UK surname
A locational surname derived from a place named Ratley in Warwickshire, England.
In the 1881 census there were 230 people recorded with the Ratley surname, ranking it #11,748 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 78, ranked #33,171, down from #11,748 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Amberley, London parishes and Yardley Hastings. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ratley is 230 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 66.1%.
1881 census count
230
Ranked #11,748
Modern count
78
2016, ranked #33,171
Peak year
1881
230 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Ratley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Ratley surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 159 | #12,400 |
| 1861 | historical | 201 | #11,949 |
| 1881 | historical | 230 | #11,748 |
| 1891 | historical | 227 | #13,629 |
| 1901 | historical | 201 | #15,059 |
| 1911 | historical | 184 | #15,742 |
| 1997 | modern | 99 | #27,039 |
| 1998 | modern | 99 | #27,785 |
| 1999 | modern | 98 | #28,050 |
| 2000 | modern | 93 | #28,701 |
| 2001 | modern | 89 | #28,932 |
| 2002 | modern | 95 | #28,666 |
| 2003 | modern | 93 | #28,829 |
| 2004 | modern | 92 | #29,197 |
| 2005 | modern | 90 | #29,527 |
| 2006 | modern | 91 | #29,725 |
| 2007 | modern | 87 | #30,666 |
| 2008 | modern | 88 | #30,857 |
| 2009 | modern | 87 | #31,489 |
| 2010 | modern | 81 | #32,582 |
| 2011 | modern | 82 | #32,449 |
| 2012 | modern | 84 | #32,502 |
| 2013 | modern | 87 | #32,472 |
| 2014 | modern | 90 | #32,309 |
| 2015 | modern | 82 | #32,911 |
| 2016 | modern | 78 | #33,171 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Amberley, London parishes, Yardley Hastings, Battersea and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amberley | Sussex |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | Yardley Hastings | Northamptonshire |
| 4 | Battersea | London (South Districts) |
| 5 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Ratley surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ratley, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Ratley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Ratley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Ratley is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ratley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Ratley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Ratley is of English origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from a place name, possibly a town or village in the county of Warwickshire or the surrounding areas. The name may be derived from the Old English words "ræt" meaning a type of animal such as a rat or "rǣd" meaning a road or path, combined with the word "leah" meaning a woodland clearing or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ratley name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Warwickshire, a census-like record from 1279, which mentions a Richard de Ratleia. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century.
The Ratley name also appears in the Inquisitiones Post Mortem records, which were inquiries into the property holdings of deceased individuals, conducted by the Crown. In 1361, a John de Ratlye is mentioned in relation to land holdings in Warwickshire.
In the late 16th century, the Ratley name can be found in various parish records and church registers across Warwickshire and the neighboring counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Some examples include the baptism of John Ratley in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1581 and the marriage of Edward Ratley and Alice Willington in Broughton, Oxfordshire, in 1593.
Among the notable individuals with the Ratley surname throughout history are:
1. William Ratley (c.1560 - 1627), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk from 1621 until his death.
2. John Ratley (1625 - 1692), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Stratford-upon-Avon from 1679 to 1681.
3. Thomas Ratley (1688 - 1743), a British military officer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession and later became a member of the Honourable Artillery Company.
4. Mary Ratley (1720 - 1788), an English painter and miniaturist who was active in the mid-18th century and exhibited at the Society of Artists.
5. James Ratley (1825 - 1897), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the former headquarters of the Prudential Assurance Company.
While the Ratley surname may have originated from a specific place name, it has since spread across various regions of England and beyond, carried by individuals who contributed to various fields throughout history.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ratley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Sussex leads with 54 Ratleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.34x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Sussex | 54 | 14.34x |
| Northamptonshire | 34 | 16.18x |
| Surrey | 31 | 2.85x |
| Middlesex | 28 | 1.25x |
| Oxfordshire | 27 | 19.57x |
| Buckinghamshire | 17 | 12.59x |
| Essex | 17 | 3.86x |
| Cheshire | 7 | 1.42x |
| Warwickshire | 4 | 0.71x |
| Worcestershire | 3 | 1.03x |
| Kent | 2 | 0.26x |
| Lancashire | 2 | 0.08x |
| Cambridgeshire | 1 | 0.71x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 0.22x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 0.65x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Neithrop in Oxfordshire leads with 26 Ratleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 560.34x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ratley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 17 |
| Elizabeth | 9 |
| Sarah | 8 |
| Ann | 7 |
| Kate | 5 |
| Eliza | 4 |
| Annie | 3 |
| Charlotte | 3 |
| Edith | 3 |
| Emily | 3 |
| Lucy | 3 |
| Ada | 2 |
| Amelia | 2 |
| Anne | 2 |
| Caroline | 2 |
| Catherine | 2 |
| Clara | 2 |
| Ellen | 2 |
| Emma | 2 |
| Fanny | 2 |
| Harriet | 2 |
| Margaret | 2 |
| Rose | 2 |
| Albert | 1 |
| Alice | 1 |
| Amy | 1 |
| Avis | 1 |
| Bertha | 1 |
| Bessie | 1 |
| Daisy | 1 |
| Dorothy | 1 |
| Elenor | 1 |
| Florence | 1 |
| Harriett | 1 |
| Hester | 1 |
| Jane | 1 |
| Kitty | 1 |
| Lillie | 1 |
| Lydia | 1 |
| M.A. | 1 |
| Mabel | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Martha | 1 |
| Nellie | 1 |
| Pheba | 1 |
| Pheobe | 1 |
| Rachael | 1 |
| Rebecca | 1 |
| Susan | 1 |
| Thurza | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ratley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| John | 16 |
| George | 12 |
| William | 12 |
| Thomas | 7 |
| James | 5 |
| Charles | 4 |
| Harry | 4 |
| Arthur | 3 |
| David | 3 |
| Henry | 3 |
| Walter | 3 |
| Albert | 2 |
| Frederick | 2 |
| Geo. | 2 |
| Joseph | 2 |
| Oliver | 2 |
| Richard | 2 |
| Samuel | 2 |
| Sidney | 2 |
| Alfred | 1 |
| Benjamin | 1 |
| Chas. | 1 |
| Dudley | 1 |
| Ebenezer | 1 |
| Edward | 1 |
| Edwin | 1 |
| Elijah | 1 |
| Ephraham | 1 |
| Frank | 1 |
| Geo.P. | 1 |
| Horatia | 1 |
| Hy. | 1 |
| Issac | 1 |
| Jonathan | 1 |
| Percy | 1 |
| Philip | 1 |
| Rose | 1 |
| Sydney | 1 |
| Tom | 1 |
| Willm. | 1 |
| Wm. | 1 |
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Ratley households.
FAQ
In 1881, 230 people were recorded with the Ratley surname. That placed it at #11,748 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 78 in 2016. That gives Ratley a modern rank of #33,171.
A locational surname derived from a place named Ratley in Warwickshire, England.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ratley bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.