NameCensus.

UK surname

Mottley

A locational surname derived from a place name containing the Old English elements "mot" meaning "meeting" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing."

In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Mottley surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 157, ranked #23,006, down from #22,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Test Valley and Trafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mottley is 172 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 98.7%.

1881 census count

79

Ranked #22,357

Modern count

157

2016, ranked #23,006

Peak year

2010

172 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mottley had 79 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016, ranked #23,006.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 94 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Mottley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mottley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mottley 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 79 #22,357
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 67 #26,703
1911 historical 90 #23,797
1997 modern 155 #20,684
1998 modern 168 #20,181
1999 modern 171 #20,072
2000 modern 169 #20,199
2001 modern 165 #20,199
2002 modern 164 #20,687
2003 modern 163 #20,554
2004 modern 167 #20,367
2005 modern 169 #20,153
2006 modern 164 #20,715
2007 modern 158 #21,464
2008 modern 164 #21,137
2009 modern 164 #21,628
2010 modern 172 #21,404
2011 modern 166 #21,745
2012 modern 152 #23,069
2013 modern 159 #22,706
2014 modern 162 #22,624
2015 modern 162 #22,509
2016 modern 157 #23,006

Geography

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Where Mottleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Test Valley, Trafford, Harborough and Rochdale. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 005 Shropshire
2 Test Valley 008 Test Valley
3 Trafford 007 Trafford
4 Harborough 003 Harborough
5 Rochdale 019 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mottley

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mottley

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Mottley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Mottley 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mottley 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

Mottley is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mottley falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mottley

The surname Mottley is believed to have originated from the Old English word "mot", meaning a meeting or gathering, and the word "ley", meaning a clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a meeting place or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mottley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Motleia" in Norfolk, England. This indicates that the name has been present in England since at least the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name Mottley appeared in various forms, such as "Mottelay", "Mottelee", and "Motteley", in various records and documents from different parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Suffolk.

One notable bearer of the Mottley surname was John Mottley (c. 1692-1750), an English dramatist and biographer. He is best known for his biographies of Peter the Great and Catherine I of Russia.

Another prominent figure with this surname was John Lothrop Motley (1814-1877), an American historian and author. He is renowned for his works on the Dutch Republic, including "The Rise of the Dutch Republic" and "History of the United Netherlands".

In the early 19th century, a family named Mottley settled in Jamaica, where one of their descendants, Richard Mottley (1831-1904), became a prominent politician and served as the Mayor of Kingston from 1875 to 1876.

Another individual of note is John Mottley (1838-1922), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the late 19th century and participated in various campaigns, including the Boer War.

Lastly, Thomas Mottley (1854-1938) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and Somerset in the late 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mottley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mottley 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 21 Mottleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.30x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 21 2.30x
Surrey 19 5.06x
Yorkshire 13 1.70x
Middlesex 12 1.56x
Hampshire 4 2.53x
Sussex 3 2.31x
Pembrokeshire 2 8.17x
Warwickshire 2 1.03x
Dorset 1 1.98x
Gloucestershire 1 0.66x
Kent 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 11 Mottleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.76x.

Place Total Index
Everton 11 37.76x
Southwark Christchurch 9 249.31x
Brightside Bierlow 8 53.44x
Oldham 8 27.12x
Camberwell 5 10.16x
Sutton 4 147.06x
Linthorpe 3 65.79x
Poplar London 3 20.63x
Portsea 3 9.69x
South Bersted 3 272.73x
Birmingham 2 3.09x
Chelsea London 2 8.62x
Ealing 2 29.07x
Pembroke St Mary 2 63.49x
Sheffield 2 8.23x
St Anne Soho London 2 45.45x
Bristol St Stephen 1 256.41x
Fulham London 1 8.95x
Hampstead London 1 8.33x
Liverpool 1 1.80x
Margate St John Baptist 1 20.79x
Melcombe Regis 1 47.62x
Newington 1 3.51x
Portsmouth 1 27.47x
St Marylebone London 1 2.43x
Wigan 1 7.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charles 5
George 5
David 4
Thomas 4
James 3
Anthony 2
Arthur 2
Harry 2
John 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Cornelius 1
D. 1
Edward 1
Everitt 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Joseph 1
Laurence 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
William 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Mottley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mottley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Mottley surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mottley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016. That gives Mottley a modern rank of #23,006.

What does the Mottley surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name containing the Old English elements "mot" meaning "meeting" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing."

What does the Mottley map show?

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