NameCensus.

UK surname

Rawley

A topographic name for someone living near a rowley or rough meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 234 people recorded with the Rawley surname, ranking it #11,607 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 217, ranked #18,535, down from #11,607 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barrow-in-Furness, Sutherland North and West and Camden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rawley is 411 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.3%.

1881 census count

234

Ranked #11,607

Modern count

217

2016, ranked #18,535

Peak year

1861

411 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rawley had 234 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,607 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016, ranked #18,535.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 411 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Rawley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rawley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rawley 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 194 #10,662
1861 historical 411 #6,248
1881 historical 234 #11,607
1891 historical 312 #10,744
1901 historical 261 #12,775
1911 historical 254 #12,748
1997 modern 205 #17,370
1998 modern 215 #17,306
1999 modern 217 #17,307
2000 modern 208 #17,772
2001 modern 197 #18,108
2002 modern 204 #18,062
2003 modern 205 #17,851
2004 modern 211 #17,590
2005 modern 208 #17,687
2006 modern 214 #17,507
2007 modern 222 #17,288
2008 modern 225 #17,282
2009 modern 231 #17,331
2010 modern 224 #18,047
2011 modern 218 #18,206
2012 modern 209 #18,659
2013 modern 219 #18,385
2014 modern 222 #18,355
2015 modern 212 #18,842
2016 modern 217 #18,535

Geography

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Where Rawleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Burslem, Lambeth and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barrow-in-Furness, Sutherland North and West, Camden, Rochdale and South Lakeland. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Burslem Staffordshire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barrow-in-Furness 008 Barrow-in-Furness
2 Sutherland North and West Highland
3 Camden 006 Camden
4 Rochdale 024 Rochdale
5 South Lakeland 005 South Lakeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rawley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rawley

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Rawley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Rawley 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Rawley is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Rawley 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

Rawley falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Rawley

The surname Rawley is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have been derived from the Old English word 'raw' or 'rau', meaning 'row' or 'rough'. It is thought to have been initially used as a topographic name for someone who lived near a row of houses or a rough terrain.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Rawley can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'Rawelai' in Hertfordshire, England. This entry suggests that the name may have originated as a place name before becoming a surname.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as 'Raweleye', 'Raweley', and 'Raueley' in county records and tax rolls across England. This variation in spelling was common during this period, as names were often written phonetically.

One notable bearer of the name Rawley was William Rawley (1588-1667), the personal chaplain and literary executor of Sir Francis Bacon. Rawley played a crucial role in preserving and publishing Bacon's works after his death.

Another significant figure with this surname was Sir Walter Rawley (1545-1626), an English explorer, writer, and one of the early English colonists of Virginia. He was instrumental in establishing the Roanoke Colony and is known for his work, "The History of the World".

In the 17th century, the name Rawley appeared in various church records and parish registers across England, including those of Rawley in Shropshire, which may have been the origin of the surname.

John Rawley (1762-1842) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

While the surname Rawley is not as common as some other English surnames, it has been carried by several notable individuals throughout history, reflecting its Anglo-Saxon roots and association with various places across England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rawley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rawley 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. Middlesex leads with 69 Rawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.95x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 69 2.95x
Surrey 27 2.37x
Lancashire 25 0.90x
Bedfordshire 14 11.55x
Kent 11 1.38x
Staffordshire 11 1.39x
Durham 10 1.44x
Yorkshire 10 0.43x
Midlothian 9 2.87x
Essex 8 1.73x
Isle of Man 7 16.10x
Sussex 6 1.52x
Ayrshire 5 2.85x
Buckinghamshire 3 2.12x
Devon 3 0.62x
Hertfordshire 3 1.86x
Oxfordshire 3 2.08x
Warwickshire 3 0.51x
Northamptonshire 2 0.91x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.63x
Somerset 2 0.53x
Worcestershire 2 0.65x
Lanarkshire 1 0.13x
Lincolnshire 1 0.27x
Renfrewshire 1 0.55x
Shropshire 1 0.49x
Suffolk 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 15 Rawleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.89x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 15 8.89x
Cardington 13 1313.13x
Lambeth 13 6.37x
Hackney London 10 7.62x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 9 7.13x
Kensington London 9 6.92x
Burton Upon Trent 8 43.27x
Bromley London 7 13.59x
East Molesey 7 264.15x
Onchan 7 55.91x
St Pancras London 7 3.71x
Bethnal Green London 6 5.90x
Bradford 6 46.15x
Brighton 6 7.53x
Great Totham 6 1000.00x
Islington London 5 2.20x
Shoreditch London 5 4.93x
Spitalfields London 5 28.39x
Caterham 4 79.37x
Coundon 4 141.84x
Paddington London 4 4.65x
St Clement Danes 4 105.54x
Asthall 3 1000.00x
Beckenham 3 28.74x
Brightside Bierlow 3 6.59x
Clerkenwell London 3 5.43x
Dalton In Huddersfield 3 57.69x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 9.95x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 7.99x
St Albans 3 90.63x
Darlington 2 7.44x
Deptford St Paul 2 3.25x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 4.24x
Great Missenden 2 114.94x
Kilbirnie 2 47.51x
Kilmarnock 2 9.59x
Little Bolton 2 5.60x
Marston St Lawrence 2 645.16x
Nailsea 2 134.23x
Nottingham St Mary 2 2.45x
Nuneaton 2 29.24x
Oldbury 2 13.30x
St George Hanover 2 6.54x
Althorpe 1 117.65x
Amersham 1 49.75x
Armitage 1 97.09x
Bedford St Cuthbert 1 92.59x
Birmingham 1 0.51x
Blackburn 1 1.35x
Croydon 1 1.58x
Darenth 1 81.30x
Ditton 1 87.72x
Dorking 1 13.05x
Elvet 1 19.88x
Garton On Wolds 1 238.10x
Glasgow 1 0.74x
Halifax 1 2.94x
Iwade 1 526.32x
Leyton Low 1 10.65x
Maidstone 1 4.20x
Margate St John Baptist 1 6.84x
Mersham 1 172.41x
Middle Greenock 1 20.20x
Prittlewell 1 15.63x
Riccarton 1 37.88x
Rugeley 1 17.64x
Southwark St John 1 13.97x
St Giles In Fields 1 12.39x
Thwaite 1 833.33x
Trysull 1 217.39x
Walmer 1 28.82x
Westminster St John 1 3.51x
Worfield 1 71.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 8
Emma 7
Annie 4
Ann 3
Clara 3
Harriet 3
Margaret 3
Alice 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Gertrude 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliz.Ann 1
Eliza 1
Elizab. 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Hariet 1
Harriett 1
Hetty 1
Isabel 1
Jeanitte 1
Johanna 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Kathrine 1
Katie 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 12
John 11
William 11
James 9
George 5
Henry 5
Joseph 4
Patrick 4
Alfred 3
David 3
Edwin 3
Robert 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
Michael 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Alford 1
Benjamin 1
Edwd. 1
Ezekiel 1
F.G. 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
G.W. 1
Herb. 1
Hugh 1
Jame 1
Jas.Robt. 1
Louis 1
Manuel 1
Percy 1
Stephen 1
T.W. 1
W.A. 1
Walt. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Rawley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rawley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 234 people were recorded with the Rawley surname. That placed it at #11,607 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rawley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016. That gives Rawley a modern rank of #18,535.

What does the Rawley surname mean?

A topographic name for someone living near a rowley or rough meadow.

What does the Rawley map show?

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