NameCensus.

UK surname

Weakley

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "wet clearing" or "clearing in the willows."

In the 1881 census there were 208 people recorded with the Weakley surname, ranking it #12,511 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 139, ranked #25,001, down from #12,511 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Portland and Martock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Oxfordshire, North Lincolnshire and Stockport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Weakley is 212 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 33.2%.

1881 census count

208

Ranked #12,511

Modern count

139

2016, ranked #25,001

Peak year

1911

212 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Weakley had 208 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,511 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016, ranked #25,001.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 212 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Weakley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Weakley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Weakley 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 118 #18,512
1881 historical 208 #12,511
1891 historical 209 #14,459
1901 historical 205 #14,884
1911 historical 212 #14,423
1997 modern 158 #20,422
1998 modern 163 #20,582
1999 modern 166 #20,458
2000 modern 168 #20,252
2001 modern 166 #20,129
2002 modern 169 #20,307
2003 modern 169 #20,092
2004 modern 172 #20,008
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 175 #19,850
2007 modern 169 #20,562
2008 modern 168 #20,828
2009 modern 165 #21,552
2010 modern 163 #22,205
2011 modern 160 #22,282
2012 modern 154 #22,870
2013 modern 158 #22,817
2014 modern 154 #23,439
2015 modern 151 #23,613
2016 modern 139 #25,001

Geography

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Where Weakleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Portland, Martock, Pewsham, Chippenham, Langley Burrell, Hardenhuish, Kington, Slaughterford, Biddestone St Nicholas an and Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Oxfordshire, North Lincolnshire, Stockport, Aylesbury Vale and South Gloucestershire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Portland Dorset
3 Martock Somerset
4 Pewsham, Chippenham, Langley Burrell, Hardenhuish, Kington, Slaughterford, Biddestone St Nicholas an Wiltshire
5 Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Oxfordshire 005 South Oxfordshire
2 North Lincolnshire 001 North Lincolnshire
3 Stockport 006 Stockport
4 Aylesbury Vale 005 Aylesbury Vale
5 South Gloucestershire 021 South Gloucestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Weakley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Weakley

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Weakley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Weakley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Weakley is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Weakley 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

Weakley falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Weakley

The surname Weakley originates from England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "weoc" meaning weak or feeble, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. The name likely referred to someone who lived in or near a meadow that was considered small or sparse.

Early records of the name can be found in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions a John de Wekelye. The Weakley surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, listing a Richard de Wekelay.

During the 14th century, the name was sometimes spelled as Wekeley, Wekley, or Weakley, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in that era. Some early bearers of the name were likely associated with places like Weakley, a small hamlet in Shropshire, or Wekeley, a now-defunct settlement in Worcestershire.

One notable individual with the Weakley surname was Sir John Weakley, a 15th-century English knight who served as a member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in 1461. Another was Thomas Weakley, a 16th-century lawyer and Member of Parliament for Ludlow in 1559.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, with the arrival of William Weakley, a settler from England who was granted land in Ipswich in 1638. John Weakley, born in 1675 in Maryland, was an early colonial American with this surname.

Other historical figures with the Weakley surname include Robert Weakley (1725-1804), a Scottish-American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War, and David Weakley (1766-1829), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Tennessee.

While the Weakley surname is not as common as some others, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its English origins in the medieval period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Weakley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Weakley 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. Somerset leads with 57 Weakleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.37x.

County Total Index
Somerset 57 17.37x
Middlesex 25 1.23x
Wiltshire 25 13.87x
Dorset 23 17.19x
Essex 17 4.22x
Lancashire 11 0.45x
Surrey 11 1.11x
Warwickshire 9 1.75x
Yorkshire 7 0.35x
Glamorgan 6 1.69x
Nottinghamshire 4 1.46x
Kent 3 0.43x
Staffordshire 3 0.44x
Cheshire 2 0.44x
Gloucestershire 2 0.50x
Devon 1 0.24x
Lincolnshire 1 0.31x
Monmouthshire 1 0.68x
Royal Navy 1 4.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 17 Weakleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.14x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 17 19.14x
Portland 15 208.62x
Worle 12 1764.71x
Weston Super Mare 10 120.63x
Kewstoke 9 1730.77x
Kington Langley 8 2000.00x
Leeds 7 6.14x
Martock 7 328.64x
Mudford 7 2592.59x
Chippenham 6 158.73x
Edgbaston 6 37.64x
Llanwonno 6 47.06x
Melcombe Regis 6 108.30x
St Pancras London 6 3.66x
Stoke Newington London 6 37.78x
Whitley 5 2083.33x
Yeovil 5 74.96x
Ardwick 4 18.33x
Bulwell 4 67.00x
Codford St Mary 4 1666.67x
Stoke Under Hambdon 4 370.37x
Islington London 3 1.52x
Manchester 3 2.76x
Mile End Old Town 3 9.32x
Paddington London 3 4.00x
Pemberton 3 31.12x
Tottenham 3 9.24x
Beddington 2 52.08x
Birmingham 2 1.17x
Burton Upon Trent 2 12.42x
Clapham 2 7.85x
Corsham 2 76.05x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 2 185.19x
Lambeth 2 1.13x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 4.88x
Stockport 2 8.64x
Bath St James 1 29.24x
Beckenham 1 11.00x
Bristol St George 1 5.41x
Camberwell 1 0.77x
Cheddar 1 60.61x
Chislehurst 1 26.81x
Croydon 1 1.81x
Deeping St Nicholas 1 105.26x
Everton 1 1.30x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 10.29x
Llanover 1 19.88x
Lullingstone 1 2000.00x
Mitcham 1 15.92x
Rodborough 1 51.81x
Royal Navy 1 4.81x
St Giles In Fields 1 14.22x
Stone 1 11.36x
Sutton Coldfield 1 18.52x
Westonsuper Mare 1 149.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 10
George 8
Henry 8
James 7
Benjamin 4
Charles 3
Ernest 3
Joseph 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Aaron 1
Benjn. 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Eliza 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
J. 1
Jabez 1
Levi 1
Louis 1
Matthew 1
Oswald 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Weakley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Weakley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 208 people were recorded with the Weakley surname. That placed it at #12,511 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Weakley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 139 in 2016. That gives Weakley a modern rank of #25,001.

What does the Weakley surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "wet clearing" or "clearing in the willows."

What does the Weakley map show?

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