NameCensus.

UK surname

Lively

Derived from a nickname for a lively or active person, or from a place name meaning "leafy meadow."

In the 1881 census there were 158 people recorded with the Lively surname, ranking it #14,989 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 238, ranked #17,361, down from #14,989 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Oakley, Shabbington, Warwick St Nicholas and Stockport (Romiley), No Mans Land. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale, Middlesbrough and Weymouth and Portland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lively is 267 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.6%.

1881 census count

158

Ranked #14,989

Modern count

238

2016, ranked #17,361

Peak year

2000

267 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lively had 158 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,989 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016, ranked #17,361.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 240 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Lively surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lively surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lively 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 99 #17,294
1861 historical 127 #17,469
1881 historical 158 #14,989
1891 historical 181 #16,065
1901 historical 226 #14,006
1911 historical 240 #13,281
1997 modern 246 #15,445
1998 modern 253 #15,547
1999 modern 260 #15,390
2000 modern 267 #15,055
2001 modern 259 #15,151
2002 modern 256 #15,565
2003 modern 241 #16,013
2004 modern 240 #16,144
2005 modern 250 #15,639
2006 modern 240 #16,177
2007 modern 244 #16,186
2008 modern 234 #16,827
2009 modern 240 #16,896
2010 modern 245 #17,013
2011 modern 237 #17,235
2012 modern 229 #17,537
2013 modern 235 #17,515
2014 modern 232 #17,761
2015 modern 238 #17,378
2016 modern 238 #17,361

Geography

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Where Livelys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Oakley, Shabbington, Warwick St Nicholas, Stockport (Romiley), No Mans Land, Swalcliffe and Warwick St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale, Middlesbrough, Weymouth and Portland and Stratford-on-Avon. 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 Oakley, Shabbington Oxfordshire
2 Warwick St Nicholas Warwickshire
3 Stockport (Romiley), No Mans Land Cheshire
4 Swalcliffe Oxfordshire
5 Warwick St Mary Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 013 Calderdale
2 Middlesbrough 004 Middlesbrough
3 Weymouth and Portland 008 Weymouth and Portland
4 Stratford-on-Avon 012 Stratford-on-Avon
5 Stratford-on-Avon 009 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lively

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lively

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Lively surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Lively household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Lively is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lively 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

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

Meaning and origin of Lively

The surname Lively is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "lif" meaning "life" or "lively", referring to someone with a spirited or energetic demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Lifwine is mentioned as holding land in Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name, or a variant of it, existed in England before the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various records with spellings such as Liflie, Livelie, and Lyvely. These variations likely arose due to the lack of standardized spelling during this time period.

The name Lively can also be traced back to certain place names in England, such as Lively in Shropshire and Lively Green in Hampshire. It is possible that some individuals adopted the surname based on their association with these localities.

Notable individuals who bore the surname Lively include Sir Michael Lively (c. 1570-1628), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis. Another prominent figure was John Lively (1692-1766), a British architect and surveyor who designed several churches and country houses in the Georgian style.

In the 18th century, Edward Lively (1723-1808) was a renowned English engraver and printmaker, known for his intricate illustrations of landscapes and architectural subjects. His works are held in collections at the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is found in the records of William Lively, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Another early American bearer of the name was Thomas Lively, who settled in Maryland in the late 17th century.

During the 19th century, John Lively (1825-1892) was a notable American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Delaware.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lively families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lively 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. Warwickshire leads with 40 Livelys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.29x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 40 10.29x
Gloucestershire 16 5.29x
Oxfordshire 14 14.71x
Middlesex 12 0.78x
Cheshire 9 2.65x
Sussex 9 3.46x
Lancashire 8 0.44x
Buckinghamshire 6 6.44x
Lanarkshire 6 1.20x
Staffordshire 5 0.96x
Surrey 5 0.67x
Leicestershire 4 2.34x
Lincolnshire 4 1.62x
Yorkshire 4 0.26x
Durham 3 0.65x
Northumberland 3 1.31x
Renfrewshire 3 2.51x
Flintshire 2 4.83x
Kent 2 0.38x
Ayrshire 1 0.87x
Berkshire 1 0.86x
Worcestershire 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Welford in Warwickshire leads with 15 Livelys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4054.05x.

Place Total Index
Welford 15 4054.05x
Aston 9 8.41x
Clifford Chambers 9 4500.00x
Romiley 9 937.50x
Neithrop 8 250.00x
Warwick St Mary 7 207.72x
Buckland 6 4000.00x
Falmer 6 2000.00x
Bothwell 5 36.98x
Hackney London 5 5.79x
Newington 5 8.78x
Shabbington 5 2631.58x
Wolverhampton 5 12.50x
Newbold Verdon 4 1025.64x
Warwick St Nicholas 4 140.35x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 3 99.67x
Over Darwen 3 20.53x
Paisley High Church 3 31.55x
Ringmer 3 410.96x
Swalcliffe Sibford Gower 3 1304.35x
Dawdon 2 35.46x
Kensington London 2 2.33x
Manthorpe Cum Little 2 106.38x
Middlesbrough 2 10.06x
Milton In Gravesend 2 25.38x
Polesworth 2 108.11x
Precinct Of Savoy London 2 2857.14x
Rhuddlan 2 54.79x
Spittlegate 2 58.65x
Atherton 1 15.02x
Auckinleck 1 28.01x
Barford St Michael 1 625.00x
Bierton With Broughton 1 232.56x
Billinge Chapel End 1 97.09x
Charlbury 1 93.46x
Chelsea London 1 2.15x
Everton 1 1.72x
Gateshead 1 2.91x
Hammersmith London 1 2.63x
Keighley 1 6.14x
Kenilworth 1 45.66x
Leamington 1 38.76x
Linthorpe 1 10.98x
Liverpool 1 0.90x
Norton 1 454.55x
Old Monkland 1 5.06x
Oxford St Peter Le Bailey 1 212.77x
Paddington London 1 1.76x
Stapleton 1 17.45x
Stratford On Avon 1 46.30x
Thatcham 1 56.18x
Walton On Hill 1 10.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Alice 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Elizabeth 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Catherin 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Elizth., 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Lizzie 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
May 1
Mirrier 1
Phebe 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Lively surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lively surname in 1881?

In 1881, 158 people were recorded with the Lively surname. That placed it at #14,989 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lively surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016. That gives Lively a modern rank of #17,361.

What does the Lively surname mean?

Derived from a nickname for a lively or active person, or from a place name meaning "leafy meadow."

What does the Lively map show?

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