NameCensus.

UK surname

Sidley

Habitational surname potentially derived from a place name in Yorkshire or Essex.

In the 1881 census there were 189 people recorded with the Sidley surname, ranking it #13,322 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 225, ranked #18,105, down from #13,322 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Ealing, Chiswick and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent and Taunton Deane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sidley is 275 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.0%.

1881 census count

189

Ranked #13,322

Modern count

225

2016, ranked #18,105

Peak year

1998

275 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sidley had 189 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,322 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 225 in 2016, ranked #18,105.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 241 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Sidley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sidley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sidley 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 148 #15,452
1881 historical 189 #13,322
1891 historical 196 #15,163
1901 historical 213 #14,563
1911 historical 241 #13,229
1997 modern 185 #18,506
1998 modern 275 #14,715
1999 modern 269 #15,040
2000 modern 266 #15,096
2001 modern 266 #14,878
2002 modern 267 #15,123
2003 modern 254 #15,454
2004 modern 255 #15,504
2005 modern 255 #15,437
2006 modern 256 #15,496
2007 modern 246 #16,086
2008 modern 257 #15,777
2009 modern 252 #16,323
2010 modern 253 #16,652
2011 modern 255 #16,428
2012 modern 229 #17,537
2013 modern 237 #17,423
2014 modern 241 #17,338
2015 modern 236 #17,477
2016 modern 225 #18,105

Geography

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Where Sidleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Ealing, Chiswick, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall and Upton-on-Severn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent and Taunton Deane. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Ealing, Chiswick Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 Burslem Staffordshire
4 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
5 Upton-on-Severn Worcestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 003 Newcastle-under-Lyme
2 Stoke-on-Trent 002 Stoke-on-Trent
3 Taunton Deane 005 Taunton Deane
4 Stoke-on-Trent 017 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Stoke-on-Trent 004 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sidley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sidley

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Sidley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Sidley 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Sidley is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sidley is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sidley falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sidley

The surname Sidley is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "sid" meaning wide and "ley" meaning a meadow or clearing, suggesting that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a wide meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Siddeleia" in reference to a place name in Hertfordshire. This suggests that the surname may have evolved from a place name before becoming a hereditary family name.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "Sidelei" and "Sideley" in various county records and tax rolls. This indicates that the spelling of the name was not yet standardized during this period.

One notable figure with the surname Sidley was Sir John Sidley (1508-1572), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1568. He was a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.

Another historical figure was Robert Sidley (1625-1698), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Practical Expositor of the Holy Scripture" published in 1675.

In the 18th century, the name can be found in records from various parishes in England, indicating its continued use and geographical spread. One example is William Sidley (1742-1808), a farmer from Oxfordshire who served in the local militia during the American Revolutionary War.

Moving into the 19th century, Elizabeth Sidley (1812-1890) was a notable English author and poet who published several works, including "Poems and Hymns" in 1867.

Lastly, Sir Arthur Sidley (1875-1942) was a British politician and barrister who served as a Member of Parliament for Nantwich from 1924 to 1935.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sidley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sidley 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 46 Sidleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.49x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 46 2.49x
Lancashire 43 1.97x
Cheshire 40 9.83x
Staffordshire 21 3.37x
Worcestershire 9 3.74x
Derbyshire 4 1.39x
Durham 4 0.73x
Leicestershire 4 1.96x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.21x
Warwickshire 3 0.65x
Hertfordshire 2 1.57x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.86x
Devon 1 0.26x
Dorset 1 0.83x
Gloucestershire 1 0.28x
Isle of Man 1 2.92x
Kent 1 0.16x
Midlothian 1 0.40x
Monmouthshire 1 0.75x
Northamptonshire 1 0.58x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ealing in Middlesex leads with 18 Sidleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 109.22x.

Place Total Index
Ealing 18 109.22x
Manchester 12 12.20x
Runcorn 12 127.93x
Liverpool 11 8.28x
St Pancras London 10 6.74x
Islington London 8 4.48x
Lymm 8 270.27x
Cheetham 7 42.89x
Beswick 6 107.33x
Kensington London 6 5.85x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 9.09x
Upton On Severn 6 379.75x
Burslem 5 28.04x
Wolstanton Oldcott 5 222.22x
Cheadle 4 51.48x
Litchurch 4 34.42x
Tranmere 4 26.74x
Westoe 4 12.87x
Birkenhead 3 9.25x
Leicester St Mary 3 18.16x
Stoulton 3 1304.35x
Thornton Hough 3 1034.48x
Birmingham 2 1.29x
Chadderton 2 18.69x
Nottingham St Mary 2 3.11x
Oxton 2 86.96x
St Anne Soho London 2 18.99x
Wolstanton 2 10.58x
Worsley 2 14.83x
Abbots Langley 1 52.91x
Bitton Oldland 1 27.03x
Chelford 1 500.00x
Dutton 1 344.83x
Edgbaston 1 6.93x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.01x
Fazakerley 1 294.12x
Hackney London 1 0.97x
Handsworth 1 6.52x
Helsby 1 196.08x
Hulme 1 2.19x
Huntington 1 270.27x
Leicester St Margaret 1 2.01x
Newport 1 15.72x
Ollerton 1 192.31x
Onchan 1 10.14x
Peterborough 1 7.96x
Plymstock 1 49.75x
Portland 1 15.36x
Rochester St Margaret 1 15.08x
St Marythe Less 1 140.85x
Timperley 1 70.92x
Watford 1 10.15x
Westminster St John 1 4.45x
Whittington 1 78.74x
Whittle Le Woods 1 136.99x
Wolstanton Chesterton 1 31.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 12
Sarah 10
Mary 6
Ann 5
Jane 5
Charlotte 4
Hannah 4
Louisa 4
Eliza 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Ethel 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Foley 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Letitia 1
Lizzie 1
Londa 1
Margared 1
Marie 1
Molly 1
Prudence 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 9
George 8
Joseph 6
Thomas 6
James 4
Richard 4
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Jonathan 2
Peter 2
Samuel 2
Andrew 1
Clarence 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Pete 1
Stuart 1
Willm.H. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Sidley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sidley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 189 people were recorded with the Sidley surname. That placed it at #13,322 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sidley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 225 in 2016. That gives Sidley a modern rank of #18,105.

What does the Sidley surname mean?

Habitational surname potentially derived from a place name in Yorkshire or Essex.

What does the Sidley map show?

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