NameCensus.

UK surname

Steeley

A surname originally referring to someone who worked with or produced steel.

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Steeley surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 140, ranked #24,865, down from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Sutton Coldfield and Corley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, South Lakeland and Solihull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Steeley is 158 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 109.0%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

140

2016, ranked #24,865

Peak year

1999

158 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Steeley had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016, ranked #24,865.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 130 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Steeley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Steeley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Steeley 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 21 #29,550
1861 historical 29 #30,287
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 98 #24,313
1901 historical 110 #21,604
1911 historical 130 #19,504
1997 modern 135 #22,499
1998 modern 149 #21,755
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 151 #21,684
2001 modern 150 #21,482
2002 modern 149 #22,001
2003 modern 153 #21,406
2004 modern 146 #22,202
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 147 #22,221
2007 modern 145 #22,693
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 141 #23,907
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 151 #23,204
2012 modern 139 #24,485
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 150 #23,864
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 140 #24,865

Geography

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Where Steeleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Sutton Coldfield, Corley, Brancepeth and Hitchin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, South Lakeland and Solihull. 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 Sutton Coldfield Warwickshire
3 Corley Warwickshire
4 Brancepeth Durham
5 Hitchin Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 South Lakeland 012 South Lakeland
3 Kingston upon Hull 011 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Kingston upon Hull 031 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Solihull 027 Solihull

Forenames

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First names often paired with Steeley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Steeley

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Steeley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Steeley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Steeley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Steeley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Steeley

The surname Steeley traces its origins back to the Middle Ages in England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'stal', meaning steel or made of steel. The name likely referred to an occupation such as a blacksmith or someone who worked with steel.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as 'Stele'. This suggests that the surname had already been established in England by the late 13th century.

During the 14th century, the name began to take on various spellings, including Steley, Steely, and the modern form of Steeley. This was not uncommon during this period, as spelling conventions were yet to be standardized.

In the 16th century, the Steeley name can be found in several historical records, such as parish registers and tax rolls. One notable example is John Steeley, a merchant from Bristol who was born in 1541 and died in 1612.

The 17th century saw the Steeley family spread across different regions of England. In 1642, during the English Civil War, a Richard Steeley is recorded as a Captain in the Parliamentarian army.

As the centuries passed, the Steeley name continued to be present in various parts of England. In the late 18th century, a notable figure was William Steeley, a renowned architect who was born in 1764 and died in 1838.

Another prominent individual with the surname Steeley was Sir John Steeley, a British politician and diplomat who lived from 1805 to 1878. He served as a Member of Parliament and held several diplomatic posts, including Ambassador to Prussia.

In the 19th century, the Steeley family had members who made significant contributions in various fields. For instance, Edward Steeley (1818-1892) was a renowned mathematician and educator, while George Steeley (1839-1901) was a respected writer and poet.

One of the most famous individuals with the Steeley surname was Sir Alfred Steeley, a celebrated explorer and naturalist who lived from 1863 to 1944. He is best known for his expeditions to the Amazon rainforest and his contributions to the field of botany.

While the surname Steeley is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and has produced notable individuals in various walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Steeley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Steeley 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. Warwickshire leads with 26 Steeleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.77x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 26 15.77x
Yorkshire 16 2.47x
Hertfordshire 7 15.54x
Durham 6 3.09x
Surrey 6 1.88x
Staffordshire 3 1.36x
Worcestershire 2 2.34x
Hampshire 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. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 10 Steeleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.18x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 10 64.18x
Birmingham 7 12.74x
Corley 7 10000.00x
Hitchin 7 344.83x
Brandon Byshottles 6 245.90x
Rotherhithe 6 74.35x
Coventry St Michael 4 75.61x
Grendon 3 2142.86x
Wootton Wawen 3 576.92x
York St Michael Le 3 1428.57x
Kings Norton 2 26.14x
Newington 2 112.36x
Aston 1 2.20x
Berkswell 1 303.03x
Carisbrooke 1 53.76x
Clifton Campville 1 588.24x
Handsworth 1 18.38x
Keighley 1 14.49x
Sedgley 1 12.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 4
Jane 3
Fanny 2
Kate 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Lucy 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

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 Steeley households.

FAQ

Steeley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Steeley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Steeley surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Steeley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016. That gives Steeley a modern rank of #24,865.

What does the Steeley surname mean?

A surname originally referring to someone who worked with or produced steel.

What does the Steeley map show?

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