NameCensus.

UK surname

Whiteley

A locational surname denoting someone who lived in a white meadow or near a white wood or clearing.

In the 1881 census there were 5,390 people recorded with the Whiteley surname, ranking it #825 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,621, ranked #1,192, down from #825 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Almondbury and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Calderdale and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whiteley is 7,489 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.3%.

1881 census count

5,390

Ranked #825

Modern count

5,621

2016, ranked #1,192

Peak year

1911

7,489 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whiteley had 5,390 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #825 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,621 in 2016, ranked #1,192.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,489 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Whiteley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whiteley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Whiteley 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 3,295 #877
1861 historical 3,666 #766
1881 historical 5,390 #825
1891 historical 5,954 #788
1901 historical 6,598 #840
1911 historical 7,489 #692
1997 modern 5,933 #1,107
1998 modern 5,983 #1,135
1999 modern 6,014 #1,136
2000 modern 6,044 #1,126
2001 modern 5,853 #1,135
2002 modern 5,934 #1,146
2003 modern 5,798 #1,144
2004 modern 5,857 #1,133
2005 modern 5,652 #1,148
2006 modern 5,631 #1,150
2007 modern 5,643 #1,158
2008 modern 5,699 #1,151
2009 modern 5,825 #1,153
2010 modern 5,950 #1,157
2011 modern 5,888 #1,156
2012 modern 5,736 #1,160
2013 modern 5,782 #1,167
2014 modern 5,813 #1,169
2015 modern 5,721 #1,179
2016 modern 5,621 #1,192

Geography

Back to top

Where Whiteleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Almondbury, Bradford, Huddersfield and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Calderdale and North Lincolnshire. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Almondbury Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
2 Calderdale 027 Calderdale
3 Kirklees 058 Kirklees
4 Calderdale 026 Calderdale
5 North Lincolnshire 006 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Whiteley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Whiteley

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Whiteley 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

Whiteley is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whiteley 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 Whiteley 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 Whiteley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Whiteley

The surname Whiteley originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is an Anglo-Saxon toponymic name derived from the Old English words "hwit" meaning white and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a white meadow or open field.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are entries for people with similar surnames like "Witelei" and "Witeleg." This suggests that the Whiteley name was already in use in some form during the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Whiteley surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a "Robert de Witeleia." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which list a "Willelmus de Whytelay" in Buckinghamshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also mention a "Thomas de Whuytele."

In the 14th century, the surname was often associated with place names like "Whitley" or "Whitelee," which were derived from the same Old English words as the surname itself. For example, the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list a "Johannes de Whitlay."

Notable individuals with the Whiteley surname include Thomas Whiteley (1639-1704), an English Quaker and early settler in Pennsylvania, and John Whiteley (1767-1843), an English inventor and engineer who designed and built several iron bridges and aqueducts.

Other notable figures include Henry Whiteley (1806-1888), a British architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in Yorkshire, and James Whiteley (1834-1919), a British businessman and founder of the Whiteley's department store chain.

William Whiteley (1831-1907), often referred to as the "Universal Provider," was a successful English entrepreneur who established the Whiteley's shopping emporium in London, which became one of the largest retailers in the world at the time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Whiteley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whiteley 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 4,060 Whiteleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.81x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 4,060 7.81x
Lancashire 697 1.12x
Cheshire 103 0.89x
Lincolnshire 103 1.23x
Middlesex 101 0.19x
Surrey 55 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 43 0.61x
Derbyshire 32 0.39x
Kent 25 0.14x
Durham 21 0.13x
Warwickshire 20 0.15x
Shropshire 19 0.42x
Norfolk 15 0.19x
Staffordshire 12 0.07x
Leicestershire 11 0.19x
Westmorland 9 0.78x
Dorset 5 0.15x
Wiltshire 5 0.11x
Worcestershire 5 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.12x
Hampshire 4 0.04x
Lanarkshire 4 0.02x
Bedfordshire 3 0.11x
Midlothian 3 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.25x
Sussex 3 0.03x
Devon 2 0.02x
Essex 2 0.02x
Gloucestershire 2 0.02x
Rutland 2 0.52x
Somerset 2 0.02x
Hertfordshire 1 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.10x
Northamptonshire 1 0.02x
Oxfordshire 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Soyland in Yorkshire leads with 263 Whiteleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 421.54x.

