NameCensus.

UK surname

Miley

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Maoilmhichíl," meaning "descendant of the devotee of St. Michael."

In the 1881 census there were 109 people recorded with the Miley surname, ranking it #18,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 506, ranked #9,905, up from #18,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Gateshead and Tatenhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, Cheshire West and Chester and Braintree.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Miley is 507 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 364.2%.

1881 census count

109

Ranked #18,793

Modern count

506

2016, ranked #9,905

Peak year

2010

507 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Miley had 109 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 506 in 2016, ranked #9,905.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 190 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Miley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Miley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Miley 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 68 #21,302
1861 historical 163 #14,242
1881 historical 109 #18,793
1891 historical 151 #18,242
1901 historical 156 #17,638
1911 historical 190 #15,438
1997 modern 462 #9,869
1998 modern 468 #10,098
1999 modern 462 #10,249
2000 modern 455 #10,340
2001 modern 448 #10,274
2002 modern 476 #9,999
2003 modern 464 #10,003
2004 modern 466 #10,030
2005 modern 470 #9,879
2006 modern 470 #9,924
2007 modern 464 #10,113
2008 modern 472 #10,074
2009 modern 491 #9,999
2010 modern 507 #9,947
2011 modern 494 #10,042
2012 modern 486 #10,073
2013 modern 492 #10,138
2014 modern 501 #10,063
2015 modern 502 #9,972
2016 modern 506 #9,905

Geography

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Where Mileys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Gateshead, Tatenhill, Liverpool and St John Hampstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, Cheshire West and Chester, Braintree, Bedford and Oldham. 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 Gateshead Durham
3 Tatenhill Staffordshire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 St John Hampstead London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 041 Manchester
2 Cheshire West and Chester 014 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Braintree 001 Braintree
4 Bedford 007 Bedford
5 Oldham 034 Oldham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Miley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Miley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Miley, 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 Miley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Miley 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Miley 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

Miley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Miley

The surname Miley originates from England and is thought to have derived from the Old English words "mil" meaning "mile" and "leah" meaning "a clearing in a forest or wood". It is believed to have initially referred to someone who lived near a mile marker or a mile from a particular location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Miley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Mileleah in Berkshire. The name appeared in various forms, such as Mileley, Milelaie, and Mylaie, in medieval records across different counties in England.

In the 13th century, a notable individual named John Miley was recorded as a landowner in the village of Farnham, Surrey. Another early bearer of the name was William Myley, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1275.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Miley surname was found in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. One prominent figure from this period was Robert Miley, a wealthy merchant from London who lived between 1580 and 1647.

In the 18th century, the Miley family had a presence in the county of Staffordshire, where a branch of the family owned a significant estate. A notable member of this family was Sir Thomas Miley (1710-1789), a landowner and magistrate who played an active role in local affairs.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Miley (1766-1854), a renowned author and poet from Yorkshire, whose works were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.

As the Miley family dispersed across different regions of England over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, including Myley, Mylie, Mileigh, and Milie. However, the core meaning and origins of the surname remained rooted in its Old English etymology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Miley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Miley 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. Lancashire leads with 43 Mileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.41x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 43 3.41x
Middlesex 18 1.69x
Midlothian 7 4.92x
Essex 6 2.86x
Norfolk 5 3.06x
Warwickshire 5 1.86x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 19.49x
Staffordshire 3 0.84x
Stirlingshire 3 7.65x
Gloucestershire 2 0.96x
Kent 2 0.55x
Surrey 2 0.39x
Sussex 2 1.12x
Caernarfonshire 1 2.33x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.49x
Cheshire 1 0.43x
Cumberland 1 1.09x
Durham 1 0.32x
Hampshire 1 0.46x
Perthshire 1 2.10x
Royal Navy 1 7.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 16 Mileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.89x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 16 20.89x
Tonge 10 377.36x
St Luke London 9 52.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 12.22x
Pemberton 6 119.28x
Burnley 5 47.08x
West Ham 5 10.79x
Birmingham 4 4.48x
Hampstead London 4 24.15x
Norwich St Paul 4 408.16x
St Pancras London 4 4.67x
Bilston 3 43.17x
Falkirk 3 32.68x
Oldham 3 7.37x
Urr 3 150.00x
Greenwich 2 11.82x
Horfield 2 95.24x
Wigan 2 11.34x
All Saints Cambridge 1 212.77x
Alton 1 60.98x
Brighton 1 2.77x
Camerton 1 769.23x
Coventry St Michael 1 11.61x
Dunblane 1 87.72x
East Ham 1 25.71x
Eastbourne 1 12.12x
Everton 1 2.49x
Frensham 1 131.58x
Great Yarmouth 1 7.39x
Islington London 1 0.97x
Llandudno 1 65.36x
Richmond 1 13.77x
Tranmere 1 11.60x
Westoe 1 5.58x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Thomas 7
William 6
James 4
Edward 2
Miles 2
Patrick 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Christopher 1
Connor 1
Fred 1
Giles 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Joshu 1
Mary 1
Michael 1
Michale 1
Peter 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Miley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Miley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 109 people were recorded with the Miley surname. That placed it at #18,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Miley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 506 in 2016. That gives Miley a modern rank of #9,905.

What does the Miley surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Maoilmhichíl," meaning "descendant of the devotee of St. Michael."

What does the Miley map show?

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