NameCensus.

UK surname

Spendley

A surname potentially derived from a place name or a nickname referring to an extravagant or wasteful person.

In the 1881 census there were 98 people recorded with the Spendley surname, ranking it #19,999 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 150, ranked #23,724, down from #19,999 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lawford, Bishop Wearmouth and Mistley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hinckley and Bosworth, Wandsworth and Tendring.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spendley is 194 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.1%.

1881 census count

98

Ranked #19,999

Modern count

150

2016, ranked #23,724

Peak year

2010

194 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spendley had 98 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,999 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016, ranked #23,724.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Spendley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spendley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spendley 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 66 #21,617
1861 historical 120 #18,255
1881 historical 98 #19,999
1891 historical 98 #24,313
1901 historical 127 #19,893
1911 historical 135 #19,058
1997 modern 155 #20,684
1998 modern 169 #20,104
1999 modern 169 #20,233
2000 modern 159 #20,975
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 167 #20,457
2003 modern 157 #21,026
2004 modern 167 #20,367
2005 modern 161 #20,799
2006 modern 167 #20,447
2007 modern 168 #20,634
2008 modern 168 #20,828
2009 modern 181 #20,277
2010 modern 194 #19,819
2011 modern 181 #20,579
2012 modern 175 #20,984
2013 modern 162 #22,433
2014 modern 166 #22,277
2015 modern 153 #23,413
2016 modern 150 #23,724

Geography

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Where Spendleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lawford, Bishop Wearmouth, Mistley, Manningtree and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hinckley and Bosworth, Wandsworth, Tendring and Canterbury. 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 Lawford Essex
2 Bishop Wearmouth Durham
3 Mistley Essex
4 Manningtree Essex
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hinckley and Bosworth 006 Hinckley and Bosworth
2 Wandsworth 029 Wandsworth
3 Tendring 003 Tendring
4 Canterbury 019 Canterbury
5 Canterbury 020 Canterbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spendley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spendley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Spendley, 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 Spendley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Spendley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Spendley 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.

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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

Spendley is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Spendley

The surname Spendley originates from England and is believed to have first emerged in the 14th century. It is thought to be an occupational surname, derived from the Old English word "spendlian," which means "to spend or distribute." This suggests that early bearers of the name may have been associated with roles such as stewards, treasurers, or those responsible for managing and distributing resources.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Spendley surname can be found in the Hertfordshire Subsidy Rolls of 1381, where a John Spendley is listed as a resident of the county. The name also appears in various medieval manuscripts and documents, including the Pipe Rolls and the Feet of Fines, further solidifying its presence in England during the Middle Ages.

During the 16th century, the Spendley surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Notable individuals from this period include William Spendley, a yeoman farmer from Hertfordshire, who was born in 1532 and lived in the village of Standon. Additionally, records show a Thomas Spendley, born in 1571 in Saffron Walden, Essex, who worked as a merchant and owned several properties in the area.

In the 17th century, the Spendley surname continued to be found across various parts of England, with some bearers migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable figure was John Spendley, born in 1612 in Berkshire, who served as a captain in the English Civil War and fought for the Parliamentarian forces. Another individual of note was Richard Spendley, born in 1674 in Gloucestershire, who was a renowned clockmaker and is credited with creating some of the finest longcase clocks of his time.

As the centuries progressed, the Spendley surname continued to be represented across various fields and professions. In the 19th century, a prominent figure was Samuel Spendley, born in 1842 in Lincolnshire, who was a respected scholar and author, publishing several works on the history and culture of his native county.

Throughout its history, the Spendley surname has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations across England. For example, the village of Spendley in Hertfordshire is believed to have derived its name from the surname, suggesting that early bearers may have been landowners or prominent figures in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spendley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spendley 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. Essex leads with 26 Spendleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.78x.

County Total Index
Essex 26 13.78x
Yorkshire 22 2.32x
Durham 15 5.27x
Kent 14 4.29x
Middlesex 13 1.36x
Lincolnshire 4 2.62x
Surrey 3 0.64x
Derbyshire 1 0.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mistley in Essex leads with 18 Spendleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3529.41x.

Place Total Index
Mistley 18 3529.41x
Lyminge 11 3928.57x
Bishopwearmouth 10 40.97x
Leeds 8 14.96x
St George In East 6 92.31x
Manningtree 5 1612.90x
Scarborough 5 58.07x
Sculcoates 5 33.29x
Middridge 4 1428.57x
Paddington London 3 8.53x
Southcoates 2 38.02x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 10.40x
St Pancras London 2 2.60x
Buttsbury 1 666.67x
Canterbury Holy Cross 1 322.58x
Clee With Weelsby 1 29.85x
Fairfield 1 100.00x
Farmanby 1 625.00x
Folkestone 1 15.80x
Great Grimsby 1 10.31x
Harwich St Nicholas 1 68.49x
Harwick St Nicholas 1 333.33x
Islington London 1 1.08x
Louth 1 28.57x
Newington 1 38.31x
North Cockerington 1 1250.00x
Petersham 1 555.56x
Ratcliffe London 1 18.94x
Seaham 1 96.15x
Tonbridge 1 8.50x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
James 6
David 5
George 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Joseph 2
C.W. 1
Charles 1
Elizabeth 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Gabriel 1
Jno. 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Spendley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spendley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 98 people were recorded with the Spendley surname. That placed it at #19,999 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spendley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 150 in 2016. That gives Spendley a modern rank of #23,724.

What does the Spendley surname mean?

A surname potentially derived from a place name or a nickname referring to an extravagant or wasteful person.

What does the Spendley map show?

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