
Harriet 5
Elizabeth 4
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Barbara 2
Bertha 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Lizzie 2
Martha 2
Susannah 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Blanch 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Elizab. 1
Faith 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Margaret 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Liney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Liney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 187 people were recorded with the Liney surname. That placed it at #13,407 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Liney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 260 in 2016. That gives Liney a modern rank of #16,349.

What does the Liney surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name referring to a lineage or family line.

What does the Liney map show?

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