NameCensus.

UK surname

Whaley

Derived from a place name meaning "from the whale island" in Old English, or denoting a whaler.

In the 1881 census there were 1,014 people recorded with the Whaley surname, ranking it #3,862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,389, ranked #4,362, down from #3,862 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntingdonshire, County Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whaley is 1,472 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.0%.

1881 census count

1,014

Ranked #3,862

Modern count

1,389

2016, ranked #4,362

Peak year

2010

1,472 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whaley had 1,014 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,862 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,389 in 2016, ranked #4,362.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,344 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Whaley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whaley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Whaley 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 775 #3,450
1861 historical 795 #3,460
1881 historical 1,014 #3,862
1891 historical 1,127 #3,768
1901 historical 1,217 #4,051
1911 historical 1,344 #3,564
1997 modern 1,407 #4,124
1998 modern 1,453 #4,163
1999 modern 1,454 #4,183
2000 modern 1,432 #4,218
2001 modern 1,389 #4,244
2002 modern 1,406 #4,281
2003 modern 1,395 #4,237
2004 modern 1,396 #4,234
2005 modern 1,394 #4,203
2006 modern 1,386 #4,227
2007 modern 1,408 #4,213
2008 modern 1,409 #4,236
2009 modern 1,451 #4,224
2010 modern 1,472 #4,249
2011 modern 1,456 #4,237
2012 modern 1,416 #4,266
2013 modern 1,444 #4,268
2014 modern 1,443 #4,297
2015 modern 1,410 #4,335
2016 modern 1,389 #4,362

Geography

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Where Whaleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Bradford and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntingdonshire, County Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Doncaster and Erewash. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntingdonshire 001 Huntingdonshire
2 County Durham 012 County Durham
3 Newcastle upon Tyne 014 Newcastle upon Tyne
4 Doncaster 002 Doncaster
5 Erewash 015 Erewash

Forenames

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First names often paired with Whaley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Whaley

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Whaley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Whaley is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whaley falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Whaley

The surname Whaley originated in England. It is derived from the Old English words "whael" and "leah", meaning a meadow where whales were stranded. The name likely originated in coastal areas where whales were frequently beached.

The earliest known record of the surname Whaley dates back to the 13th century in Derbyshire, England. The Whaley family held lands in the parish of Whaley Bridge, which was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the name "Welede".

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Whaley was Roger de Whaley, who lived in Whaley, Derbyshire, in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir Henry Whaley (1510-1570), a Member of Parliament and prominent landowner in Whaley, Derbyshire.

During the English Civil War, Colonel Nathaniel Whaley (1595-1675) was a prominent Parliamentarian officer who fought against King Charles I. He later served as a member of the court that tried and sentenced the king to death.

In the 18th century, John Whaley (1733-1800) was a prominent merchant and shipowner in Lancaster, England, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade.

The surname Whaley also has connections to Ireland. In the 17th century, Colonel Piers Whaley (c. 1630-1696) was an Irish soldier and landowner who served in the Parliamentarian army during the English Civil War and later settled in County Wexford, Ireland.

Other notable individuals with the surname Whaley include Sir Thomas Whaley (1766-1800), an English politician and landowner in Lancashire, and John Whaley (1786-1828), an Irish-born judge and politician who served as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Whaley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whaley 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. Yorkshire leads with 321 Whaleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.30x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 321 3.30x
Middlesex 92 0.94x
Durham 73 2.50x
Lancashire 69 0.59x
Surrey 68 1.42x
Nottinghamshire 66 4.98x
Lincolnshire 55 3.50x
Northumberland 38 2.60x
Kent 33 0.98x
Cheshire 31 1.43x
Huntingdonshire 31 15.89x
Suffolk 26 2.17x
Essex 15 0.77x
Cambridgeshire 12 1.93x
Norfolk 9 0.60x
Warwickshire 9 0.36x
Lanarkshire 8 0.25x
Northamptonshire 8 0.87x
Berkshire 6 0.81x
Midlothian 6 0.46x
Glamorgan 4 0.23x
Hertfordshire 4 0.59x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.51x
Hampshire 3 0.15x
Royal Navy 3 2.56x
Somerset 2 0.13x
Sussex 2 0.12x
Westmorland 2 0.93x
Bedfordshire 1 0.20x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.25x
Cumberland 1 0.12x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.38x
Gloucestershire 1 0.05x
Kincardineshire 1 0.84x
Wiltshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clayton in Yorkshire leads with 85 Whaleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 356.84x.

