NameCensus.

UK surname

Vallely

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Bhalláin" meaning "descendant of the freckled one".

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Vallely surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 492, ranked #10,096, up from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, Jarrow and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Glenwood South, Fylde and Middlesbrough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vallely is 515 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 296.8%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

492

2016, ranked #10,096

Peak year

1999

515 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vallely had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 492 in 2016, ranked #10,096.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 195 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Vallely surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vallely surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vallely 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 35 #27,037
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 128 #20,393
1901 historical 195 #15,380
1911 historical 87 #24,147
1997 modern 484 #9,531
1998 modern 500 #9,590
1999 modern 515 #9,451
2000 modern 502 #9,605
2001 modern 507 #9,364
2002 modern 500 #9,625
2003 modern 479 #9,793
2004 modern 470 #9,958
2005 modern 465 #9,958
2006 modern 473 #9,871
2007 modern 479 #9,873
2008 modern 477 #9,997
2009 modern 486 #10,069
2010 modern 511 #9,882
2011 modern 506 #9,873
2012 modern 492 #9,989
2013 modern 508 #9,902
2014 modern 501 #10,063
2015 modern 490 #10,149
2016 modern 492 #10,096

Geography

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Where Vallelys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, Jarrow, Gateshead, Govan Combination and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Glenwood South, Fylde, Middlesbrough, Derby and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 Bothwell Lanark
2 Jarrow Durham
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Glenwood South Glasgow City
2 Fylde 002 Fylde
3 Middlesbrough 008 Middlesbrough
4 Derby 027 Derby
5 Kensington and Chelsea 006 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vallely

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vallely

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Vallely surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Vallely household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Vallely 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

Vallely 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

Vallely 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 Vallely 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 - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Vallely, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Vallely

The surname Vallely is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic Irish territory of Uí Bhreasail, located in what is now County Armagh, Northern Ireland. This territory was named after the Bressail clan who settled there during the early medieval period.

Vallely is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Bhalóidhe, which means "descendant of Bhalóidh." Bhalóidh is a personal name derived from the Irish word "bálóg," meaning "bald" or "tonsured one," suggesting that the original bearer may have been a monk or cleric.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, which mention a "Gilla Pátraic Ua Bhalóidhe" in the year 1181. This entry refers to an individual named "Gilla Pátraic Ua Bhalóidhe," who was likely a member of the Vallely family or clan.

In the 16th century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the surname Vallely is recorded in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were official records of royal grants and orders in Ireland. This suggests that members of the Vallely family held land or positions of some importance during this period.

Notable individuals with the surname Vallely include:

1. James Vallely (c. 1785-1870), an Irish Presbyterian minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1853. 2. Brian Vallely (1941-2021), an Irish traditional musician and composer from County Armagh, known for his work on the Irish flute and whistle. 3. Seán Vallely (born 1964), an Irish traditional musician and composer, son of Brian Vallely, recognized for his expertise on the Irish flute and whistle. 4. Thomas Vallely (1806-1886), an Irish poet and songwriter from County Armagh, best known for his ballad "The Shan Van Vocht." 5. Francis Vallely (1788-1856), an Irish writer and historian from County Armagh, who published works on the history and antiquities of Ireland.

The surname Vallely has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, including Vallely Townland and Vallely Bridge, both located in County Armagh, further reinforcing the family's historical ties to this region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vallely families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vallely 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. Lanarkshire leads with 46 Vallelys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.85x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 46 11.85x
Lancashire 24 1.69x
Cumberland 15 14.52x
Renfrewshire 12 12.91x
Durham 11 3.08x
Yorkshire 7 0.59x
Ayrshire 4 4.45x
Middlesex 3 0.25x
Denbighshire 1 2.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Beswick in Lancashire leads with 11 Vallelys recorded in 1881 and an index of 302.20x.

Place Total Index
Beswick 11 302.20x
Heworth 11 156.47x
Bothwell 10 95.06x
Govan 10 10.42x
Lochwinnoch 10 719.42x
Shotts 10 215.52x
Workington 9 152.28x
Hamilton 8 73.94x
Cambusnethan 7 81.21x
Linthorpe 7 98.59x
Salford 6 14.33x
Arthuret 5 462.96x
Bootle Cum Linacre 3 26.53x
Dalmellington 3 113.64x
Pendleton In Salford 3 17.69x
Islington London 2 1.72x
Paisley High Church 2 27.03x
Caldewgate 1 17.67x
Kilmarnock 1 9.35x
Liverpool 1 1.16x
Old Monkland 1 6.49x
Willesden 1 8.84x
Wrexham Abbot 1 87.72x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Vallely 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 Vallely 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 Vallely households.

FAQ

Vallely surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vallely surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Vallely surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vallely surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 492 in 2016. That gives Vallely a modern rank of #10,096.

What does the Vallely surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Bhalláin" meaning "descendant of the freckled one".

What does the Vallely map show?

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