NameCensus.

UK surname

Sonley

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Sonley surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, down from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sutton and Stoneferry, Lastingham and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Hambleton and Torbay.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sonley is 169 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 81.2%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

2014

169 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sonley had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 123 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Sonley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sonley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sonley 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 119 #18,393
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 115 #21,878
1901 historical 123 #20,248
1911 historical 111 #21,392
1997 modern 153 #20,868
1998 modern 167 #20,258
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 162 #20,735
2001 modern 154 #21,122
2002 modern 155 #21,431
2003 modern 157 #21,026
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 158 #21,229
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 165 #21,056
2009 modern 157 #22,271
2010 modern 166 #21,941
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 166 #22,075
2014 modern 169 #22,006
2015 modern 158 #22,913
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Sonleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sutton and Stoneferry, Lastingham, Hull Holy Trinity, Kirby Moorside and Kirkdale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Hambleton, Torbay and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Sutton and Stoneferry Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Lastingham Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Kirby Moorside Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Kirkdale Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 003 Ryedale
2 Hambleton 001 Hambleton
3 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
4 Torbay 017 Torbay
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 012 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sonley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sonley

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Sonley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sonley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Sonley 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

Sonley 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

Sonley falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Sonley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sonley 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. Yorkshire leads with 77 Sonleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.26x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 77 9.26x
Lancashire 6 0.60x
Channel Islands 1 4.02x
Durham 1 0.40x
Lincolnshire 1 0.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sutton Stoneferry in Yorkshire leads with 19 Sonleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 798.32x.

Place Total Index
Sutton Stoneferry 19 798.32x
Kirkby Moorside 15 2830.19x
Lebberston 8 16000.00x
Muscoates 7 35000.00x
Hulme 6 28.87x
Headingley Cum Burley 5 93.46x
Cottingham 4 223.46x
Halifax 3 24.59x
Pockley 3 6000.00x
Holy Trinity 2 10.01x
Barrow On Humber 1 128.21x
Bransdale West Side 1 1666.67x
Goathland 1 666.67x
Great Edstone 1 3333.33x
Harome 1 769.23x
Nawton 1 1000.00x
Scarborough 1 13.25x
St Helier 1 12.36x
Stansfield 1 32.68x
Sutton 1 105.26x
Tanfield 1 33.67x
Thirsk Sand Hutton 1 1111.11x
Welton Melton 1 416.67x
Wombleton 1 1250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Jane 5
Sarah 5
Elizabeth 3
Ann 2
Kate 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Christina 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emly 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Evelyne 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Hilda 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Lily 1
Lovina 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Sara 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
George 3
Walter 3
Fred 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Batterill 1
Charles 1
Cornelius 1
Eugen 1
Frederick 1
Hugh 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Nicholas 1
Paul 1
Richard 1
Richardson 1
William 1

FAQ

Sonley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sonley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Sonley surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sonley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Sonley a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Sonley map show?

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