NameCensus.

UK surname

Stapley

A locational surname deriving from a place name in Yorkshire meaning "stony clearing" or "stony meadow".

In the 1881 census there were 832 people recorded with the Stapley surname, ranking it #4,530 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,244, ranked #4,797, down from #4,530 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Tunbridge, Bidborough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wrexham, Gravesham and Gosport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stapley is 1,413 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.5%.

1881 census count

832

Ranked #4,530

Modern count

1,244

2016, ranked #4,797

Peak year

1999

1,413 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stapley had 832 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,530 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,244 in 2016, ranked #4,797.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,206 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Stapley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stapley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Stapley 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 523 #4,797
1861 historical 547 #4,810
1881 historical 832 #4,530
1891 historical 934 #4,431
1901 historical 1,094 #4,412
1911 historical 1,206 #3,905
1997 modern 1,372 #4,204
1998 modern 1,401 #4,276
1999 modern 1,413 #4,271
2000 modern 1,383 #4,332
2001 modern 1,339 #4,371
2002 modern 1,345 #4,452
2003 modern 1,314 #4,442
2004 modern 1,275 #4,569
2005 modern 1,220 #4,687
2006 modern 1,225 #4,692
2007 modern 1,232 #4,717
2008 modern 1,215 #4,795
2009 modern 1,249 #4,778
2010 modern 1,269 #4,811
2011 modern 1,277 #4,720
2012 modern 1,223 #4,835
2013 modern 1,250 #4,819
2014 modern 1,263 #4,810
2015 modern 1,257 #4,776
2016 modern 1,244 #4,797

Geography

Back to top

Where Stapleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wrexham, Gravesham, Gosport and Rother. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Brighton Sussex
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wrexham 006 Wrexham
2 Gravesham 007 Gravesham
3 Gosport 005 Gosport
4 Rother 004 Rother
5 Rother 005 Rother

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Stapley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Stapley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Stapley, 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 Stapley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Stapley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Stapley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stapley 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

Stapley falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Stapley

The surname Stapley originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "stæpel," meaning a hill or steep place, and "leah," meaning a woodland clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic descriptor, referring to someone who lived near a hill or steep place in a wooded area.

One of the earliest known references to the name Stapley can be found in the Feet of Fines records from Staffordshire, England, in 1292, which mentions a person named Richard de Stapeley. This indicates that the name may have originated in the county of Staffordshire or its surrounding areas.

In the 14th century, the Stapley surname is recorded in various medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a Thomas de Stapeley is mentioned. The name also appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Cheshire in 1405, with the entry of John Stapley.

During the 16th century, the Stapley name is found in several historical documents, including the Muster Rolls of Staffordshire from 1539, which lists a William Stapley. Additionally, the Visitation of Staffordshire in 1583 mentions a family named Stapley, suggesting their presence in the county during that period.

One notable individual bearing the Stapley surname was Richard Stapley, born in 1598 in Warwickshire, England. He was a prominent Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the English Civil War. Another individual of note was John Stapley, born in 1641 in Staffordshire, who served as a member of the British Parliament.

Other historical figures with the Stapley surname include William Stapley (1599-1672), a landowner and prominent figure in Staffordshire during the 17th century, and Thomas Stapley (1705-1789), a renowned clockmaker from Gloucestershire, England, whose clocks are highly valued by collectors today.

The Stapley surname can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Stapeley in Cheshire, Stapley Hill in Shropshire, and Stapley Park in Staffordshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname itself, further solidifying its origins in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Stapley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stapley 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. Kent leads with 285 Stapleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.29x.

