NameCensus.

UK surname

Softley

A toponymic surname derived from a location named for its soft or gentle landscape.

In the 1881 census there were 276 people recorded with the Softley surname, ranking it #10,305 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 503, ranked #9,950, up from #10,305 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Godalming, Gateshead and Middleton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Softley is 544 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.2%.

1881 census count

276

Ranked #10,305

Modern count

503

2016, ranked #9,950

Peak year

2002

544 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Softley had 276 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,305 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 503 in 2016, ranked #9,950.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 409 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Softley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Softley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Softley 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 173 #11,629
1861 historical 166 #14,039
1881 historical 276 #10,305
1891 historical 296 #11,215
1901 historical 357 #10,280
1911 historical 409 #9,140
1997 modern 535 #8,852
1998 modern 543 #9,010
1999 modern 543 #9,068
2000 modern 542 #9,056
2001 modern 532 #9,028
2002 modern 544 #9,049
2003 modern 519 #9,248
2004 modern 509 #9,390
2005 modern 484 #9,659
2006 modern 477 #9,821
2007 modern 477 #9,907
2008 modern 481 #9,930
2009 modern 503 #9,804
2010 modern 517 #9,792
2011 modern 498 #9,982
2012 modern 505 #9,787
2013 modern 512 #9,847
2014 modern 506 #9,991
2015 modern 494 #10,083
2016 modern 503 #9,950

Geography

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Where Softleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Godalming, Gateshead, Middleton, Portsmouth, Portsea and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Breckland and South Tyneside. 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 Godalming Surrey
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Middleton Norfolk
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 012 County Durham
2 County Durham 018 County Durham
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Breckland 009 Breckland
5 South Tyneside 010 South Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Softley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Softley

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Softley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Softley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Softley is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Softley is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Softley falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Softley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Softley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Softley

The surname Softley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name referring to a soft or low-lying area of land. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the late 13th century, where it appears as "de Softelee" in the Cambridgeshire Assize Rolls of 1260.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Softley name was John de Softelee, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1327. Another early record includes William Softley, who was listed in the Hearth Tax Returns for Yorkshire in 1672. The name also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Softeleia" in reference to a settlement in Cambridgeshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the name's spelling began to emerge, such as Softley, Softlie, and Softlay. These variations were likely the result of regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. One notable individual from this period was Robert Softley, a merchant from London who was born in 1587.

In the 19th century, the Softley name continued to be found predominantly in England, with a particular concentration in the counties of Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire, and Norfolk. Notable individuals from this period include William Softley (1794-1871), a farmer from Cambridgeshire, and John Softley (1828-1903), a prominent industrialist from Yorkshire.

Throughout history, the Softley name has also been associated with various place names, such as Softley Hill in Cambridgeshire and Softley Farm in Norfolk. These place names likely derived from the same linguistic roots as the surname itself, further reinforcing the locational origins of the name.

Other notable individuals bearing the Softley surname include Sir Robert Softley (1884-1958), a British politician and Member of Parliament, and Margaret Softley (1904-1986), an English author and poet. These examples demonstrate the enduring presence of the Softley name across various fields and professions throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Softley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Softley 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. Norfolk leads with 91 Softleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.14x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 91 22.14x
Northumberland 43 10.81x
Durham 40 5.03x
Yorkshire 27 1.02x
Hampshire 16 2.92x
Surrey 11 0.84x
Essex 9 1.71x
Middlesex 8 0.30x
Warwickshire 8 1.19x
Lanarkshire 7 0.81x
Staffordshire 4 0.44x
Suffolk 4 1.23x
Gloucestershire 2 0.38x
Somerset 2 0.46x
Cornwall 1 0.33x
Dorset 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 15 Softleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.97x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 15 13.97x
Bramley In Bramley 12 118.34x
Westoe 12 26.62x
Godalming 11 134.15x
Middleton 11 1375.00x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 29.04x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 10 81.04x
Tilney Cum Islington 10 3703.70x
Bishopwearmouth 9 13.19x
West Ham 9 7.73x
Westgate 9 36.54x
Ovington 8 3076.92x
Sculcoates 8 19.05x
Chirton 7 77.78x
Flitcham Cum Appleton 7 1627.91x
Glasgow 7 4.56x
Great Massingham 7 864.20x
Longbenton 7 41.57x
Wallsend 7 55.51x
Bowling 6 22.87x
Kenilworth 6 157.89x
Limehouse London 5 17.04x
Monkwearmouth Shore 5 32.22x
Newburn Hall 5 666.67x
East Winch 4 1081.08x
Thrandeston 4 1538.46x
Whittington 4 216.22x
Alderford 3 10000.00x
Burnham Westgate 3 337.08x
Gateshead 3 5.04x
Heigham 3 13.60x
Snettisham 3 263.16x
Stanhoe 3 750.00x
Weasenham St Peter 3 1200.00x
Wiggenhall St Mary 3 468.75x
Bristol St Paul In 2 14.32x
Cowpen 2 21.83x
Diss 2 56.82x
Great Yarmouth 2 5.88x
St Pancras London 2 0.93x
Tynemouth 2 9.39x
West Rudham 2 465.12x
Yeovil 2 22.88x
Birmingham 1 0.45x
Clenchwarton 1 163.93x
Dewsbury 1 3.68x
Elswick 1 3.15x
Gulval 1 51.28x
Hartley 1 94.34x
Jesmond 1 17.86x
Lakenham 1 17.12x
Leek Wootten 1 270.27x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 4.21x
Norwich St Peter 1 37.04x
Radipole 1 82.64x
Ringstead 1 238.10x
South Lynn 1 21.55x
Southampton St Mary 1 2.90x
Sunbury 1 31.15x
Tanfield 1 10.57x
Weasenham All Sts 1 303.03x
Wormegay 1 232.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Jane 10
Margaret 9
Ann 8
Elizabeth 8
Sarah 8
Martha 4
Alice 3
Eliza 3
Harriet 3
Isabella 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Keziah 2
Louisa 2
Ruth 2
Burtha 1
Cathe.E. 1
Catherine 1
Christina 1
Clara 1
E.H. 1
Eleanor 1
Elizer 1
Emily 1
Euphemia 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Georgianna 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Margreat 1
Margt. 1
Nora 1
Pamley 1
Priscilla 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
William 18
Thomas 13
George 11
Robert 10
James 7
Frederick 5
Harry 4
Joseph 4
Albert 3
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Henry 3
Arthur 2
Gilbert 2
Peter 2
Walter 2
Charley 1
Edward 1
Emry 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Jn. 1
Michael 1
Nicholas 1
Obediah 1
Richard 1
Robin 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Softley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Softley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 276 people were recorded with the Softley surname. That placed it at #10,305 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Softley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 503 in 2016. That gives Softley a modern rank of #9,950.

What does the Softley surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from a location named for its soft or gentle landscape.

What does the Softley map show?

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