NameCensus.

UK surname

Stanley

An English occupational surname for a stoneworker or stone mason, derived from Old English "stan" meaning stone and "leah" meaning wood or clearing.

In the 1881 census there were 11,524 people recorded with the Stanley surname, ranking it #372 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 19,150, ranked #312, up from #372 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens, Stratford-on-Avon and South Holland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stanley is 19,775 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.2%.

1881 census count

11,524

Ranked #372

Modern count

19,150

2016, ranked #312

Peak year

1999

19,775 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stanley had 11,524 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #372 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 19,150 in 2016, ranked #312.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17,800 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Stanley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stanley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stanley 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 6,270 #440
1861 historical 6,589 #425
1881 historical 11,524 #372
1891 historical 13,441 #324
1901 historical 15,620 #330
1911 historical 17,800 #262
1997 modern 18,735 #309
1998 modern 19,527 #306
1999 modern 19,775 #303
2000 modern 19,482 #306
2001 modern 19,100 #305
2002 modern 19,409 #307
2003 modern 19,021 #305
2004 modern 18,967 #304
2005 modern 18,674 #305
2006 modern 18,607 #305
2007 modern 18,769 #305
2008 modern 18,879 #306
2009 modern 19,297 #309
2010 modern 19,584 #310
2011 modern 19,295 #310
2012 modern 18,995 #309
2013 modern 19,363 #310
2014 modern 19,489 #310
2015 modern 19,250 #312
2016 modern 19,150 #312

Geography

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Where Stanleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens, Stratford-on-Avon, South Holland and Portsmouth. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
2 Stratford-on-Avon 012 Stratford-on-Avon
3 St. Helens 014 St. Helens
4 South Holland 001 South Holland
5 Portsmouth 016 Portsmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stanley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stanley

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Stanley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stanley 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

Stanley falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Stanley

The surname Stanley originates from the Old English words 'stan' meaning stone and 'leah' meaning a clearing or meadow. It is an English locational surname that first emerged in Staffordshire, England during the 11th century.

The name likely referred to someone who lived near a stony clearing or meadow. The earliest known recording of the surname is found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Stanlei'.

During the 12th century, the name began to spread across England, with various spellings emerging such as Stanlegh, Stanleye, and Stawnley. Place names like Stanley in Derbyshire and Stanley in Wiltshire also contributed to the growth of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Stanley surname was William de Stanley, who was born in Staffordshire around 1235. He was a prominent landowner and served as a knight during the reign of King Henry III.

Another notable figure was Sir John Stanley (1350-1414), who was a military commander and played a crucial role in the Battle of Shrewsbury during the Wars of the Roses. He was later appointed as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

In the 16th century, Sir William Stanley (1548-1630) gained fame as a soldier and navigator. He was instrumental in the establishment of British colonies in North America and served as the Governor of Newfoundland.

Edward Stanley, 1st Baron Monteagle (1460-1523), was a prominent English nobleman and a close advisor to King Henry VIII. He is best known for his role in uncovering the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, which aimed to assassinate the King.

Thomas Stanley (1625-1678), born in Derbyshire, was a renowned English philosopher, poet, and translator. He is celebrated for his translations of ancient Greek and Roman works, including those of Aeschylus and Anacreon.

