NameCensus.

UK surname

Wanley

In the 1881 census there were 50 people recorded with the Wanley surname, ranking it #26,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 117, ranked #28,033, down from #26,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hart, Hartlepool and Stranton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wanley is 142 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 134.0%.

1881 census count

50

Ranked #26,587

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

2010

142 bearers

Map years

4

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wanley had 50 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 113 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Wanley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wanley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wanley 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 50 #26,587
1891 historical 113 #22,162
1901 historical 75 #25,852
1911 historical 88 #24,041
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 132 #23,394
1999 modern 138 #22,983
2000 modern 126 #24,220
2001 modern 125 #24,011
2002 modern 139 #22,991
2003 modern 128 #23,890
2004 modern 130 #23,902
2005 modern 129 #23,963
2006 modern 120 #25,269
2007 modern 133 #24,059
2008 modern 131 #24,583
2009 modern 136 #24,485
2010 modern 142 #24,352
2011 modern 138 #24,615
2012 modern 120 #26,961
2013 modern 117 #27,838
2014 modern 123 #27,206
2015 modern 124 #26,944
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

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Where Wanleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hart, Hartlepool, Stranton, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Llantwitvairdre. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Hart Durham
2 Hartlepool Durham
3 Stranton Durham
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 Llantwitvairdre Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
2 Hartlepool 001 Hartlepool
3 Hartlepool 012 Hartlepool
4 Stockton-on-Tees 003 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Hartlepool 008 Hartlepool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wanley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wanley

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Wanley is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wanley 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

Wanley 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 Wanley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Wanley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wanley 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. Durham leads with 30 Wanleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.68x.

County Total Index
Durham 30 20.68x
Northumberland 9 12.41x
Staffordshire 7 4.25x
Gloucestershire 1 1.05x
Hampshire 1 1.00x
Middlesex 1 0.21x
Warwickshire 1 0.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hartlepool in Durham leads with 21 Wanleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1019.42x.

Place Total Index
Hartlepool 21 1019.42x
Throston 9 3214.29x
Willenhall 7 227.27x
Westgate 6 133.63x
Aldershot 1 29.85x
Benwell 1 126.58x
Foleshill 1 77.52x
Islington London 1 2.12x
Little Houghton 1 5000.00x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 105.26x
Wickwar 1 666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 3
Mary 3
Alice 2
Jane 2
Alica 1
Dorothy 1
Elethea 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florance 1
Isabella 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Rosehannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 5
George 4
James 3
Richd. 2
Robert 2
Anthony 1
Jas. 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Selby 1

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 Wanley households.

FAQ

Wanley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wanley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 50 people were recorded with the Wanley surname. That placed it at #26,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wanley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Wanley a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Wanley map show?

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