NameCensus.

UK surname

Motley

A descriptive surname referring to a person who wore multi-colored or patchwork clothing.

In the 1881 census there were 379 people recorded with the Motley surname, ranking it #8,268 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 565, ranked #9,091, down from #8,268 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wrangle, London parishes and Boston (incl. Boston allotments). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leicester, Harrogate and Chelmsford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Motley is 612 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.1%.

1881 census count

379

Ranked #8,268

Modern count

565

2016, ranked #9,091

Peak year

1999

612 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Motley had 379 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,268 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 565 in 2016, ranked #9,091.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 555 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Motley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Motley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Motley 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 355 #6,654
1861 historical 227 #10,749
1881 historical 379 #8,268
1891 historical 362 #9,569
1901 historical 503 #8,015
1911 historical 555 #7,231
1997 modern 562 #8,527
1998 modern 591 #8,481
1999 modern 612 #8,336
2000 modern 599 #8,435
2001 modern 587 #8,424
2002 modern 598 #8,482
2003 modern 594 #8,391
2004 modern 597 #8,375
2005 modern 565 #8,633
2006 modern 569 #8,612
2007 modern 563 #8,739
2008 modern 565 #8,780
2009 modern 577 #8,838
2010 modern 595 #8,844
2011 modern 558 #9,152
2012 modern 558 #9,071
2013 modern 565 #9,124
2014 modern 578 #9,034
2015 modern 564 #9,119
2016 modern 565 #9,091

Geography

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Where Motleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wrangle, London parishes, Boston (incl. Boston allotments) and Leake. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leicester, Harrogate, Chelmsford, Boston and Lincoln. 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 Wrangle Lincolnshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
5 Leake Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leicester 026 Leicester
2 Harrogate 006 Harrogate
3 Chelmsford 006 Chelmsford
4 Boston 007 Boston
5 Lincoln 003 Lincoln

Forenames

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First names often paired with Motley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Motley

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Motley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Motley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Motley is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Motley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Motley

The surname Motley originates from England, first appearing during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "mot" meaning a meeting or assembly, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests the name may have referred to a person who lived near a communal gathering place or meeting meadow.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, listed as Motleia. This indicates the name was present in Anglo-Saxon England prior to the Norman Conquest. Variations such as Motley, Mottley, and Motteley emerged over the following centuries.

In the 13th century, the name is found in records from Lancashire, with Henry de Motlegh mentioned in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1246. This points to the name being particularly prominent in northern England during the Middle Ages.

The name Motley has connections to several place names, including Motley in Cheshire and Motley Hill in Wiltshire. These locations may have influenced the surname's development and spread.

Notable historical figures with the surname Motley include John Lothrop Motley (1814-1877), an American historian and diplomat known for his works on the Dutch Republic. Another prominent individual was John Motley (1714-1773), an English dramatist and playwright who wrote several popular comedies in the 18th century.

Other individuals of note bearing the Motley name include William Motley (1815-1873), an American bishop and abolitionist; Archibald Motley Jr. (1891-1981), an African American painter and pioneer of the Harlem Renaissance art movement; and Willard Motley (1909-1965), an American novelist best known for his depictions of life in Chicago.

While the Motley surname is not among the most common, it has a rich history spanning over nine centuries, with roots in the language and landscape of medieval England. Its evolution and prevalence in certain regions reflect the diverse paths surnames have taken throughout British history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Motley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Motley 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. Lincolnshire leads with 178 Motleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.03x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 178 30.03x
Yorkshire 52 1.42x
Middlesex 27 0.73x
Kent 24 1.90x
Herefordshire 19 12.50x
Surrey 19 1.05x
Lancashire 14 0.32x
Nottinghamshire 9 1.80x
Cheshire 7 0.86x
Cambridgeshire 5 2.13x
Essex 5 0.68x
Derbyshire 4 0.69x
Northumberland 4 0.73x
Somerset 3 0.50x
Warwickshire 3 0.32x
Gloucestershire 2 0.28x
Hertfordshire 1 0.39x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.36x
Leicestershire 1 0.24x
Monmouthshire 1 0.37x
Norfolk 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leake in Lincolnshire leads with 17 Motleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 625.00x.

