NameCensus.

UK surname

Sealey

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "sallow tree clearing" or from the Old English word "sǣliġ," meaning "happy, fortunate."

In the 1881 census there were 981 people recorded with the Sealey surname, ranking it #3,964 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,863, ranked #3,414, up from #3,964 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Ipsley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, Knowsley and Redditch.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sealey is 2,006 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.9%.

1881 census count

981

Ranked #3,964

Modern count

1,863

2016, ranked #3,414

Peak year

2010

2,006 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sealey had 981 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,964 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,863 in 2016, ranked #3,414.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,440 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sealey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sealey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sealey 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 625 #4,145
1861 historical 724 #3,759
1881 historical 981 #3,964
1891 historical 1,109 #3,820
1901 historical 1,260 #3,932
1911 historical 1,440 #3,358
1997 modern 1,915 #3,154
1998 modern 1,939 #3,234
1999 modern 1,962 #3,224
2000 modern 1,982 #3,189
2001 modern 1,921 #3,213
2002 modern 1,976 #3,203
2003 modern 1,927 #3,209
2004 modern 1,918 #3,217
2005 modern 1,889 #3,227
2006 modern 1,871 #3,275
2007 modern 1,891 #3,266
2008 modern 1,866 #3,316
2009 modern 1,937 #3,299
2010 modern 2,006 #3,270
2011 modern 1,976 #3,263
2012 modern 1,899 #3,325
2013 modern 1,911 #3,364
2014 modern 1,922 #3,360
2015 modern 1,895 #3,374
2016 modern 1,863 #3,414

Geography

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Where Sealeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Ipsley and Tardebigg. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, Knowsley, Redditch, Taunton Deane and Bristol. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Ipsley Warwickshire
5 Tardebigg Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 012 Stroud
2 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
3 Redditch 013 Redditch
4 Taunton Deane 009 Taunton Deane
5 Bristol 002 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sealey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sealey

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sealey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sealey 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

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

Meaning and origin of Sealey

The surname Sealey is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "sæl," meaning "hall" or "dwelling." It is believed to have emerged in the 13th century, initially referring to someone who lived near or maintained a hall or manor house.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a William de la Sale is mentioned. This spelling variation, "de la Sale," indicates the locational nature of the surname, denoting "of the hall."

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Sele, Selle, and Sealy, reflecting the evolving spellings of the time. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a Richard de la Sele, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 record a John Saleman, potentially a variation of the name.

One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the surname was William Sele, a 14th-century English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Winchester from 1349 to 1369.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name continued to appear in various records, including the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, which list several individuals with the surname Sealey in counties such as Somerset and Wiltshire.

In the 18th century, the Sealey surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir John Sealey (1719-1799), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Heytesbury and Salisbury.

Another notable figure was Thomas Sealey (1785-1875), a British Royal Navy officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and received various honors, including the Naval General Service Medal.

In the 19th century, the Sealey surname was associated with several prominent figures, such as John Sealey (1810-1886), a British architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London.

Samuel Sealey (1828-1904) was a British artist known for his landscape paintings, while Robert Sealey (1858-1924) was a renowned English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.

Sealey is also a variant spelling of the surname, and some notable individuals with this variation include John Sealey (1715-1795), an English actor and playwright who wrote several popular plays in the 18th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sealey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sealey 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. Somerset leads with 186 Sealeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.07x.

County Total Index
Somerset 186 12.07x
Middlesex 130 1.36x
Gloucestershire 104 5.54x
Worcestershire 96 7.68x
Lancashire 52 0.46x
Staffordshire 41 1.27x
Wiltshire 39 4.61x
Essex 38 2.01x
Hampshire 38 1.94x
Berkshire 30 4.18x
Surrey 25 0.54x
Suffolk 22 1.89x
Devon 21 1.05x
Kent 18 0.55x
Monmouthshire 14 2.02x
Warwickshire 14 0.58x
Cambridgeshire 12 1.98x
Durham 10 0.35x
Glamorgan 10 0.60x
Norfolk 10 0.68x
Dorset 9 1.43x
Cumberland 8 0.97x
Yorkshire 8 0.08x
Cheshire 6 0.28x
Sussex 6 0.37x
Cornwall 5 0.46x
Bedfordshire 4 0.81x
Hertfordshire 4 0.61x
Renfrewshire 4 0.54x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.52x
Channel Islands 3 1.06x
Derbyshire 2 0.13x
Northamptonshire 2 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.16x
Royal Navy 2 1.75x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.07x
Shropshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Redditch in Worcestershire leads with 44 Sealeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 173.64x.

