NameCensus.

UK surname

Linley

Derived from a place name meaning "linden tree clearing" or "linden tree meadow."

In the 1881 census there were 1,069 people recorded with the Linley surname, ranking it #3,698 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,365, ranked #4,414, down from #3,698 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sheffield, Whitkirk (Seacroft), Thorner (Shadwell) and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Leeds and Blackburn with Darwen.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Linley is 1,442 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.7%.

1881 census count

1,069

Ranked #3,698

Modern count

1,365

2016, ranked #4,414

Peak year

2011

1,442 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Linley had 1,069 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,698 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,365 in 2016, ranked #4,414.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,333 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Linley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Linley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Linley 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 827 #3,265
1861 historical 718 #3,788
1881 historical 1,069 #3,698
1891 historical 1,026 #4,063
1901 historical 1,137 #4,273
1911 historical 1,333 #3,586
1997 modern 1,396 #4,147
1998 modern 1,383 #4,319
1999 modern 1,398 #4,303
2000 modern 1,359 #4,407
2001 modern 1,324 #4,420
2002 modern 1,350 #4,433
2003 modern 1,344 #4,363
2004 modern 1,352 #4,348
2005 modern 1,363 #4,279
2006 modern 1,334 #4,361
2007 modern 1,342 #4,375
2008 modern 1,348 #4,381
2009 modern 1,393 #4,352
2010 modern 1,422 #4,354
2011 modern 1,442 #4,266
2012 modern 1,378 #4,358
2013 modern 1,397 #4,381
2014 modern 1,407 #4,375
2015 modern 1,383 #4,393
2016 modern 1,365 #4,414

Geography

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Where Linleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sheffield, Whitkirk (Seacroft), Thorner (Shadwell) and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Leeds and Blackburn with Darwen. 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 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Whitkirk (Seacroft), Thorner (Shadwell) Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 003 Doncaster
2 Leeds 035 Leeds
3 Doncaster 001 Doncaster
4 Leeds 040 Leeds
5 Blackburn with Darwen 008 Blackburn with Darwen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Linley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Linley

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Linley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Linley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Linley is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Linley is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Linley falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Linley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Linley

The surname Linley is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "lind" meaning a lime tree or linden, and "leah" meaning a meadow or woodland clearing. This indicates that the name likely originated as a place name referring to a location where lime trees grew in a clearing.

The earliest recorded instances of the Linley surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Shropshire, England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Lynley, who is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Shropshire in 1292.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Lyndeley, Lyndley, and Lyndeleye, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327 record a Richard de Lyndeley, while the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1334 list a William de Lyndelee.

The Linley surname is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Thomas Linley (1733-1795), an English composer and musician who served as the musical director at the Drury Lane Theatre in London. His son, Thomas Linley Jr. (1756-1778), was a prodigy who composed his first opera at the age of 16.

Another notable bearer of the Linley name was William Linley (1771-1835), an English writer and biographer who authored a biography of Thomas Paine. In the 19th century, Samuel Linley (1835-1903) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Dramatic College.

