NameCensus.

UK surname

Whitley

From a place name meaning "white meadow" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,406 people recorded with the Whitley surname, ranking it #1,850 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,569, ranked #2,576, down from #1,850 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, London parishes and Bingley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton, Flintshire and Harrogate.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Whitley is 2,817 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.8%.

1881 census count

2,406

Ranked #1,850

Modern count

2,569

2016, ranked #2,576

Peak year

1911

2,817 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Whitley had 2,406 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,850 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,569 in 2016, ranked #2,576.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,817 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Whitley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Whitley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Whitley 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 1,800 #1,602
1861 historical 2,006 #1,451
1881 historical 2,406 #1,850
1891 historical 2,538 #1,872
1901 historical 2,648 #2,085
1911 historical 2,817 #1,846
1997 modern 2,424 #2,596
1998 modern 2,537 #2,576
1999 modern 2,589 #2,543
2000 modern 2,586 #2,538
2001 modern 2,498 #2,566
2002 modern 2,555 #2,562
2003 modern 2,453 #2,605
2004 modern 2,455 #2,611
2005 modern 2,430 #2,604
2006 modern 2,427 #2,606
2007 modern 2,433 #2,630
2008 modern 2,457 #2,625
2009 modern 2,527 #2,619
2010 modern 2,591 #2,622
2011 modern 2,557 #2,618
2012 modern 2,556 #2,569
2013 modern 2,569 #2,605
2014 modern 2,598 #2,587
2015 modern 2,570 #2,589
2016 modern 2,569 #2,576

Geography

Back to top

Where Whitleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, London parishes, Bingley, Bradford and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Halton, Flintshire, Harrogate and Kirklees. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Halton 008 Halton
2 Flintshire 017 Flintshire
3 Harrogate 006 Harrogate
4 Flintshire 016 Flintshire
5 Kirklees 005 Kirklees

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Whitley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Whitley

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Whitley 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

Whitley is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Whitley falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Whitley

The surname Whitley originates from England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is a locational name derived from various places named Whitley, which are found in counties such as Berkshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Yorkshire. The name is thought to derive from the Old English words "hwit," meaning white, and "leah," meaning a woodland clearing or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Whitley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Witelei. This entry refers to a place in Derbyshire, suggesting that the surname may have originated from this location.

During the 13th century, the surname appears in various records with various spellings, such as Wyteleye, Whytelay, and Whyteley. These variations reflect the development of the English language and the regional dialects of the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Whitley throughout history include Thomas Whitley (c. 1616-1696), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northampton during the 17th century. Another prominent figure was John Whitley (1573-1615), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

In the 18th century, William Whitley (1718-1771) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Founders' Wing of Christ's Hospital. Additionally, Richard Whitley (1805-1865) was an English industrialist and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the coal mining industry in the North East of England.

One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Whitley was Opal Whiteley (1897-1992), an American writer and naturalist known for her childhood diary, published in 1920 as "The Diary of an Ostrich Chick." Although the authenticity of the diary was initially questioned, it later gained recognition for its literary value and insights into the natural world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Whitley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Whitley 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 1,099 Whitleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.64x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,099 4.64x
Lancashire 241 0.85x
Middlesex 164 0.69x
Cheshire 120 2.27x
Surrey 117 1.00x
Flintshire 115 17.89x
Channel Islands 49 6.91x
Staffordshire 45 0.56x
Kent 43 0.53x
Hertfordshire 41 2.49x
Oxfordshire 38 2.57x
Derbyshire 32 0.85x
Somerset 32 0.83x
Lincolnshire 27 0.71x
Worcestershire 25 0.80x
Warwickshire 23 0.38x
Sussex 19 0.47x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.53x
Cornwall 16 0.59x
Dorset 16 1.02x
Durham 16 0.22x
Hampshire 16 0.33x
Northumberland 16 0.45x
Buckinghamshire 15 1.04x
Denbighshire 13 1.44x
Norfolk 11 0.30x
Shropshire 11 0.53x
Gloucestershire 9 0.19x
Cumberland 8 0.39x
Berkshire 7 0.39x
Monmouthshire 7 0.40x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.40x
Herefordshire 5 0.51x
Lanarkshire 5 0.06x
Wiltshire 5 0.24x
Essex 4 0.08x
Brecknockshire 3 0.63x
Bedfordshire 2 0.16x
Devon 2 0.04x
Leicestershire 2 0.08x
Berwickshire 1 0.35x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Glamorgan 1 0.02x
Inverness-shire 1 0.14x
Merionethshire 1 0.23x
Northamptonshire 1 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.13x
Renfrewshire 1 0.05x
Royal Navy 1 0.35x
Sutherland 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bingley in Yorkshire leads with 110 Whitleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 72.87x.

