NameCensus.

UK surname

Shepley

Originally denoted someone from a sheep pasture or sheep clearing.

In the 1881 census there were 819 people recorded with the Shepley surname, ranking it #4,576 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 585, ranked #8,879, down from #4,576 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glossop, Halifax and Birstall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Cheshire East and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shepley is 996 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 28.6%.

1881 census count

819

Ranked #4,576

Modern count

585

2016, ranked #8,879

Peak year

1911

996 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shepley had 819 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,576 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 585 in 2016, ranked #8,879.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 996 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Shepley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shepley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shepley 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 482 #5,171
1861 historical 620 #4,309
1881 historical 819 #4,576
1891 historical 940 #4,404
1901 historical 923 #5,049
1911 historical 996 #4,556
1997 modern 598 #8,162
1998 modern 642 #7,975
1999 modern 644 #8,021
2000 modern 644 #7,990
2001 modern 637 #7,904
2002 modern 664 #7,819
2003 modern 663 #7,718
2004 modern 645 #7,884
2005 modern 622 #8,047
2006 modern 624 #8,046
2007 modern 626 #8,086
2008 modern 633 #8,071
2009 modern 647 #8,107
2010 modern 637 #8,371
2011 modern 640 #8,257
2012 modern 595 #8,671
2013 modern 599 #8,765
2014 modern 599 #8,816
2015 modern 595 #8,786
2016 modern 585 #8,879

Geography

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Where Shepleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glossop, Halifax, Birstall, Manchester and Stockport. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tameside, Cheshire East and High Peak. 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 Glossop Derbyshire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Stockport Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tameside 006 Tameside
2 Cheshire East 013 Cheshire East
3 High Peak 003 High Peak
4 Cheshire East 050 Cheshire East
5 Tameside 017 Tameside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shepley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shepley

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Shepley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Shepley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Shepley is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shepley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Shepley

The surname Shepley is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is a locational name derived from the place name Shepley, a village in West Yorkshire, England. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "sceap" meaning sheep and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow, thus suggesting that the area was a place where sheep were grazed.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Scipelei". This entry refers to the village of Shepley, indicating that the name was already in use during the Norman conquest of England.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared as "de Shepley" or "de Shipley", which was a common way of denoting a person's place of origin during that time. This form of the name can be found in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273 and the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327.

Notable individuals with the surname Shepley throughout history include:

1. Sir Robert Shepley (c. 1460 - 1537), an English judge and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Henry VIII. 2. John Shepley (1508 - 1542), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the reign of Henry VIII for his religious beliefs. 3. Thomas Shepley (1605 - 1677), an English clergyman and puritan divine who served as a chaplain during the English Civil War. 4. John Shepley (1772 - 1853), an American architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Boston, Massachusetts. 5. George Foster Shepley (1819 - 1908), an American lawyer, judge, and military officer who served as a Union general during the American Civil War.

