NameCensus.

UK surname

Pawley

A locational surname referring to someone from Pawley, a place in England.

In the 1881 census there were 849 people recorded with the Pawley surname, ranking it #4,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,077, ranked #5,421, down from #4,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wigston, Magna, London parishes and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, Cornwall and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pawley is 1,194 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.9%.

1881 census count

849

Ranked #4,449

Modern count

1,077

2016, ranked #5,421

Peak year

1911

1,194 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pawley had 849 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,077 in 2016, ranked #5,421.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,194 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Pawley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pawley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pawley 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 497 #5,031
1861 historical 413 #6,216
1881 historical 849 #4,449
1891 historical 966 #4,279
1901 historical 1,088 #4,439
1911 historical 1,194 #3,931
1997 modern 1,105 #5,046
1998 modern 1,145 #5,083
1999 modern 1,151 #5,107
2000 modern 1,112 #5,223
2001 modern 1,089 #5,215
2002 modern 1,127 #5,181
2003 modern 1,093 #5,207
2004 modern 1,103 #5,170
2005 modern 1,074 #5,238
2006 modern 1,088 #5,181
2007 modern 1,083 #5,244
2008 modern 1,098 #5,226
2009 modern 1,100 #5,316
2010 modern 1,111 #5,393
2011 modern 1,104 #5,355
2012 modern 1,089 #5,338
2013 modern 1,103 #5,358
2014 modern 1,114 #5,337
2015 modern 1,107 #5,325
2016 modern 1,077 #5,421

Geography

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Where Pawleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wigston, Magna, London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Maker. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, Cornwall, Plymouth and Leicester. 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 Wigston, Magna Leicestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Maker Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 011 North Norfolk
2 Cornwall 072 Cornwall
3 Plymouth 013 Plymouth
4 Plymouth 029 Plymouth
5 Leicester 037 Leicester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pawley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pawley

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Pawley is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Pawley is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Pawley

The surname Pawley has its origins in England and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "pæla" meaning "pole" or "stake" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a cleared area of land marked by poles or stakes.

The earliest recorded instances of the Pawley surname can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a John de Pauley in the county of Oxfordshire. Additionally, the Inquisitiones Post Mortem from 1351 reference a Richard de Pauley in Warwickshire.

Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Pauley, Pawly, and Pawlie, before the modern spelling of Pawley became more widely established. Some of these early variations may have been influenced by the place names from which certain individuals took their surnames, such as Pauley in Staffordshire or Pawley in Bedfordshire.

Notable individuals with the Pawley surname throughout history include Sir Walter Pawley (c. 1565-1630), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1624. Another prominent figure was William Pawley (1766-1832), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.

In the literary realm, the name Pawley is associated with Henry Charles Pawley (1848-1908), an English author and journalist who wrote several books on angling and rural life. Additionally, Harold Pawley (1892-1917) was a British World War I poet whose works were published posthumously.

Crossing the Atlantic, one notable figure was Joseph Pawley (1760-1838), an American politician and military officer who served as a Brigadier General during the War of 1812 and later as a Member of Congress from Pennsylvania.

While these examples provide a glimpse into the historical significance of the Pawley surname, it is important to note that many other individuals with this name have undoubtedly contributed to various fields and communities throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pawley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pawley 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. Devon leads with 161 Pawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.30x.

