NameCensus.

UK surname

Mobley

From an English place name meaning "clearing by a hill" or "clearing with a bare hill."

In the 1881 census there were 318 people recorded with the Mobley surname, ranking it #9,342 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 461, ranked #10,625, down from #9,342 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bloxham, Dunstable and King's Sutton, Newbottle. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, Conwy and Cherwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mobley is 513 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.0%.

1881 census count

318

Ranked #9,342

Modern count

461

2016, ranked #10,625

Peak year

1911

513 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mobley had 318 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,342 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 461 in 2016, ranked #10,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 513 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Mobley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mobley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mobley 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 188 #10,939
1861 historical 197 #12,166
1881 historical 318 #9,342
1891 historical 384 #9,166
1901 historical 451 #8,686
1911 historical 513 #7,687
1997 modern 438 #10,282
1998 modern 485 #9,825
1999 modern 481 #9,958
2000 modern 480 #9,932
2001 modern 473 #9,862
2002 modern 481 #9,923
2003 modern 482 #9,755
2004 modern 486 #9,702
2005 modern 482 #9,685
2006 modern 473 #9,871
2007 modern 481 #9,844
2008 modern 482 #9,913
2009 modern 495 #9,942
2010 modern 509 #9,916
2011 modern 508 #9,839
2012 modern 488 #10,049
2013 modern 490 #10,176
2014 modern 478 #10,428
2015 modern 475 #10,396
2016 modern 461 #10,625

Geography

Back to top

Where Mobleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bloxham, Dunstable, King's Sutton, Newbottle, Birmingham Town: Birmingham 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 East Lindsey, Conwy, Cherwell, Wyre Forest and Barking and Dagenham. 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 Bloxham Oxfordshire
2 Dunstable Bedfordshire
3 King's Sutton, Newbottle Northamptonshire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 009 East Lindsey
2 Conwy 006 Conwy
3 Cherwell 009 Cherwell
4 Wyre Forest 001 Wyre Forest
5 Barking and Dagenham 007 Barking and Dagenham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mobley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mobley

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

Suburban Professionals

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mobley 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

Mobley 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

Mobley falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mobley 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 Mobley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mobley

The surname Mobley is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place called Mobberley in Cheshire, England. The name Mobberley itself is thought to be derived from the Old English words "moere" meaning "marsh" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest known record of the name, the place Mobberley is mentioned as "Modberdeleie." This suggests that the surname Mobley may have originally been spelled similarly, with variations like Mobberley, Mobberly, or Moberley being common in early records.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mobley is found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1195, which mention a Roger de Mobberley. Another early reference is in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire from 1246, where a William de Mobberly is mentioned.

In the 14th century, there are records of a John Moberley, who was born in Mobberley, Cheshire, around 1320. He was a prominent landowner and served as the High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1362.

Another notable figure with the surname Mobley was Sir John Mobberley, who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was a member of the English gentry and held lands in Cheshire and Lancashire. His son, Thomas Mobberley, was born in 1496 and served as the High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1533.

In the 17th century, there are records of a Richard Mobley, born in 1615 in Mobberley, Cheshire. He was a yeoman farmer and is believed to be an ancestor of many Mobleys who later emigrated to the American colonies.

Another prominent figure with the surname was Sir Walter Moberley, who was born in 1638 in Cheshire. He was a member of the English Parliament and served as the High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1684.

The surname Mobley has also been found in various place names throughout England, such as Mobberley Heath, Mobberley Brook, and Mobberley Hall, all of which are located in or near the original village of Mobberley in Cheshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mobley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mobley 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. Oxfordshire leads with 81 Mobleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.83x.

County Total Index
Oxfordshire 81 42.83x
Warwickshire 64 8.29x
Staffordshire 36 3.48x
Middlesex 24 0.78x
Bedfordshire 20 12.61x
Buckinghamshire 20 10.80x
Kent 14 1.34x
Lancashire 9 0.25x
Northamptonshire 8 2.78x
Worcestershire 7 1.75x
Yorkshire 7 0.23x
Berkshire 6 2.61x
Lincolnshire 6 1.23x
Surrey 6 0.40x
Gloucestershire 4 0.67x
Derbyshire 1 0.21x
Devon 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 29 Mobleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.63x.

Place Total Index
Aston 29 13.63x
Birmingham 17 6.60x
Bloxham 17 918.92x
Neithrop 17 267.30x
Wednesbury 15 58.05x
Dunstable 14 287.47x
Chatham 13 45.22x
Islington London 11 3.71x
Oxford St Giles 11 121.95x
Aylesbury 9 109.76x
Broughton In Salford 9 27.08x
Handsworth 9 35.32x
Oxford St Thomas 8 90.60x
Seighford 7 853.66x
Brightside Bierlow 6 10.08x
Chipping Norton 6 137.30x
E Adderbury 6 631.58x
Edgbaston 6 25.05x
Houghton Regis 6 237.15x
Sunninghill 6 188.09x
Warwick St Mary 6 89.42x
Weedon Loys 6 1276.60x
Audley 5 48.88x
Frodingham 5 287.36x
Linslade 5 276.24x
Southwark St John 5 53.36x
Clerkenwell London 4 5.53x
Gt Rollright 4 975.61x
Yardley 4 39.10x
Bromley London 3 4.45x
Claverdon 3 500.00x
Hanslope 3 180.72x
Kensington London 3 1.76x
Kidderminster Borough 3 12.82x
Kirtlington 3 400.00x
Westbury On Severn East 3 22.09x
Weston Turville 3 348.84x
Wootton Wawen 2 82.30x
Alfreton 1 6.86x
Banbury 1 26.39x
Bromley 1 6.28x
Chalgrove 1 185.19x
Coventry St Michael 1 4.03x
Croydon 1 1.21x
Curbridge 1 158.73x
Cutteslowe 1 5000.00x
Duns Tew 1 312.50x
Everingham 1 357.14x
Hornsey 1 2.58x
Northampton All Sts 1 10.22x
Over Norton 1 217.39x
Oxford St Ebbe 1 17.95x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 1 44.64x
Puddington 1 434.78x
St George Martyr 1 19.38x
St Marylebone London 1 0.61x
Stow On The Wold 1 75.19x
Sulgrave 1 208.33x
Sutton St Mary 1 21.60x
Wroxton 1 144.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 21
William 21
George 15
James 12
Frederick 9
Henry 9
Arthur 6
Richard 6
Thomas 6
Charles 5
Alfred 4
Joseph 4
Edwin 3
Walter 3
David 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Harry 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Amos 1
Benjamin 1
Cha. 1
Daniel 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Pryce 1
Samuel 1
Thos.C.Or 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Mobley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mobley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 318 people were recorded with the Mobley surname. That placed it at #9,342 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mobley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 461 in 2016. That gives Mobley a modern rank of #10,625.

What does the Mobley surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "clearing by a hill" or "clearing with a bare hill."

What does the Mobley map show?

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