NameCensus.

UK surname

Mailey

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name 'O'Maille', meaning 'descendant of a servant or follower'.

In the 1881 census there were 77 people recorded with the Mailey surname, ranking it #22,617 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 280, ranked #15,491, up from #22,617 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newcastle All Saints, Methven and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Portsmouth, Wigan and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mailey is 305 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 263.6%.

1881 census count

77

Ranked #22,617

Modern count

280

2016, ranked #15,491

Peak year

1999

305 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mailey had 77 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,617 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 280 in 2016, ranked #15,491.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 195 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mailey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mailey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mailey 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 195 #12,263
1881 historical 77 #22,617
1891 historical 137 #19,501
1901 historical 166 #17,011
1911 historical 74 #25,423
1997 modern 283 #14,037
1998 modern 304 #13,773
1999 modern 305 #13,808
2000 modern 288 #14,312
2001 modern 281 #14,329
2002 modern 282 #14,585
2003 modern 282 #14,410
2004 modern 278 #14,609
2005 modern 272 #14,742
2006 modern 267 #15,042
2007 modern 262 #15,399
2008 modern 264 #15,468
2009 modern 275 #15,349
2010 modern 290 #15,096
2011 modern 292 #14,863
2012 modern 284 #15,090
2013 modern 293 #14,998
2014 modern 289 #15,251
2015 modern 285 #15,307
2016 modern 280 #15,491

Geography

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Where Maileys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newcastle All Saints, Methven, Wigan, Perth and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Portsmouth, Wigan, Gateshead, Kingston upon Hull and Borestone. 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 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
2 Methven Perth
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Perth Perth
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Portsmouth 010 Portsmouth
2 Wigan 007 Wigan
3 Gateshead 025 Gateshead
4 Kingston upon Hull 030 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Borestone Stirling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mailey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mailey

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mailey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mailey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mailey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mailey 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

Mailey falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mailey 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mailey

The surname Mailey has its origins in the Gaelic language and is believed to have originated in Scotland. It is thought to be a variant of the Scottish surname Macilledhuibh, which means "son of the black lad" or "son of the dark youth." This name was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

One of the earliest recorded spellings of the name Mailey can be found in the records of Argyll, Scotland, where it appears as "Makillewray" in the year 1512. Over time, the spelling evolved to its present form, with variations such as "Mailey," "Mailley," and "Mailie."

The name Mailey is closely linked to the Clan Macmillan, a Scottish clan from the Isle of Arran. In the 16th century, a branch of the clan settled in the area of Knapdale, Argyll, and adopted the surname Mailey or Mailley. One notable member of this clan was Sir John Mailley, who served as a member of the Scottish Parliament in the early 17th century.

Another significant historical figure with the surname Mailey was James Mailey, a Scottish soldier and explorer born in 1742. He was part of the British expeditions to the Pacific Northwest of North America in the late 18th century and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore the Fraser River in what is now British Columbia, Canada.

In Ireland, the name Mailey is believed to have derived from the Irish surname Ó Maolmhuaidh, which means "descendant of the principal devotee." This name is particularly associated with County Mayo, where it is recorded as early as the 16th century.

One notable Irish bearer of the name was Patrick Mailey, a Catholic priest and author born in County Mayo in 1821. He wrote several works on Irish history and folklore, including "The Life and Writings of St. Patrick" and "The Ancient Annals of Ireland."

Another individual of note was William Mailey, a Scottish-born artist and engraver who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was known for his engravings of portraits and landscapes, and his work can be found in various collections in the United Kingdom.

While the surname Mailey is not among the most common surnames today, it has a rich history and cultural significance, particularly in Scotland and Ireland, where it has been present for centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mailey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mailey 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. Perthshire leads with 12 Maileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.60x.

County Total Index
Perthshire 12 35.60x
Renfrewshire 12 20.62x
Lanarkshire 11 4.53x
Lancashire 11 1.23x
Middlesex 10 1.33x
Northumberland 7 6.26x
Somerset 4 3.31x
Surrey 2 0.55x
Derbyshire 1 0.85x
Kent 1 0.39x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 9.20x
Lincolnshire 1 0.83x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.99x
Staffordshire 1 0.39x
Sussex 1 0.79x
Warwickshire 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 9 Maileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.58x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 9 27.58x
Perth West Church 8 500.00x
Ardwick 7 87.06x
Byker 7 126.81x
Dalserf 6 247.93x
Paisley High Church 6 129.59x
Paisley Low Church 6 326.09x
Frome 4 138.41x
Parr 4 125.39x
Perth Middle Church 3 236.22x
Barony 2 3.25x
Kingston On Thames 2 22.75x
Arnold 1 67.57x
Aston 1 1.92x
Brighton 1 3.91x
Cheadle 1 81.97x
Chesterfield 1 22.68x
Folkestone 1 20.12x
Friskney 1 263.16x
Glasgow 1 2.32x
Govan 1 1.66x
Moulin 1 188.68x
Shettleston 1 46.08x
St Giles In Fields 1 38.61x
Troqueer 1 69.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 3
Bridget 2
Jane 2
Rachael 2
Alice 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
George 3
Patrick 3
William 3
Robert 2
Charles 1
Edward 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mailey households.

FAQ

Mailey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mailey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 77 people were recorded with the Mailey surname. That placed it at #22,617 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mailey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 280 in 2016. That gives Mailey a modern rank of #15,491.

What does the Mailey surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name 'O'Maille', meaning 'descendant of a servant or follower'.

What does the Mailey map show?

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