County Total Index
Devon 161 9.30x
Leicestershire 153 16.58x
Middlesex 86 1.03x
Kent 74 2.61x
Cornwall 70 7.43x
Norfolk 47 3.67x
Surrey 46 1.13x
Essex 40 2.44x
Lincolnshire 29 2.18x
Glamorgan 17 1.17x
Lancashire 15 0.15x
Buckinghamshire 14 2.78x
Warwickshire 13 0.62x
Berkshire 12 1.92x
Cambridgeshire 12 2.28x
Somerset 10 0.75x
Yorkshire 10 0.12x
Cheshire 8 0.44x
Hampshire 8 0.47x
Dorset 6 1.10x
Northamptonshire 6 0.77x
Royal Navy 4 4.03x
Staffordshire 4 0.14x
Gloucestershire 3 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.30x
Cumberland 1 0.14x
Hertfordshire 1 0.17x
Suffolk 1 0.10x
Sussex 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 48 Pawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.97x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 48 35.97x
Leicester St Margaret 46 20.45x
Wigston Magna 41 334.97x
Stoke Damerel 37 30.52x
West Ham 33 9.10x
Lambeth 20 2.76x
Whetstone 20 591.72x
Maker 18 206.90x
Fakenham Alethorpe 17 1075.95x
Crowland 15 179.64x
Leire 15 1851.85x
Otham 15 1401.87x
St Stephens By Saltash 15 369.46x
Hempton 14 864.20x
Tormoham 14 19.10x
Wycombe 14 37.33x
Plymouth Charles The 13 17.04x
Saltash 13 177.84x
Ugborough 13 310.26x
Camberwell 12 2.26x
St Pancras London 12 1.79x
Islington London 11 1.36x
Frome 10 31.22x
St Andrewthe Less 10 16.61x
Denbury 9 957.45x
Landrake 9 430.62x
Maidstone 9 10.64x
Newington 9 2.93x
Penarth 9 63.56x
Reading St Giles 9 14.69x
Shoreditch London 9 2.50x
Skelton In Guisbrough 9 40.34x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 3.71x
Birmingham 8 1.14x
Cardiff St Mary 8 10.02x
Whaplode 8 176.60x
Prittlewell 7 30.76x
Thurnby 7 1060.61x
Broughton Astley 6 297.03x
Christchurch 6 16.23x
Deptford St Paul 6 2.74x
Ermington 6 95.24x
Frindsbury 6 56.07x
Fulham London 6 4.97x
Shereford 6 2500.00x
Stamford Baron St Martin 6 143.20x
Barkby 5 279.33x
Bromley London 5 2.73x
Chelsea London 5 1.99x
East Stonehouse 5 14.65x
Greenwich 5 3.77x
Kingsbridge 5 114.68x
Leicester St Mary 5 6.71x
Sheviock 5 314.47x
St Marylebone London 5 1.13x
Willington 5 1219.51x
Bethnal Green London 4 1.11x
Madron Penzance 4 11.68x
Royal Navy 4 4.72x
Sevenoaks 4 17.38x
St Andrew Holborn 4 14.18x
St George Hanover 4 3.68x
St George In East 4 7.07x
St Germans 4 60.88x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 1.34x
Upway 4 192.31x
Bressingham 3 206.90x
Coventry St Michael 3 4.45x
Faversham 3 11.08x
Hackney London 3 0.64x
Lee 3 7.28x
Minster In Sheppey 3 6.38x
Salford 3 1.03x
St Luke London 3 2.25x
Sutton At Hone 3 50.93x
Thornham 3 162.16x
Tonbridge 3 2.93x
Utkinton 3 202.70x
Wolborough 3 13.70x
Wrawby 3 83.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 62
Elizabeth 46
Sarah 35
Jane 18
Annie 17
Ann 14
Emma 14
Ellen 11
Eliza 10
Alice 9
Louisa 9
Caroline 8
Emily 8
Maria 8
Ada 7
Florence 7
Edith 6
Frances 6
Margaret 6
Amelia 5
Bessie 4
Clara 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Jessie 4
Kate 4
Martha 4
Amy 3
Anna 3
Catherine 3
Charlotte 3
Esther 3
Fanny 3
Harriett 3
Julia 3
Laura 3
Lizzie 3
Maud 3
Rebecca 3
Rose 3
Susan 3
Agnes 2
Beatrice 2
Blanche 2
Eleanor 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Honor 2
Lydia 2
Elith. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 47
William 47
George 35
James 24
Thomas 19
Richard 16
Charles 12
Edward 12
Henry 11
Arthur 9
Ernest 9
Robert 9
Alfred 8
Albert 7
Edwin 7
Frederick 7
Joseph 7
Walter 7
Samuel 6
Benjamin 5
Frank 5
David 4
Matthew 4
Sidney 4
Fredrick 3
Herbert 3
Philip 3
Wm. 3
Edmund 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Harvey 2
Jessie 2
Robt. 2
Sampson 2
Stephen 2
Tom 2
Wallace 2
Alan 1
Alic 1
Ben 1
Benj. 1
Douglas 1
Earnest 1
Edwd. 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
J.H.R. 1

FAQ

Pawley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pawley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 849 people were recorded with the Pawley surname. That placed it at #4,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pawley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,077 in 2016. That gives Pawley a modern rank of #5,421.

What does the Pawley surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Pawley, a place in England.

What does the Pawley map show?

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