The name Shepley has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Shepley Bridge in Derbyshire and Shepley Street in Lincolnshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shepley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shepley 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. Lancashire leads with 287 Shepleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.04x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 287 3.04x
Cheshire 209 11.91x
Yorkshire 160 2.03x
Derbyshire 111 8.92x
Staffordshire 11 0.41x
Middlesex 9 0.11x
Durham 8 0.34x
Warwickshire 7 0.35x
Kent 2 0.07x
Leicestershire 2 0.23x
Surrey 2 0.05x
Berkshire 1 0.17x
Devon 1 0.06x
Essex 1 0.06x
Lincolnshire 1 0.08x
Northumberland 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 1.06x
Worcestershire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 79 Shepleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.95x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 79 25.95x
Glossop Dale 62 106.36x
Ashton Under Lyne 51 24.74x
Hyde 37 71.44x
Dukinfield 30 37.00x
Gomersal 30 81.59x
Newton 25 34.38x
Mottram 23 289.31x
Macclesfield 22 28.20x
Manchester 21 4.95x
Liversedge 19 54.18x
Werneth 19 345.45x
Chapel En Le Frith 18 158.45x
Barton Upon Irwell 17 23.94x
Halliwell 13 37.87x
Warley 12 52.70x
Skircoat 11 35.40x
Kingswinford 9 9.24x
Marple 9 74.69x
Mirfield 9 20.81x
Norland 9 166.36x
Broughton In Salford 8 9.27x
Halifax 8 6.92x
Horbury 8 58.06x
Aston 7 1.27x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 7 85.47x
Bradford 7 15.85x
Bramhall 7 96.29x
Darlington 7 7.67x
Gorton 7 7.89x
Hollingworth 7 96.69x
Newton In Ashton Under 7 40.42x
Stansfield 7 24.15x
Tintwistle 7 74.63x
Beard 6 148.15x
Bowling 6 7.69x
Haslington 6 121.46x
Hayfield 6 78.53x
Hunslet 6 4.88x
Sheffield 6 2.39x
Everton 5 1.66x
Godley 5 131.93x
Great Bolton 5 4.00x
Huddersfield 5 4.36x
Islington London 5 0.65x
Soothill 5 17.57x
Wheelock 5 231.48x
Adlington 4 170.21x
Ardwick 4 4.70x
Chadderton 4 8.67x
Cheetham 4 5.69x
Chesterfield 4 8.57x
Matley 4 714.29x
Prestwich 4 17.00x
Swettenham 4 851.06x
Tonge 4 20.21x
Walton Le Dale 4 15.78x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 2.00x
Denton 3 14.35x
Elland Cum Greetland 3 8.45x
Liverpool 3 0.52x
Ludworth 3 51.19x
Mellor 3 88.76x
Shoreditch London 3 0.87x
Stayley 3 14.96x
Upperthong 3 44.78x
Bermondsey 2 0.85x
Bosden 2 37.11x
Buxton 2 18.99x
Castle Donnington 2 27.36x
Cheadle 2 5.97x
Chorlton 2 194.17x
Cleckheaton 2 6.89x
Deptford St Paul 2 0.96x
Hapton 2 33.90x
Hartshead 2 56.66x
Middleton In Oldham 2 7.07x
Rastrick 2 9.14x
Saddleworth 2 3.29x
Worsley 2 3.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 64
Sarah 35
Elizabeth 30
Ann 25
Jane 25
Hannah 23
Eliza 16
Alice 13
Emma 13
Harriet 13
Annie 11
Margaret 10
Esther 9
Martha 9
Ellen 7
Emily 7
Ada 6
Nancy 6
Fanny 5
Maria 5
Betty 4
Florence 4
Bertha 3
Charlotte 3
Elizth. 3
Helen 3
Susannah 3
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Lizzie 2
Matilda 2
Rebecca 2
Anne 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Bridget 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Elizebeth 1
H. 1
H.T. 1
Heppzibath 1
Hetty 1
Hezia 1
Ida 1
Isabella 1
Sushannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 47
James 46
William 42
Thomas 38
Joseph 23
George 20
Charles 17
Robert 12
Samuel 11
Henry 8
Albert 6
Edward 6
Arthur 4
Harry 4
Peter 4
Richard 4
Walter 4
Wm. 4
Abraham 3
Alfred 3
Herbert 3
Hugh 3
Jonathan 3
Ralph 3
Sam 3
Abel 2
Ashton 2
Chas. 2
David 2
Duke 2
Eli 2
Enoch 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Joshua 2
Thos. 2
Wright 2
Alfd. 1
Ben 1
Benjamin 1
Bryan 1
Dennis 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Frank.H. 1
Isaih 1
Jams 1
Jesse 1
Jim 1
Joe 1

FAQ

Shepley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shepley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 819 people were recorded with the Shepley surname. That placed it at #4,576 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shepley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 585 in 2016. That gives Shepley a modern rank of #8,879.

What does the Shepley surname mean?

Originally denoted someone from a sheep pasture or sheep clearing.

What does the Shepley map show?

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