NameCensus.

UK surname

Spenceley

In the 1881 census there were 243 people recorded with the Spenceley surname, ranking it #11,294 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 654, ranked #8,139, up from #11,294 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and Whitstable, Swalecliffe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Scarborough, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spenceley is 718 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 169.1%.

1881 census count

243

Ranked #11,294

Modern count

654

2016, ranked #8,139

Peak year

1998

718 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spenceley had 243 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,294 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 654 in 2016, ranked #8,139.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 532 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Spenceley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spenceley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spenceley 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 193 #10,704
1861 historical 186 #12,751
1881 historical 243 #11,294
1891 historical 370 #9,429
1901 historical 427 #9,054
1911 historical 532 #7,480
1997 modern 683 #7,380
1998 modern 718 #7,326
1999 modern 711 #7,428
2000 modern 702 #7,473
2001 modern 686 #7,479
2002 modern 711 #7,419
2003 modern 690 #7,472
2004 modern 675 #7,621
2005 modern 672 #7,585
2006 modern 665 #7,678
2007 modern 661 #7,764
2008 modern 650 #7,918
2009 modern 657 #8,006
2010 modern 658 #8,165
2011 modern 660 #8,064
2012 modern 644 #8,130
2013 modern 659 #8,125
2014 modern 668 #8,082
2015 modern 657 #8,121
2016 modern 654 #8,139

Geography

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Where Spenceleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, Whitstable, Swalecliffe, Bradford and Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Scarborough, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Huntingdonshire. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Whitstable, Swalecliffe Kent
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Scarborough 004 Scarborough
2 Middlesbrough 020 Middlesbrough
3 Redcar and Cleveland 004 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Huntingdonshire 011 Huntingdonshire
5 Scarborough 002 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spenceley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spenceley

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Spenceley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Spenceley 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

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

1881 census detail

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Spenceley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spenceley 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 147 Spenceleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.39x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 147 6.39x
Kent 21 2.65x
Surrey 14 1.24x
Middlesex 13 0.56x
Durham 10 1.45x
Essex 7 1.53x
Lincolnshire 7 1.89x
Lanarkshire 5 0.67x
Lancashire 5 0.18x
Devon 2 0.41x
Cheshire 1 0.20x
Denbighshire 1 1.14x
Northumberland 1 0.29x
Royal Navy 1 3.61x
Staffordshire 1 0.13x
Sussex 1 0.26x
Westmorland 1 1.96x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 20 Spenceleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.14x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 20 36.14x
Deptford St Paul 9 14.73x
Beadlam 8 6666.67x
Middlesbrough 8 26.70x
Scarborough 8 38.28x
Beverley St Mary 7 208.33x
South Holme 7 10000.00x
West Ham 7 6.92x
Woking 7 102.64x
Bradford 6 10.77x
Dodworth 6 251.05x
Nawton 6 2142.86x
Stranton 6 25.81x
Askrigg 5 1000.00x
Barony 5 2.63x
Gillingham 5 30.62x
Gomersal 5 46.55x
Scunthorpe 5 299.40x
Appleton Le Moors 4 1666.67x
Appleton Roebuck 4 1142.86x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 19.29x
Battersea 4 4.68x
Bromley London 4 7.83x
Kirkby Moorside 4 273.97x
Liversedge 4 39.06x
Whitstable 4 102.83x
York St Maurice 4 92.38x
Barnsley 3 12.64x
Chelsea London 3 4.29x
Horsell 3 422.54x
Ormesby 3 48.54x
Rosedale West Side 3 1200.00x
Sculcoates 3 8.23x
Troutsdale 3 6000.00x
Beverley St Martin 2 52.08x
Bulmer Stittenham 2 769.23x
Burley In Wharfdale 2 98.52x
Newington 2 31.55x
Shoreditch London 2 1.99x
Slingsby 2 425.53x
Thixendale 2 1000.00x
Thornton In Bradford 2 26.11x
Tonbridge 2 7.00x
Tottenham 2 5.41x
York St Michael Le 2 270.27x
Agden In Altrincham 1 1250.00x
Alnwick 1 16.84x
Auckland St Andrew 1 54.95x
Billington 1 89.29x
Bishop Auckland 1 10.79x
Clifton In York 1 20.79x
Darlington 1 3.75x
Dartmouth St Savior 1 172.41x
Frodingham 1 75.76x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 34.72x
Hutton Le Hole 1 454.55x
Ingleby Greenhow 1 322.58x
Kirton In Lindsey 1 68.03x
Knottingley 1 24.75x
Lidford 1 46.08x
Llanrwst 1 32.89x
Malham 1 833.33x
Ripon 1 18.73x
Royal Navy 1 4.23x
Shildon 1 18.02x
Southcoates 1 7.83x
St George Hanover 1 3.30x
Stainmore 1 256.41x
Thirsk 1 37.74x
Tibthorpe 1 454.55x
Wednesbury 1 5.11x
West Tanfield 1 227.27x
Westminster St 1 11.68x
Woolwich 1 3.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Ann 11
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 7
Jane 6
Ellen 5
Annie 4
Eliza 4
Emily 3
Emma 3
Florence 3
Adeline 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Margaret 2
Margt. 2
Maria 2
Rose 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Alice 1
Betty 1
Catherine 1
Dinah 1
Dora 1
Elenor 1
Elsie 1
Fannie 1
Florinda 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Priscilla 1
Rachel 1
Rosa 1
Rosetta 1
Tamar 1
Tola 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 22
William 17
Thomas 11
George 8
Frederick 6
James 6
Robert 6
Ellis 5
Harry 4
Henry 4
Joseph 4
Charles 3
Walter 3
Richard 2
Timothy 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Cooper 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Hornsey 1
Jacob 1
Joshua 1
Louis 1
Mason 1
Ralph 1
Strickland 1
Thos. 1
Thos.E. 1
Tom 1
Wilfred 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Spenceley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spenceley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 243 people were recorded with the Spenceley surname. That placed it at #11,294 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spenceley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 654 in 2016. That gives Spenceley a modern rank of #8,139.

What does the Spenceley map show?

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