Throughout its history, the Stanley surname has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including military, politics, exploration, and literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stanley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stanley 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. Lancashire leads with 1,596 Stanleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.20x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,596 1.20x
Middlesex 1,324 1.18x
Staffordshire 993 2.62x
Yorkshire 973 0.87x
Warwickshire 881 3.11x
Kent 573 1.50x
Surrey 559 1.02x
Worcestershire 407 2.77x
Cheshire 401 1.62x
Nottinghamshire 398 2.63x
Gloucestershire 372 1.69x
Derbyshire 324 1.84x
Leicestershire 230 1.85x
Hampshire 210 0.91x
Essex 200 0.90x
Oxfordshire 178 2.57x
Lincolnshire 168 0.94x
Northamptonshire 150 1.42x
Shropshire 124 1.28x
Buckinghamshire 105 1.55x
Northumberland 95 0.57x
Durham 90 0.27x
Cambridgeshire 87 1.22x
Sussex 87 0.46x
Cumberland 77 0.80x
Devon 76 0.33x
Berkshire 70 0.83x
Hertfordshire 69 0.89x
Wiltshire 68 0.68x
Norfolk 61 0.35x
Dorset 49 0.66x
Flintshire 41 1.36x
Anglesey 38 1.91x
Suffolk 38 0.28x
Westmorland 38 1.54x
Bedfordshire 36 0.62x
Glamorgan 36 0.18x
Cornwall 30 0.24x
Somerset 30 0.17x
Lanarkshire 26 0.07x
Monmouthshire 26 0.32x
Herefordshire 23 0.50x
Midlothian 23 0.15x
Caernarfonshire 19 0.42x
Denbighshire 16 0.38x
Fife 16 0.24x
Brecknockshire 14 0.62x
Royal Navy 13 0.97x
Huntingdonshire 11 0.49x
Montgomeryshire 11 0.43x
Renfrewshire 6 0.07x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.13x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.11x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.03x
Angus 3 0.03x
Rutland 3 0.36x
Channel Islands 2 0.06x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Banffshire 1 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.05x
Perthshire 1 0.02x
Shetland 1 0.09x
West Lothian 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 270 Stanleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.86x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 270 2.86x
Aston 217 2.78x
Lambeth 148 1.51x
Walsall Foreign 128 6.54x
Wolverhampton 118 4.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 115 2.86x
St Pancras London 110 1.22x
Hulme 94 3.38x
Islington London 93 0.85x
Manchester 93 1.55x
Hackney London 88 1.40x
Nottingham St Mary 82 2.09x
St Marylebone London 82 1.37x
Liverpool 81 1.00x
Ashton Under Lyne 71 2.44x
Camberwell 67 0.93x
Chorlton On Medlock 67 3.16x
Portsea 65 1.44x
Bethnal Green London 60 1.23x
Brightside Bierlow 60 2.75x
Salford 60 1.53x
Chelsea London 59 1.74x
Kensington London 57 0.91x
Macclesfield 57 5.17x
Paddington London 56 1.36x
Broadway 55 87.18x
Sedgley 53 3.76x
Blackburn 52 1.47x
Newington 52 1.25x
West Derby 52 1.33x
Croydon 51 1.68x
Shoreditch London 51 1.05x
Battersea 48 1.16x
Toxteth Park 48 1.06x
West Ham 48 0.98x
Bermondsey 47 1.41x
Mile End Old Town 46 2.59x
Broughton In Salford 44 3.61x
Everton 43 1.01x
Great Meolse 43 276.88x
St George Hanover 43 2.93x
Handsworth 42 4.49x
Radford 41 5.33x
Ilkeston 39 7.91x
Foleshill 38 12.75x
West Bromwich 38 1.75x
Beaumaris 37 50.44x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 37 1.78x
Peterborough 37 4.84x
Sheffield 37 1.04x
Dawley 36 10.20x
Greenwich 35 1.96x
Gillingham 34 4.30x
Gorton 34 2.71x
Nether Hallam 33 2.19x
Snenton 33 5.55x
Woolwich 33 2.33x
Ardwick 32 2.66x
Birkenhead 32 1.62x
Edgbaston 32 3.64x
Holy Trinity 31 1.16x
Widnes 31 3.22x
Marden 30 33.39x
Newton 30 2.92x
Willenhall 30 4.22x
Eccleston In Prescot 29 4.33x
Moss Side 29 4.14x
Rotherham 29 4.62x
Clerkenwell London 28 1.06x
Dover St Mary Virgin 28 7.55x
Fulham London 28 1.72x
Kirkdale 28 1.25x
Leeds 28 0.45x
Letcombe Regis 28 172.20x
Lewisham 28 1.37x
Bristol St Augustine 27 7.60x
Bulwell 27 8.20x
Moreton 27 114.21x
Snowshill 27 275.51x
Warrington 27 1.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 762
Elizabeth 450
Sarah 423
Ann 236
Emma 207
Eliza 194
Jane 191
Ellen 180
Annie 173
Alice 157
Hannah 129
Emily 123
Martha 109
Margaret 91
Ada 83
Edith 82
Harriet 77
Fanny 74
Charlotte 63
Frances 62
Louisa 62
Caroline 61
Maria 60
Catherine 59
Clara 59
Florence 56
Kate 53
Lucy 50
Susan 46
Anne 39
Agnes 37
Amelia 36
Sophia 35
Rose 33
Rebecca 31
Amy 30
Esther 30
Minnie 30
Maud 26
Harriett 25
Gertrude 23
Matilda 23
Bertha 21
Ethel 21
Eleanor 20
Isabella 20
Julia 20
Jessie 19
Susannah 19
Phoebe 17

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 676
William 662
George 416
Thomas 406
James 343
Charles 268
Henry 260
Joseph 185
Edward 149
Arthur 111
Robert 109
Frederick 105
Richard 100
Samuel 96
Alfred 95
Albert 88
Harry 86
Walter 73
Herbert 61
Frank 52
Edwin 40
Benjamin 38
Ernest 35
David 34
Francis 33
Thos. 30
Fred 29
Isaac 29
Wm. 28
Stephen 25
Fredk. 18
Geo. 18
Job 18
Daniel 17
Peter 15
Mark 14
Michael 14
Percy 13
Sidney 13
Edmund 12
Miles 12
Horace 10
Noah 10
Tom 10
Edgar 9
Fredrick 8
Jacob 8
Leonard 8
Matthew 8
Richd. 8

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Stanley households.

FAQ

Stanley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stanley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11,524 people were recorded with the Stanley surname. That placed it at #372 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stanley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 19,150 in 2016. That gives Stanley a modern rank of #312.

What does the Stanley surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a stoneworker or stone mason, derived from Old English "stan" meaning stone and "leah" meaning wood or clearing.

What does the Stanley map show?

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