NameCensus.

UK surname

Methley

In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Methley surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #21,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wath-on-Dearn, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Sheffield and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Methley is 130 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.0%.

1881 census count

86

Ranked #21,449

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

2015

130 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Methley had 86 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 105 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Methley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Methley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Methley 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 59 #22,756
1861 historical 88 #22,554
1881 historical 86 #21,449
1891 historical 84 #26,229
1901 historical 104 #22,310
1911 historical 105 #22,064
1997 modern 108 #25,788
1998 modern 116 #25,332
1999 modern 119 #25,095
2000 modern 118 #25,197
2001 modern 117 #24,974
2002 modern 123 #24,735
2003 modern 123 #24,497
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 110 #26,717
2007 modern 113 #26,641
2008 modern 115 #26,635
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 114 #28,017
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 122 #26,696
2013 modern 127 #26,452
2014 modern 126 #26,781
2015 modern 130 #26,093
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Methleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wath-on-Dearn, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Sheffield and Silkstone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Sheffield and East Lindsey. 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 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 029 Barnsley
2 Barnsley 030 Barnsley
3 Sheffield 062 Sheffield
4 East Lindsey 010 East Lindsey
5 Sheffield 002 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Methley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Methley

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Methley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Methley 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 house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Methley is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Methley is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Methley falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Methley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Methley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Methley 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 76 Methleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.14x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 76 9.14x
Derbyshire 4 3.05x
Surrey 2 0.49x
Kent 1 0.35x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Lincolnshire 1 0.75x
Middlesex 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnsley in Yorkshire leads with 22 Methleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 256.71x.

Place Total Index
Barnsley 22 256.71x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 14 180.88x
Sheffield 11 41.57x
Hoyland Nether 8 392.16x
Heeley 7 276.68x
Sculcoates 4 30.35x
Norton 3 277.78x
Brampton Bierlow 2 188.68x
Lambeth 2 2.73x
Shafton 2 1666.67x
Swinefleet 2 555.56x
Brightside Bierlow 1 6.14x
Hayfield 1 123.46x
Horton In Bradford 1 7.70x
Leeds 1 2.13x
Mile End Old Town 1 7.55x
Nether Hallam 1 8.90x
New Sleaford 1 116.28x
Newton 1 13.04x
Tonbridge 1 9.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 4
Eliza 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Emily 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Annie 1
Augusta 1
Bertha 1
Carlotte 1
Catherine 1
Cenalia 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Margaret 1
Nelly 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 5
John 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
James 2
Richard 2
William 2
Albert 1
Arnold 1
Bernd.W. 1
Carles 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Chas.V. 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Irvin 1
Jno.Chas. 1
Job 1
Sam 1
Stanley 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Willoughby 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Methley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Methley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Methley surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Methley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Methley a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Methley map show?

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