NameCensus.

UK surname

Sturley

In the 1881 census there were 126 people recorded with the Sturley surname, ranking it #17,245 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 345, ranked #13,321, up from #17,245 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Christchurch, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, Chiltern and East Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sturley is 362 in 2005. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 173.8%.

1881 census count

126

Ranked #17,245

Modern count

345

2016, ranked #13,321

Peak year

2005

362 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sturley had 126 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,245 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 345 in 2016, ranked #13,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 247 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Sturley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sturley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Sturley 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 81 #23,431
1881 historical 126 #17,245
1891 historical 184 #15,869
1901 historical 189 #15,684
1911 historical 247 #13,016
1997 modern 351 #12,145
1998 modern 356 #12,399
1999 modern 357 #12,433
2000 modern 357 #12,380
2001 modern 354 #12,274
2002 modern 354 #12,490
2003 modern 355 #12,285
2004 modern 361 #12,175
2005 modern 362 #12,066
2006 modern 356 #12,284
2007 modern 336 #12,975
2008 modern 328 #13,319
2009 modern 345 #13,107
2010 modern 350 #13,251
2011 modern 333 #13,577
2012 modern 339 #13,271
2013 modern 342 #13,399
2014 modern 342 #13,498
2015 modern 341 #13,425
2016 modern 345 #13,321

Geography

Back to top

Where Sturleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Christchurch, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Dale (incl. Shokham Island) and Southam. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, Chiltern, East Devon and Torridge. 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 Christchurch Monmouthshire
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Dale (incl. Shokham Island) Pembrokeshire
5 Southam Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 010 Pembrokeshire
2 Pembrokeshire 012 Pembrokeshire
3 Chiltern 011 Chiltern
4 East Devon 002 East Devon
5 Torridge 009 Torridge

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Sturley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Sturley

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

Sturley is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sturley falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Sturley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sturley 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. Middlesex leads with 29 Sturleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 29 2.36x
Warwickshire 19 6.13x
Pembrokeshire 16 40.96x
Monmouthshire 15 16.88x
Norfolk 7 3.70x
Suffolk 7 4.68x
Kent 6 1.43x
Lancashire 6 0.41x
Surrey 6 1.00x
Staffordshire 5 1.21x
Northumberland 3 1.64x
Sussex 3 1.45x
Dorset 2 2.48x
Lincolnshire 1 0.51x
Wiltshire 1 0.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Southam in Warwickshire leads with 18 Sturleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2400.00x.

Place Total Index
Southam 18 2400.00x
Dale 14 10000.00x
Christchurch 9 327.27x
Islington London 9 7.56x
Limehouse London 9 66.72x
Lowestoft 7 99.01x
Greenwich 6 30.66x
Newport 6 141.51x
West Derby 6 14.06x
Walsall Foreign 5 23.33x
Mile End Old Town 4 20.62x
Bawdeswell 3 1578.95x
Burnham Overy 3 1153.85x
East Grinstead 3 102.39x
Hubberston 2 350.88x
Lambeth 2 1.87x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 21.10x
Rotherhithe 2 13.17x
Shaftesbury Holy Trinity 2 476.19x
Shoreditch London 2 3.75x
St George Hanover 2 12.47x
Aston 1 1.17x
Burnham Westgate 1 243.90x
Cramlington 1 41.32x
Hackney London 1 1.45x
Hampstead London 1 5.22x
Kensington London 1 1.46x
Newington 1 2.20x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 4.04x
St Swithin Lincoln 1 32.36x
Swindon 1 11.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Martha 5
Margaret 4
Caroline 3
Emma 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Annie 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Matilda 2
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Eliz.E. 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emiley 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Lillie 1
Litth. 1
Louisa 1
Mable 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Maud 1
Mercy 1
Rosa 1
Rosetta 1
Rosina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
George 7
Thomas 6
Henry 4
James 4
Arthur 3
John 3
Charles 2
Edmund 2
Frederick 2
Mark 2
Peter 2
Walter 2
Chrles 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Garibaldi 1
Geo. 1
H.W. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Lionel 1
Montagu 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Wat. 1

FAQ

Sturley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sturley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 126 people were recorded with the Sturley surname. That placed it at #17,245 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sturley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 345 in 2016. That gives Sturley a modern rank of #13,321.

What does the Sturley map show?

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