Place Total Index
Redditch 44 173.64x
Bristol St George 31 35.71x
Mile End Old Town 24 15.89x
Taunton St James 24 106.86x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 23 13.02x
Webheath 23 1031.39x
Shrivenham 20 561.80x
Wolverhampton 18 7.25x
Charlton 17 685.48x
Kingston 17 548.39x
Portsea 15 3.90x
Liverpool 13 1.89x
North Petherton 13 104.67x
Weeke 13 218.86x
Bures St Mary 12 422.54x
Hackney London 12 2.24x
Walsall Borough 12 47.85x
Bristol St Paul In 11 22.00x
Broomfield 11 797.10x
Dullingham 11 404.41x
Islington London 11 1.19x
Lympsham 11 738.26x
Puriton 10 404.86x
Toxteth Park 10 2.60x
Hatherleigh 9 181.45x
Martock 9 89.91x
Stroud 9 24.64x
Sunbury 9 78.33x
Althorne 8 761.90x
Bristol St James St Paul 8 12.78x
Harwich St Nicholas 8 54.83x
Willesden 8 8.87x
Birmingham 7 0.87x
Deptford St Paul 7 2.78x
Lambeth 7 0.84x
Stranton 7 7.30x
Weston Super Mare 7 17.99x
Alvechurch 6 112.78x
Ashbury 6 267.86x
Bridgewater 6 14.35x
Cardiff St Mary 6 6.54x
Charlton Adam 6 441.18x
Crosscanonby 6 22.02x
Ealing 6 7.02x
Everton 6 1.66x
Lytchett Matravers 6 264.32x
Northfield 6 25.31x
St Pancras London 6 0.78x
Swindon 6 9.14x
West Lavington 6 147.78x
Westminster St James 6 6.10x
Widnes 6 7.33x
Aberystruth 5 8.20x
Bristol St Michael 5 31.08x
Cothelstone 5 1136.36x
Great Crosby 5 16.15x
Hinton St George 5 224.22x
Hornsey 5 4.13x
Huntspill 5 79.24x
Hythe St Leonard 5 43.33x
Ipsley 5 112.87x
Kensington London 5 0.94x
Kingstanley 5 72.15x
Manningham 5 4.28x
North Perrott 5 471.70x
Pershore St Andrew 5 72.46x
Rushall 5 26.30x
St Germans 5 66.14x
West Teignmouth 5 32.81x
Barking 4 7.24x
Battersea 4 1.14x
East Brent 4 171.67x
Hammersmith London 4 1.70x
Harborne 4 3.86x
Mark 4 111.42x
St George Hanover 4 3.20x
Twerton 4 25.19x
West Greenock 4 3.01x
Westport St Mary 4 65.25x
Whitchurch 4 44.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 58
George 43
John 38
James 30
Thomas 26
Charles 25
Joseph 24
Henry 23
Frederick 16
Walter 16
Robert 15
Alfred 12
Edward 11
Albert 8
Arthur 8
Ernest 6
Francis 6
Frank 6
David 5
Herbert 5
Daniel 4
Edwin 4
Richard 4
Fredrick 3
Harry 3
Samuel 3
Benjamin 2
Fred 2
Isaac 2
Maurice 2
Patrick 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Alfd. 1
Aurther 1
Burroughs 1
Caleb 1
Cephas 1
Charley 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Jessie 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Job 1
Luke 1
Mary 1
Micheal 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Sealey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sealey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 981 people were recorded with the Sealey surname. That placed it at #3,964 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sealey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,863 in 2016. That gives Sealey a modern rank of #3,414.

What does the Sealey surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "sallow tree clearing" or from the Old English word "sǣliġ," meaning "happy, fortunate."

What does the Sealey map show?

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