NameCensus.

UK surname

Oakey

A locational surname derived from a place overgrown with oak trees.

In the 1881 census there were 693 people recorded with the Oakey surname, ranking it #5,229 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 973, ranked #5,933, down from #5,229 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Oxfordshire, South Northamptonshire and South Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oakey is 1,057 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.4%.

1881 census count

693

Ranked #5,229

Modern count

973

2016, ranked #5,933

Peak year

2000

1,057 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oakey had 693 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,229 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 973 in 2016, ranked #5,933.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 952 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Oakey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oakey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oakey 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 479 #5,198
1861 historical 443 #5,835
1881 historical 693 #5,229
1891 historical 813 #4,969
1901 historical 879 #5,227
1911 historical 952 #4,733
1997 modern 948 #5,727
1998 modern 1,038 #5,497
1999 modern 1,041 #5,528
2000 modern 1,057 #5,440
2001 modern 1,019 #5,501
2002 modern 1,028 #5,576
2003 modern 1,010 #5,546
2004 modern 1,019 #5,511
2005 modern 1,006 #5,521
2006 modern 1,000 #5,567
2007 modern 985 #5,675
2008 modern 992 #5,687
2009 modern 1,010 #5,716
2010 modern 1,047 #5,661
2011 modern 1,040 #5,636
2012 modern 988 #5,801
2013 modern 1,002 #5,812
2014 modern 1,013 #5,794
2015 modern 993 #5,842
2016 modern 973 #5,933

Geography

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Where Oakeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth, London parishes, St Pancras and Alvescott. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Oxfordshire, South Northamptonshire, South Derbyshire, Monmouthshire and Swale. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth Cambridgeshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Alvescott Oxfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Oxfordshire 012 West Oxfordshire
2 South Northamptonshire 003 South Northamptonshire
3 South Derbyshire 009 South Derbyshire
4 Monmouthshire 002 Monmouthshire
5 Swale 004 Swale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oakey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oakey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Oakey, 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 Oakey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Oakey 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Oakey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Oakey is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Oakey falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Oakey

The surname Oakey is believed to have originated in England, stemming from a location or residence near an oak tree or oak grove. It is a topographic name, referring to a person who lived near or in an area characterized by oak trees.

The name Oakey is derived from the Old English word "ac," meaning oak, with the suffix "-ey" added to denote a place or location. This naming convention was common in medieval England, where surnames often reflected a person's place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Oakey surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and populations in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "de Oke" and "Oke."

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Oakey began to appear more frequently in historical records, with variations in spelling like "Okey," "Okye," and "Okie." These variations likely emerged due to regional dialect differences and inconsistent record-keeping practices.

Notable individuals who bore the Oakey surname include:

1. John Oakey (c. 1520 – 1589), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. 2. Thomas Oakey (1608 – 1692), an English clergyman and author known for his work "The English Husbandman" on agriculture and rural life. 3. Robert Oakey (1767 – 1838), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Naval General Service Medal. 4. Lucy Oakey (1823 – 1908), an American educator and feminist who founded the Brooklyn Heights Seminary, one of the first schools in the United States to offer a comprehensive education for women. 5. John Oakey (1829 – 1903), a British entrepreneur and founder of the Oakey company, which produced emery cloth and other abrasive products for industrial use.

As the surname Oakey spread across England and later to other parts of the world through migration, it continued to be associated with locations or areas characterized by oak trees or oak groves, reflecting the name's topographic origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oakey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oakey 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. Gloucestershire leads with 162 Oakeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.17x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 162 12.17x
Middlesex 70 1.03x
Cambridgeshire 59 13.72x
Worcestershire 57 6.43x
Staffordshire 53 2.31x
Oxfordshire 45 10.73x
Leicestershire 36 4.78x
Monmouthshire 32 6.52x
Warwickshire 32 1.87x
Lancashire 20 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 18 1.97x
Surrey 16 0.48x
Essex 14 1.04x
Glamorgan 10 0.85x
Shropshire 10 1.70x
Herefordshire 9 3.23x
Yorkshire 9 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 8 5.93x
Wiltshire 8 1.33x
Kent 7 0.30x
Sussex 7 0.61x
Northumberland 3 0.30x
Northamptonshire 2 0.31x
Royal Navy 2 2.47x
Somerset 2 0.18x
Devon 1 0.07x
Durham 1 0.05x
Midlothian 1 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.46x
West Lothian 1 0.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ely Holy Trinity St Mary in Cambridgeshire leads with 27 Oakeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 144.00x.