The Linley surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Linley in Shropshire, which likely derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname. Other place names linked to the Linley surname include Linley Green in West Midlands and Linley Lane in Staffordshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Linley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Linley 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 642 Linleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.23x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 642 6.23x
Middlesex 61 0.59x
Lincolnshire 43 2.59x
Warwickshire 43 1.64x
Lancashire 38 0.31x
Surrey 34 0.67x
Shropshire 33 3.67x
Nottinghamshire 31 2.21x
Derbyshire 25 1.54x
Worcestershire 18 1.33x
Angus 13 1.35x
Leicestershire 12 1.04x
Kent 11 0.31x
Hertfordshire 9 1.26x
Cheshire 7 0.30x
Midlothian 6 0.43x
Gloucestershire 5 0.25x
Lanarkshire 5 0.15x
Oxfordshire 5 0.78x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.64x
Hampshire 4 0.19x
Herefordshire 3 0.70x
Northamptonshire 3 0.31x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.48x
Durham 2 0.06x
Staffordshire 2 0.06x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.15x
Cumberland 1 0.11x
Essex 1 0.05x
Northumberland 1 0.06x
Sussex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 101 Linleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.79x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 101 30.79x
Ecclesall Bierlow 63 30.06x
Leeds 57 9.80x
Seacroft 48 983.61x
Hunslet 46 28.63x
Nether Hallam 35 25.11x
Brightside Bierlow 30 14.84x
Holbeck 27 39.55x
Aston 23 3.19x
Birmingham 19 2.17x
Norton 18 134.13x
York St Mary 17 39.83x
Wombwell 16 53.24x
Barwick In Elmet 14 177.44x
St Pancras London 14 1.67x
Ashton Under Lyne 12 4.45x
Hoyland Nether 12 47.49x
Paddington London 12 3.14x
Thurcaston 12 1500.00x
Greasbrough 11 80.82x
Yaddlethorpe 11 1833.33x
Nottingham St Mary 10 2.76x
Potter Newton 10 55.01x
Worthen 10 104.82x
Coupar Angus 9 98.68x
Lambeth 9 0.99x
Mile End Old Town London 9 4.07x
Newington 9 2.34x
Poplar London 9 4.59x
Wath On Dearne 9 43.77x
Wellington 9 17.83x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 8 8.33x
Handsworth 8 29.37x
Kings Norton 8 6.57x
Sedburgh 8 186.48x
Watford 8 14.40x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 7 18.71x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 7 70.56x
Walmer 7 45.40x
Whitby 7 20.16x
Bentley Cum Arksey 6 111.52x
Caythorpe 6 566.04x
Headingley Cum Burley 6 9.05x
Heeley 6 19.16x
Horton In Bradford 6 3.73x
Hutton Bonville 6 1463.41x
Kimberworth 6 10.49x
Oldham 6 1.51x
West Calder 6 21.85x
Barnsley 5 4.70x
Beighton 5 67.75x
Camberwell 5 0.75x
Corringham 5 188.68x
Dudley 5 3.03x
Govan 5 0.60x
Hackthorn 5 505.05x
Horsforth 5 22.13x
Huddersfield 5 3.33x
Idle 5 10.46x
Kidderminster Foreign 5 26.04x
Oxford St Michael 5 187.97x
St Maryle Wigford 5 38.70x
Bury 4 2.84x
East Markham 4 149.25x
Hammersmith London 4 1.56x
Hyde 4 5.91x
Liff Benvie 4 2.74x
Northowram 4 5.54x
Ruardean 4 86.77x
Upton Cum Chalvey 4 15.97x
Bradfield 3 7.55x
Doncaster 3 3.99x
Harthill Cum Woodall 3 75.95x
Ledbury 3 20.49x
Market Rasen 3 32.29x
Misterton 3 69.12x
Penge 3 4.52x
Peterborough 3 4.24x
Salford 3 0.83x
Worksop 3 7.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 80
Sarah 43
Elizabeth 42
Alice 22
Emma 19
Annie 18
Jane 17
Eliza 16
Ann 15
Florence 14
Hannah 14
Emily 11
Ada 9
Clara 9
Louisa 9
Martha 9
Charlotte 8
Edith 7
Fanny 7
Harriet 7
Margaret 7
Rebecca 6
Ellen 5
Lucy 5
Maria 5
Anne 4
Amy 3
Beatrice 3
Bertha 3
Kate 3
Laura 3
Caroline 2
E. 2
Ethel 2
Grace 2
Isabella 2
Katherine 2
Lavina 2
M. 2
Marey 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Amey 1
Annette 1
Barbara 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Hariet 1
Harriat 1
Syville 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 57
William 52
Thomas 34
George 32
James 30
Joseph 29
Arthur 21
Charles 20
Henry 20
Samuel 17
Alfred 13
Albert 12
Harry 12
Herbert 12
Walter 12
Robert 10
Fred 8
Frederick 8
David 6
Frank 6
Edward 5
Percy 5
Tom 5
Sam 4
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Peter 3
Richard 3
Saml. 3
Benjamin 2
Caleb 2
Chas. 2
Clement 2
Dennis 2
Earnest 2
Eli 2
Fredk. 2
Jno. 2
Joe 2
Nicholas 2
Richd. 2
Sidney 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Amos 1
Bernard 1
Bertram 1
Bill 1
E. 1
Ed. 1

FAQ

Linley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Linley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,069 people were recorded with the Linley surname. That placed it at #3,698 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Linley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,365 in 2016. That gives Linley a modern rank of #4,414.

What does the Linley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "linden tree clearing" or "linden tree meadow."

What does the Linley map show?

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