Place Total Index
Clayton 85 356.84x
Hawes 29 455.26x
Gateshead 22 10.05x
Islington London 21 2.21x
Yaxley 16 350.88x
Hough On Hill 15 1145.04x
Manchester 15 2.86x
Mettingham 14 1147.54x
Bradford 13 5.52x
St George In East 13 19.46x
Benfieldside 11 57.23x
Clarborough 11 111.11x
Lambeth 11 1.28x
Spittlegate 11 50.62x
St Ives 11 108.80x
Bedlington 10 20.49x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 5.05x
Leeds 10 1.82x
Liverpool 10 1.41x
Nottingham St Mary 10 2.92x
Richmond 10 65.75x
Southwark Christchurch 10 21.73x
Bromley 9 17.62x
Holy Trinity 9 3.84x
Horton In Bradford 9 5.92x
Stapleford 9 83.72x
Titchwell 9 2250.00x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 8 8.82x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 8 68.85x
Battersea 8 2.21x
Bungay St Mary 8 134.91x
Castleton 8 6.87x
Conside Knitsley 8 35.21x
Govan 8 1.02x
Gringley On Hill 8 285.71x
Haltwhistle 8 112.84x
Hurdsfield 8 59.97x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 4.05x
West Ham 8 1.87x
Algarkirk 7 400.00x
Aston 7 1.03x
Barnsley 7 6.97x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.64x
Castleford 7 19.75x
Escomb 7 52.12x
Manthorpe Cum Little 7 58.28x
Midgley 7 67.50x
Newchurch 7 7.34x
Radford 7 10.41x
Sculcoates 7 4.54x
Sheffield 7 2.26x
St Pancras London 7 0.89x
Stockport 7 6.27x
Willesden 7 7.56x
Allendale 6 44.28x
Borough Fen 6 1176.47x
Camberwell 6 0.96x
Carlton In Lindrick 6 170.45x
Deptford St Paul 6 2.32x
Folkestone 6 9.23x
Heeley 6 20.28x
Middlesbrough 6 4.73x
New Windsor 6 24.20x
Rawmarsh 6 17.45x
Rotherhithe 6 4.94x
South Leith 6 4.05x
Wadworth 6 312.50x
Askrigg 5 238.10x
Chatteris 5 31.51x
Cherry Hinton 5 170.65x
Dorking 5 15.56x
Lenton 5 16.03x
Leyburn 5 152.44x
Melbecks 5 127.55x
St Giles 5 27.41x
Thornaby 5 13.75x
Wakefield 5 6.69x
Great Little Saughall 4 167.36x
Kingston On Thames 4 3.48x
Linthorpe 4 6.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 62
William 55
George 30
James 30
Henry 21
Joseph 21
Thomas 20
Arthur 14
Charles 14
Samuel 14
Edward 12
Robert 11
Francis 10
Richard 10
Frederick 8
Walter 7
Alfred 6
Christopher 6
Frank 6
Albert 5
Geo. 5
Tom 5
Joshua 4
Thos. 4
Timothy 4
Benjamin 3
Ernest 3
Fred 3
Herbert 3
Oswald 3
Stephen 3
Amos 2
Andrew 2
Cuthbert 2
Earnest 2
Edwin 2
Frederic 2
Fredrick 2
Joe 2
Matthew 2
Newman 2
W. 2
Wm. 2
Bryan 1
Caleb 1
Chas.H. 1
Emsley 1
Isaac 1
Jabez 1
Jarratt 1

FAQ

Whaley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whaley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,014 people were recorded with the Whaley surname. That placed it at #3,862 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whaley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,389 in 2016. That gives Whaley a modern rank of #4,362.

What does the Whaley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "from the whale island" in Old English, or denoting a whaler.

What does the Whaley map show?

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