Place Total Index
Bingley 110 72.87x
Leeds 72 5.38x
Manningham 54 18.49x
Halifax 40 11.50x
Bradford 39 6.80x
Ovenden 39 36.97x
St Martin 39 89.82x
Northowram 38 22.86x
Dacre 32 606.06x
Tryddyn 32 229.23x
Holbeck 30 19.10x
Horton In Bradford 30 8.10x
Lambeth 29 1.39x
Islington London 25 1.08x
Mold 25 42.87x
St Pancras London 25 1.30x
Kensington London 22 1.65x
West Derby 22 2.65x
Bermondsey 21 2.95x
Sheffield 21 2.78x
Sowerby In Halifax 21 27.10x
Weaverham Cum Milton 21 150.43x
Aldenham 20 133.33x
Liverpool 20 1.16x
Broxbourne 19 58.14x
Headingley Cum Burley 19 12.45x
Southowram 19 26.26x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 19 17.25x
Wortley In Bramley 19 10.12x
Handborough 18 226.99x
Idle 18 16.38x
Warrington 18 5.35x
Doncaster 17 9.82x
Bowling 16 6.82x
Deptford St Paul 16 2.54x
Heckmondwike 15 19.68x
Hunslet 15 4.06x
Kearsley 15 25.12x
Keighley 15 5.94x
St George Hanover 15 4.80x
Camberwell 14 0.92x
Wakefield 14 7.69x
Wolverley 14 51.06x
Allerton 13 43.03x
Aylesbury 13 20.29x
Mirfield 13 9.99x
Saddleworth 13 7.11x
Birkenhead 12 2.85x
Brighton 12 1.47x
Morley 12 9.74x
Aston 11 0.66x
Battersea 11 1.25x
Chester St Mary On Hill 11 24.29x
Hipperholme Cum 11 10.56x
Meltham 11 29.84x
Menwith Cum Darley 11 233.05x
Sawley 11 97.43x
Whitford 11 33.01x
Appleton 10 83.61x
Ardwick 10 3.91x
Clutton 10 119.62x
Ealing 10 4.68x
Gildersome 10 35.10x
Great Bolton 10 2.66x
Liversedge 10 9.48x
Mold Bistree 10 95.60x
Pudsey 10 7.89x
Rhuddlan 10 17.67x
Skelmanthorpe 10 39.08x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 9 10.46x
Batley 9 4.00x
Dewsbury 9 3.70x
Longbenton 9 5.97x
Macclesfield 9 3.83x
Milton Abbas 9 116.88x
Rowley Regis 9 4.00x
Wandsworth 9 3.91x
Wolstanton 9 3.67x
Woodstock 9 96.98x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 1.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 182
Sarah 110
Elizabeth 93
Hannah 55
Ann 52
Emma 45
Annie 41
Jane 37
Eliza 36
Alice 33
Ellen 32
Martha 30
Margaret 29
Maria 23
Clara 19
Emily 18
Ada 17
Edith 14
Harriet 14
Florence 13
Charlotte 12
Louisa 12
Amy 11
Frances 11
Fanny 10
Catherine 9
Elizth. 9
Anne 8
Agnes 7
Betty 7
Grace 7
Kate 7
Lucy 7
Rebecca 7
Rose 7
Caroline 6
Lydia 6
Sophia 6
Esther 5
Harriett 5
Phoebe 5
Priscilla 5
Susannah 5
Helen 4
Isabella 4
Susan 4
Flora 3
Minnie 3
Nancy 3
Rachel 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 178
William 118
Thomas 93
George 80
James 62
Joseph 62
Henry 48
Edward 40
Charles 36
Alfred 26
Robert 25
Arthur 24
Benjamin 23
Albert 19
Samuel 19
Walter 17
Richard 16
Frank 13
Frederick 12
Harry 12
David 11
Fred 11
Herbert 11
Ernest 7
Wm. 7
Francis 6
Joe 6
Edwin 5
Isaac 5
Nathan 5
Peter 5
Daniel 4
Edmund 4
Percy 4
Tom 4
Willie 4
Aaron 3
Chas. 3
Earnest 3
Edgar 3
Geo. 3
Israel 3
Joshua 3
Lewis 3
Mark 3
Philip 3
Abraham 2
Luke 2
Moses 2
Ralph 2

FAQ

Whitley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Whitley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,406 people were recorded with the Whitley surname. That placed it at #1,850 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Whitley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,569 in 2016. That gives Whitley a modern rank of #2,576.

What does the Whitley surname mean?

From a place name meaning "white meadow" in Old English.

What does the Whitley map show?

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