NameCensus.

UK surname

Meanley

In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Meanley surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, down from #18,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Sedgley and Darlaston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Wolverhampton and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meanley is 147 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.8%.

1881 census count

113

Ranked #18,412

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

1891

147 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meanley had 113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 147 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Meanley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meanley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meanley 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 103 #16,835
1861 historical 71 #24,765
1881 historical 113 #18,412
1891 historical 147 #18,592
1901 historical 114 #21,166
1911 historical 143 #18,401
1997 modern 128 #23,238
1998 modern 140 #22,615
1999 modern 134 #23,378
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 128 #23,665
2002 modern 135 #23,398
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 115 #25,740
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 104 #27,646
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 108 #27,684
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 102 #29,902
2013 modern 100 #30,773
2014 modern 103 #30,539
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Meanleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Sedgley, Darlaston, Norton-under-Cannock with Little Wyrley and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Wolverhampton, Warwick and Howe of Alford. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Sedgley Staffordshire
3 Darlaston Staffordshire
4 Norton-under-Cannock with Little Wyrley Staffordshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 031 Doncaster
2 Wolverhampton 032 Wolverhampton
3 Wolverhampton 008 Wolverhampton
4 Warwick 009 Warwick
5 Howe of Alford Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meanley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meanley

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Meanley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Meanley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Meanley is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Meanley is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Meanley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meanley 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. Staffordshire leads with 72 Meanleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.35x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 72 19.35x
Warwickshire 21 7.55x
Essex 9 4.14x
Worcestershire 4 2.78x
Lancashire 3 0.23x
Derbyshire 1 0.58x
Leicestershire 1 0.82x
Middlesex 1 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 1 2.85x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolverhampton in Staffordshire leads with 16 Meanleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.92x.

Place Total Index
Wolverhampton 16 55.92x
Darlaston 14 272.37x
Aston 12 15.68x
Birmingham 9 9.72x
Norton Canes 9 661.76x
West Ham 9 18.73x
Harborne 7 58.72x
Rowley Regis 6 57.86x
Sedgley 6 43.42x
Kingswinford 5 37.01x
Dudley 4 22.86x
Amblecote 3 283.02x
Bilston 3 41.61x
Little Bolton 3 17.84x
Aldridge 1 140.85x
Brimington 1 76.34x
Cotton 1 400.00x
Hackney London 1 1.62x
Pembroke St Mary 1 22.17x
Staunton Harold 1 1111.11x
Walsall Foreign 1 5.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Sarah 5
Ann 4
Elizabeth 4
Ada 2
Annie 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Alice 1
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Kate 1
Leah 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Margery 1
Maria 1
Mrs.Ann 1
Nancey 1
Nancy 1
Pemela 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
George 5
John 5
Thomas 5
James 4
Samuel 4
Frank 3
Joseph 2
Rd. 2
Willm. 2
Albert 1
Bert 1
Charles 1
Chas.James 1
E. 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Hope 1
Hubert 1
Illedge 1
Job 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Richard 1
Saml. 1
Seimon 1
Simeon 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Meanley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meanley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Meanley surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meanley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Meanley a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Meanley map show?

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