County Total Index
Kent 285 10.29x
Sussex 215 15.71x
Middlesex 101 1.24x
Surrey 93 2.35x
Hampshire 39 2.34x
Berkshire 16 2.63x
Yorkshire 13 0.16x
Devon 10 0.59x
Essex 10 0.62x
Cheshire 9 0.50x
Durham 7 0.29x
Midlothian 6 0.55x
Warwickshire 6 0.29x
Lancashire 5 0.05x
Denbighshire 4 1.30x
Staffordshire 4 0.15x
Bedfordshire 3 0.71x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Leicestershire 1 0.11x
Lincolnshire 1 0.08x
Norfolk 1 0.08x
Somerset 1 0.08x
Worcestershire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tonbridge in Kent leads with 42 Stapleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.05x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 42 42.05x
Brighton 26 9.42x
Gravesend 25 106.66x
Biddenden 24 633.25x
Erith 22 80.65x
Hackney London 20 4.40x
Richmond 20 36.09x
Farnham 17 55.28x
Hastings St Mary In The 15 51.39x
Milton In Gravesend 14 33.72x
Willesborough 13 174.50x
Greenwich 12 9.29x
Lambeth 12 1.70x
Sedlescombe 12 666.67x
Bedhampton 11 558.38x
Speldhurst 11 78.01x
Maidstone 10 12.12x
Sandhurst 10 306.75x
Sittingbourne 10 45.72x
Wadhurst 10 111.36x
Brightling 9 478.72x
Charlton Next Woolwich 9 31.16x
Cliffe 9 144.00x
Croydon 9 4.10x
Edmonton 9 13.76x
Hawkhurst 9 104.53x
Monks Coppenhall 9 13.31x
Clerkenwell London 8 4.18x
Exeter Allhallows On The 8 288.81x
Farlington 8 235.29x
Horley 8 120.66x
Hythe St Leonard 8 81.80x
Isleworth 8 22.17x
Preston 8 33.49x
Subdeanary 8 217.39x
Warblington 8 121.21x
Willesden 8 10.46x
Crowhurst 7 598.29x
Deptford St Paul 7 3.28x
Hastings St Mary 7 20.56x
Lythe 7 218.75x
Mile End Old Town 7 5.46x
Oxted 7 147.06x
Portsea 7 2.15x
Stranton 7 8.61x
Westfield 7 239.73x
Wilmington 7 181.35x
Battle 6 65.01x
Botolphs 6 2307.69x
Chatham 6 7.88x
Everingham 6 821.92x
Hollington 6 123.20x
Hornsey 6 5.85x
Leyton Low 6 18.43x
North Chapel 6 271.49x
Reading St Lawrence 6 46.05x
South Leith 6 4.90x
Southwark St Saviour 6 14.39x
Ticehurst 6 71.68x
Withyam 6 102.39x
Albourne 5 588.24x
Bow London 5 4.84x
Earley 5 49.26x
Ewhurst 5 164.47x
Gillingham 5 8.76x
Hastings All Sts 5 38.79x
Lamberhurstsussex 5 280.90x
Shoreham 5 126.90x
West Derby 5 1.77x
Westminster St John 5 5.06x
Aston 4 0.71x
Capel 4 256.41x
Eastbourne 4 6.35x
Headley 4 88.50x
Mayfield 4 49.44x
Midhurst 4 89.09x
Penshurst 4 85.84x
Reigate Foreign 4 9.34x
Wrexham Abbot 4 51.88x
Yalding 4 57.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 40
William 40
John 33
Henry 32
Thomas 25
James 23
Alfred 22
Charles 21
Frederick 12
Robert 12
Albert 10
Arthur 10
Joseph 10
Harry 9
Walter 8
Edward 7
Frank 7
Richard 7
Ernest 5
Samuel 5
Wm. 5
Horace 4
Chas. 3
Herbert 3
Jesse 3
Leonard 3
Stephen 3
Alvis 2
Ephraim 2
Frederic 2
Fredrick 2
Lewis 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2
Wilfred 2
Bernard 1
Geo. 1
Geo.E. 1
Grace 1
Hebden 1
Henery 1
Josiah 1
Lucas 1
Lumbley 1
Matthew 1
Menzies 1
Owen 1
Phillip 1
Pincent 1
Reuben 1

FAQ

Stapley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stapley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 832 people were recorded with the Stapley surname. That placed it at #4,530 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stapley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,244 in 2016. That gives Stapley a modern rank of #4,797.

What does the Stapley surname mean?

A locational surname deriving from a place name in Yorkshire meaning "stony clearing" or "stony meadow".

What does the Stapley map show?

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