Place Total Index
Leake 17 625.00x
Leeds 16 7.71x
Wrangle 16 1081.08x
Fulstow 12 1690.14x
Manchester 11 5.56x
Haltham 10 5000.00x
Gautby 9 6923.08x
Lambeth 9 2.78x
Little Steeping 9 2571.43x
Yarborough 9 2571.43x
Charlton Next Woolwich 8 60.65x
Driby 8 5333.33x
Greenwich 8 13.56x
Hereford St John 8 462.43x
Kirkby Upon Bain 8 2424.24x
Birkenhead 7 10.73x
Hereford All Sts 6 86.21x
Newington 6 59.35x
Streatham 6 21.82x
Gainsborough 5 35.79x
Gillingham 5 19.18x
Little Shelford 5 769.23x
Sibsey 5 373.13x
St Martin Lincoln 5 90.91x
Boston 4 22.25x
Byker 4 14.67x
Cleethorpes 4 114.61x
Coningsby 4 235.29x
Covenham St Mary 4 3076.92x
East Keal 4 800.00x
Hasland 4 67.68x
Hutton Cranswick 4 258.06x
Ingham 4 526.32x
Mile End Old Town 4 6.84x
Tattershall 4 655.74x
Teddington London 4 47.62x
Tumby 4 909.09x
Warley 4 37.66x
Birchington 3 169.49x
Gibbet Hills 3 4285.71x
Great Grimsby 3 7.97x
Haven Bank 3 7500.00x
Newark Upon Trent 3 16.70x
Ratcliffe London 3 14.66x
Shipley 3 15.74x
St George Bloomsbury 3 14.10x
St George In East 3 11.90x
Charlecote 2 606.06x
Ecclesfield 2 7.43x
Fishtoft 2 172.41x
Heckington 2 88.89x
Islington London 2 0.56x
Limehouse London 2 4.92x
Little Warley 2 196.08x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.55x
Preston 2 1.70x
Sheffield 2 1.71x
Skircoat 2 13.81x
South Leverton 2 392.16x
St Marylebone London 2 1.01x
St Swithin Lincoln 2 21.46x
Stewton 2 1538.46x
Stickney 2 227.27x
Stroud 2 14.13x
Walcot 2 6.29x
Woodford St Mary 2 240.96x
Aswardby 1 1428.57x
Batley 1 2.86x
Blankney 1 120.48x
Eccleshill 1 11.19x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 4.23x
Kensington London 1 0.49x
Kexby 1 243.90x
Newington 1 0.73x
Poplar London 1 1.43x
Skerne 1 454.55x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 1 11.99x
Sturton 1 149.25x
Sutton St Mary 1 17.86x
Tupsley 1 77.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 38
Elizabeth 20
Sarah 11
Annie 10
Ann 9
Eliza 7
Hannah 6
Jane 6
Harriet 5
Emma 4
Louisa 4
Susan 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
Fanny 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Betsy 2
Bridget 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Emily 2
Frances 2
Helen 2
Kate 2
Matilda 2
Ruth 2
Selina 2
Adelena 1
Anne 1
Bessy 1
Betsey 1
Damarias 1
Ealy 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Georgiana 1
Isabella 1
Lavinia 1
Lillian 1
Margaret 1
Margerat 1
Marian 1
Minie 1
Nelly 1
Phoebe 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Susaner 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 29
William 27
George 14
Thomas 13
Charles 12
Joseph 11
Henry 9
James 7
Frederick 6
Robert 6
Edward 5
Francis 4
Harry 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
David 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Jessie 2
Patrick 2
Walter 2
Aaron 1
Anthony 1
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Freddy 1
Greetham 1
Henrietta 1
Herburt 1
Jonathan 1
Michael 1
Moses 1
Phillips 1
Rannard 1
Richard 1
Smith 1
Stephen 1
Wilfred 1
Willam 1

FAQ

Motley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Motley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 379 people were recorded with the Motley surname. That placed it at #8,268 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Motley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 565 in 2016. That gives Motley a modern rank of #9,091.

What does the Motley surname mean?

A descriptive surname referring to a person who wore multi-colored or patchwork clothing.

What does the Motley map show?

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