Place Total Index
Soyland 263 421.54x
Elland Cum Greetland 209 89.21x
Halifax 203 26.59x
Leeds 170 5.79x
Huddersfield 166 21.91x
Linthwaite 143 130.83x
Sowerby In Halifax 142 83.50x
Rishworth 114 571.14x
Barkisland 103 272.78x
Northowram 95 26.05x
Stainland Cum Old 93 104.49x
Golcar 87 63.27x
Lockwood 76 40.62x
Oldham 75 3.73x
Sheffield 73 4.41x
Hipperholme Cum 69 30.20x
Rastrick 67 46.38x
Saddleworth 61 15.21x
Warley 59 39.25x
Ovenden 58 25.06x
Castleton 57 9.17x
Hunslet 57 7.03x
Skircoat 54 26.33x
Bowling 52 10.10x
Salford 52 2.84x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 47 19.45x
Batley 44 8.90x
Cleckheaton 44 22.97x
Manningham 44 6.87x
Ashton Under Lyne 43 3.16x
Bradford 43 3.42x
Dukinfield 40 7.47x
Manchester 39 1.39x
Wakefield 39 9.77x
Norland 38 106.44x
Crowle 37 72.45x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 37 28.21x
Wortley In Bramley 36 8.74x
Almondbury 35 13.92x
Blatchinworth 34 23.98x
Horton In Bradford 34 4.19x
Bradford 31 10.64x
Brightside Bierlow 31 3.04x
Doncaster 31 8.16x
Dalton In Huddersfield 30 25.75x
Armley 29 12.64x
Althorpe 28 146.60x
Dewsbury 28 5.25x
Holbeck 27 7.84x
Austonley 26 88.32x
Everton 26 1.31x
Hulme 26 2.00x
Barnsley 25 4.66x
Southowram 24 15.12x
Islington London 23 0.45x
Spotland 23 3.32x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 22 4.54x
Gomersal 22 9.06x
Kirkheaton 22 26.08x
Calverley Cum Farsley 21 14.22x
Haslingden 21 8.14x
Mirfield 21 7.35x
St Pancras London 21 0.50x
Fulstone 19 49.93x
Meltham 18 22.26x
Barnby On Don 17 171.37x
Broughton In Salford 17 2.99x
Guiseley 17 25.53x
Holme In Huddersfield 17 139.57x
Liverpool 17 0.45x
Thornhill 17 11.20x
Headingley Cum Burley 16 4.78x
Southcoates 16 5.54x
Stayley 15 11.33x
Wyke In Bradford 15 16.13x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 14 7.41x
Nottingham St Mary 14 0.77x
Otley 14 11.09x
Pudsey 14 5.04x
Rothwell 14 13.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 401
Sarah 261
Elizabeth 206
Hannah 146
Ann 108
Emma 104
Martha 99
Annie 92
Ellen 67
Jane 67
Alice 58
Clara 53
Eliza 53
Emily 48
Harriet 47
Edith 41
Ada 40
Charlotte 33
Lucy 33
Ruth 33
Florence 25
Maria 23
Louisa 22
Margaret 22
Fanny 20
Lydia 19
Agnes 17
Rachel 16
Betty 15
Isabella 15
Sophia 15
Caroline 14
Ethel 14
Grace 14
Rose 14
Anne 13
Frances 13
Susan 13
Gertrude 12
Lilly 12
Lily 12
Esther 11
Matilda 11
Amelia 10
Nancy 10
Rebecca 10
Susannah 10
Kate 9
Laura 9
Selina 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 335
William 234
James 157
Thomas 147
Joseph 142
George 136
Charles 71
Henry 69
Samuel 69
Arthur 63
Fred 50
Joe 45
Albert 42
Robert 40
Benjamin 38
Alfred 36
Harry 31
Herbert 30
Richard 29
Frederick 26
Edward 24
Tom 24
Eli 22
Walter 21
Abraham 19
David 19
Edwin 19
Sam 18
Frank 17
Joshua 17
Ernest 15
Thos. 14
Wm. 14
Peter 13
Willie 13
Lewis 11
Nathan 11
Ben 9
Isaac 9
Earnest 8
Edgar 8
Saml. 8
Allen 7
Daniel 7
Francis 7
Jonathan 7
Benjn. 6
Ely 6
Jno. 6
Percy 6

FAQ

Whiteley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whiteley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,390 people were recorded with the Whiteley surname. That placed it at #825 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whiteley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,621 in 2016. That gives Whiteley a modern rank of #1,192.

What does the Whiteley surname mean?

A locational surname denoting someone who lived in a white meadow or near a white wood or clearing.

What does the Whiteley map show?

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