Place Total Index
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 27 144.00x
St Pancras London 27 4.94x
Alvescot 24 2857.14x
Cheltenham 20 19.47x
Nuneaton 19 95.77x
Packington 18 671.64x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 15 61.58x
St Woollos 14 25.56x
Grimley 13 778.44x
Tibberton 13 1547.62x
Bishops Cleeve 11 325.44x
Cannock 11 27.51x
Preston 11 5.10x
Radford 11 23.66x
West Ham 11 3.72x
Winchcomb 11 166.41x
Worcester St Peter 11 65.55x
Abergavenny 10 54.41x
Badgeworth 10 427.35x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 10 201.21x
Kensington London 10 2.65x
Lambeth 10 1.69x
Little Faringdon 10 3448.28x
Tipton 10 14.25x
Upper Arley 10 588.24x
Hampstead London 9 8.51x
Ombersley 9 182.19x
Worcester St John 9 84.99x
Wotton St Mary 9 130.25x
Aberystruth 8 18.49x
Ashby De La Zouch 8 45.85x
Spitalfields London 8 15.66x
Staverton 8 1428.57x
Stoke Lacy 8 1194.03x
Tutbury 8 143.11x
Buckworth 7 1346.15x
Burton Upon Trent 7 13.05x
Chatteris 7 63.81x
Deptford St Paul 7 3.92x
Stonehouse 7 92.47x
Wotton Ville 7 555.56x
Cardiff St Mary 6 9.21x
Hasfield 6 1052.63x
Oxenton 6 1875.00x
Shrawley 6 560.75x
Aston 5 1.06x
Doddington 5 158.23x
Great Wilbraham 5 393.70x
Madeley 5 23.25x
Shrewsbury St Mary 5 21.61x
Westbury On Severn 5 94.70x
Barwell 4 100.50x
Borough Green 4 425.53x
Coventry Holy Trinity 4 7.82x
Devizes St Mary 4 65.90x
Haddenham 4 99.01x
Holy Trinity 4 2.47x
Islington London 4 0.61x
Lea Ashton Ingol 4 74.77x
Loughborough 4 11.71x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.69x
Rodbourne Cheney 4 86.21x
St George In East 4 8.66x
West Bromwich 4 3.05x
Wheatenhurst 4 470.59x
Beeston 3 28.54x
Birmingham 3 0.53x
Clapham 3 3.53x
Holt 3 535.71x
Hove 3 5.97x
Naunton 3 243.90x
Preston 3 80.65x
St Marylebone London 3 0.83x
Trumpington 3 136.99x
Aynho 2 152.67x
Dymock 2 63.09x
Langford 2 224.72x
Lassington 2 215.05x
Swepstone 2 163.93x
Tynemouth 2 3.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 54
John 39
Thomas 31
George 24
James 23
Charles 22
Henry 16
Arthur 10
Edwin 8
Albert 7
Joseph 7
Robert 7
Alfred 6
Samuel 6
Walter 6
Ernest 5
Harry 5
Richard 5
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Benjamin 3
Fredk. 3
Herbert 3
Leonard 3
Frances 2
Francis 2
Fredrick 2
Oliver 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
David 1
Elias 1
Enoss 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Giles 1
Jas. 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Martin 1
Nathaniel 1
Nathanne 1
Obadiah 1
Richd. 1
Sidney 1
Thos.Wm. 1
Tom 1
Wm.G. 1

FAQ

Oakey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oakey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 693 people were recorded with the Oakey surname. That placed it at #5,229 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oakey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 973 in 2016. That gives Oakey a modern rank of #5,933.

What does the Oakey surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place overgrown with oak trees.

What does the Oakey map show?

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