NameCensus.

UK surname

Petley

A surname derived from an English place name meaning "Petit's clearing" or "small wood".

In the 1881 census there were 250 people recorded with the Petley surname, ranking it #11,070 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 365, ranked #12,721, down from #11,070 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ash-near-Sandwich, London parishes and Dover St James, Dover St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Test Valley, Breckland and Hillingdon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Petley is 441 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.0%.

1881 census count

250

Ranked #11,070

Modern count

365

2016, ranked #12,721

Peak year

1911

441 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Petley had 250 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,070 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 365 in 2016, ranked #12,721.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 441 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Petley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Petley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Petley 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 216 #9,818
1861 historical 177 #13,265
1881 historical 250 #11,070
1891 historical 338 #10,113
1901 historical 374 #9,930
1911 historical 441 #8,638
1997 modern 385 #11,314
1998 modern 397 #11,400
1999 modern 403 #11,382
2000 modern 396 #11,486
2001 modern 387 #11,484
2002 modern 399 #11,460
2003 modern 397 #11,316
2004 modern 385 #11,607
2005 modern 374 #11,778
2006 modern 360 #12,198
2007 modern 370 #12,073
2008 modern 376 #12,039
2009 modern 386 #12,044
2010 modern 405 #11,874
2011 modern 386 #12,170
2012 modern 360 #12,673
2013 modern 370 #12,626
2014 modern 371 #12,689
2015 modern 372 #12,544
2016 modern 365 #12,721

Geography

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Where Petleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ash-near-Sandwich, London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Margate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Test Valley, Breckland, Hillingdon, Warrington and Medway. 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 Ash-near-Sandwich Kent
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
5 Margate Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Test Valley 015 Test Valley
2 Breckland 003 Breckland
3 Hillingdon 003 Hillingdon
4 Warrington 023 Warrington
5 Medway 008 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Petley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Petley

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Petley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Petley is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Petley falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Petley

The surname PETLEY is of English origin, originating in the 12th century from the village of Petley in Shropshire, England. The name is derived from the Old English words "pett" meaning a small farm or holding, and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing or meadow. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived in a small farmstead or settlement within a woodland clearing.

Early records show variations in the spelling of the name, including Petleye, Petteley, and Pettelee. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from 1180, which mentions a William de Petley.

The PETLEY surname appears to have initially been concentrated in the Shropshire area, but over time it spread to other parts of England. In the 13th century, records show the name present in neighboring counties such as Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

Notable individuals with the PETLEY surname include:

1. Robert PETLEY (c.1500-1568), an English politician who served as Member of Parliament for Shropshire in 1547. 2. William PETLEY (1614-1680), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. 3. John PETLEY (1672-1741), a British merchant and landowner who owned estates in Gloucestershire. 4. Thomas PETLEY (1725-1798), a renowned English landscape painter and engraver, known for his pastoral scenes and depictions of the English countryside. 5. Elizabeth PETLEY (1785-1861), a British writer and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education in the early 19th century.

Some of the earliest recorded place names associated with the PETLEY surname include Petley Wood, Petley Farm, and Petley Manor, all located in the vicinity of the original village of Petley in Shropshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Petley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Petley 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. Kent leads with 133 Petleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.92x.

County Total Index
Kent 133 15.92x
Middlesex 40 1.63x
Surrey 21 1.76x
Suffolk 17 5.70x
Hampshire 13 2.59x
Norfolk 8 2.13x
Essex 4 0.83x
Berkshire 3 1.63x
Devon 3 0.59x
Derbyshire 2 0.52x
Durham 2 0.27x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.64x
Gloucestershire 1 0.21x
Midlothian 1 0.30x
Royal Navy 1 3.43x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Lawrence in Kent leads with 19 Petleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 331.01x.

Place Total Index
St Lawrence 19 331.01x
Ramsgate 15 109.97x
Camberwell 8 5.12x
Margate St John Baptist 8 52.29x
Sarre 8 5333.33x
St George In East 8 48.05x
Deptford St Paul 7 10.86x
Finchley 7 74.55x
Attleborough 6 315.79x
Chislet 6 638.30x
Ewell Lydden 6 923.08x
Gislingham 6 1304.35x
Lavenham 6 384.62x
St Marylebone London 6 4.59x
Ash Next Sandwich 5 270.27x
Eastry 5 431.03x
Minster In Thanet 5 287.36x
Monkton 5 1612.90x
Pinner 5 233.64x
Rochester St Nicholas 5 192.31x
Seasalter 5 471.70x
Charlton Next Woolwich 4 45.92x
Godshill 4 344.83x
Northwood 4 55.94x
Sevenoaks 4 59.08x
Southampton St Mary 4 12.67x
Stelling Minnis 4 5000.00x
Beckenham 3 27.47x
Carshalton 3 65.65x
Charlton 3 54.05x
Honiton 3 106.38x
Islington London 3 1.26x
Kingston On Thames 3 10.47x
Lambeth 3 1.41x
New Windsor 3 48.54x
St Pancras London 3 1.52x
West Ham 3 2.81x
Barrow 2 263.16x
Bow London 2 6.42x
Canterbury St Mary 2 35.65x
Hoath 2 714.29x
Monkwearmouth 2 28.69x
Staplehurst 2 145.99x
Sudbury St Gregory 2 83.68x
Sutton 2 23.18x
Swadlincote 2 476.19x
Acol 1 400.00x
Alkham 1 208.33x
Basingstoke 1 17.33x
Besthorpe 1 243.90x
Bramerton 1 476.19x
Chartham 1 48.08x
Cheltenham 1 2.70x
Dover St James 1 27.32x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.76x
Epsom 1 17.21x
Fordwich 1 526.32x
Fulham London 1 2.82x
Godstone 1 46.73x
Hackney London 1 0.73x
Hammersmith London 1 1.66x
Harefield 1 79.37x
Herne 1 27.03x
Hougham 1 20.12x
Keighley 1 3.87x
Leyton Low 1 10.18x
Mildenhall 1 31.55x
Newmarket All Sts 1 87.72x
Royal Navy 1 4.01x
Shoreditch London 1 0.94x
St Peters 1 25.91x
Staple 1 227.27x
Whitstable 1 24.39x
Willesden 1 4.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 8
Jane 8
Caroline 5
Ellen 5
Annie 4
Alice 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Harriet 3
Margaret 3
Susannah 3
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Emma 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Kathleen 2
Martha 2
Bertha 1
Charlotte 1
Cordilia 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.Mary 1
Ethel 1
Evilin 1
Flora 1
Georgeannas 1
Harriett 1
Harrietta 1
Hellen 1
Julia 1
Leah 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Lusia 1
M. 1
Minnie 1
Pamela 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1
Tamson 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 17
George 11
Henry 11
James 11
Charles 10
Edward 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
Robert 4
Thomas 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Ambrose 2
Abraham 1
Athur 1
Berkin 1
Emmerson 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
J. 1
J.T. 1
Jas. 1
Oliver 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Will.H. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Petley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Petley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 250 people were recorded with the Petley surname. That placed it at #11,070 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Petley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 365 in 2016. That gives Petley a modern rank of #12,721.

What does the Petley surname mean?

A surname derived from an English place name meaning "Petit's clearing" or "small wood".

What does the Petley map show?

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