NameCensus.

UK surname

Wiley

Derived from a nickname meaning "wily" or "cunning," referring to someone who is clever, mischievous, or tricky.

In the 1881 census there were 732 people recorded with the Wiley surname, ranking it #4,995 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,056, ranked #5,522, down from #4,995 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wolverhampton, Hartlepool and Maldon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wiley is 1,122 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.3%.

1881 census count

732

Ranked #4,995

Modern count

1,056

2016, ranked #5,522

Peak year

2010

1,122 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wiley had 732 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,995 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,056 in 2016, ranked #5,522.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 841 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Wiley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wiley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wiley 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 581 #4,390
1861 historical 591 #4,475
1881 historical 732 #4,995
1891 historical 704 #5,575
1901 historical 841 #5,411
1911 historical 821 #5,364
1997 modern 995 #5,525
1998 modern 1,044 #5,470
1999 modern 1,036 #5,548
2000 modern 1,028 #5,567
2001 modern 992 #5,608
2002 modern 1,037 #5,529
2003 modern 1,028 #5,477
2004 modern 1,048 #5,400
2005 modern 1,042 #5,364
2006 modern 1,039 #5,400
2007 modern 1,036 #5,453
2008 modern 1,053 #5,413
2009 modern 1,098 #5,326
2010 modern 1,122 #5,347
2011 modern 1,093 #5,407
2012 modern 1,050 #5,494
2013 modern 1,055 #5,578
2014 modern 1,067 #5,553
2015 modern 1,049 #5,580
2016 modern 1,056 #5,522

Geography

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Where Wileys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, London parishes and Stranton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wolverhampton, Hartlepool and Maldon. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Stranton Durham
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wolverhampton 015 Wolverhampton
2 Hartlepool 008 Hartlepool
3 Hartlepool 007 Hartlepool
4 Wolverhampton 018 Wolverhampton
5 Maldon 002 Maldon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wiley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wiley

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

Wiley 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

Wiley falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Wiley

The surname Wiley originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "wil," meaning "to beguile" or "trick," suggesting that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone known for their cunning or deceitful nature.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with early records showing variations such as Wyly, Wylie, and Wilie. It was particularly prevalent in the counties of Northumberland, Yorkshire, and Lanarkshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Northumberland in 1296, which mentions a John Wyly. The Wiley surname is also found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls from Scotland.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1336, which lists a William Wyly. The Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 also records several Wiley families.

Notable individuals with the surname Wiley include Andrew Wiley (c. 1550-1615), a Scottish merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, and Sir William Wiley (1590-1657), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Salisbury.

During the 17th century, the name gained prominence with individuals such as Robert Wiley (1609-1684), an English clergyman and author, and John Wiley (1661-1718), the founder of the famous publishing house John Wiley & Sons.

In the 18th century, the Wiley surname was well-established in various parts of Britain, as evidenced by records such as the Gloucestershire Parish Registers, which mention several Wiley families in the 1700s.

Other notable individuals with the surname Wiley include William Wiley (1786-1856), an American portrait painter, and Sarah Wiley Armistead (1835-1918), an American author and educator.

The Wiley surname has also been associated with several place names, such as Wiley Green in Cheshire and Wiley Village in Somerset, further solidifying its historical roots in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wiley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wiley 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 127 Wileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.79x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 127 1.79x
Middlesex 90 1.26x
Staffordshire 75 3.11x
Norfolk 72 6.55x
Warwickshire 70 3.88x
Essex 42 2.98x
Durham 38 1.79x
Kent 31 1.27x
Lancashire 31 0.37x
Surrey 23 0.66x
Northumberland 17 1.60x
Worcestershire 17 1.82x
Lincolnshire 15 1.31x
Nottinghamshire 13 1.35x
Sussex 10 0.83x
Cumberland 8 1.30x
Somerset 7 0.61x
Lanarkshire 6 0.26x
Buteshire 5 11.54x
Berkshire 4 0.75x
Caernarfonshire 4 1.38x
Cheshire 4 0.25x
Midlothian 4 0.42x
Devon 3 0.20x
Renfrewshire 3 0.54x
Bedfordshire 2 0.54x
Hampshire 2 0.14x
Shropshire 2 0.32x
Wiltshire 2 0.32x
Angus 1 0.15x
Derbyshire 1 0.09x
Glamorgan 1 0.08x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.61x
Oxfordshire 1 0.23x
Royal Navy 1 1.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 42 Wileys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.99x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 42 6.99x
Wolverhampton 39 21.02x
Aston 27 5.44x
Stranton 20 27.93x
Hackney London 13 3.24x
Shoreditch London 13 4.19x
Hindolveston 12 745.34x
Leyton 12 49.36x
Darlaston 10 29.98x
Leyton Low 10 34.86x
Burnham Overy 9 596.03x
Islington London 9 1.30x
Ormesby 9 47.27x
Scarborough 9 13.98x
Tunstall 9 84.99x
Wanstead 9 36.41x
Woolwich 9 9.99x
Armley 8 25.60x
Emneth 8 326.53x
Nottingham St Mary 8 3.21x
Plumstead 8 9.84x
Scampston 8 1355.93x
Sculcoates 8 7.12x
Stourbridge 8 33.29x
Wednesfield 8 22.52x
York St Mary 8 27.26x
Aldridge 7 150.86x
Bewcastle 7 321.10x
Little Plumstead 7 864.20x
St George Hanover 7 7.50x
St Giles In Fields 7 28.39x
Woodford 7 43.80x
Worsley 7 13.38x
Brighton 6 2.47x
Chelsea London 6 2.78x
Clifton In York 6 40.49x
Deptford St Paul 6 3.19x
Hornblotton 6 2142.86x
Paddington London 6 2.28x
Byker 5 9.51x
Cooling 5 862.07x
Dewsbury 5 6.88x
Elloughton Cum Brough 5 229.36x
Glasgow 5 1.22x
Halesowen 5 60.98x
Horncastle 5 42.37x
Lambeth 5 0.80x
Leeds 5 1.25x
Lutton 5 264.55x
Nether Hallam 5 5.22x
Rillington 5 232.56x
Rothesay 5 23.83x
Rothwell 5 34.94x
South Cave 5 212.77x
Stretford 5 10.71x
Willenhall 5 11.06x
Battersea 4 1.52x
Bermondsey 4 1.88x
Bishopwearmouth 4 2.19x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 1.04x
Guisbrough 4 25.84x
Knaresborough 4 35.94x
Llandudno 4 38.80x
Salford 4 1.60x
Walthamstow 4 7.87x
Westminster St James 4 5.44x
Barney 3 394.74x
Brightside Bierlow 3 2.16x
Clayton Le Moors 3 18.23x
Guestwick 3 666.67x
Hoveton St John 3 416.67x
Kenninghall 3 99.34x
Liverpool 3 0.58x
Newcastle On Tyne St 3 5.44x
Norwich St Paul 3 45.59x
Sedgley 3 3.35x
St Marylebone London 3 0.79x
Swillington 3 149.25x
Tottenham 3 2.63x
Wallsend 3 8.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 35
Mary 33
Elizabeth 24
Jane 16
Ann 15
Alice 12
Annie 12
Eliza 9
Edith 8
Hannah 8
Ellen 7
Emma 7
Isabella 7
Margaret 7
Florence 6
Julia 6
Caroline 5
Emily 5
Martha 5
Agnes 4
Amelia 4
Charlotte 4
Harriet 4
Louisa 4
Maria 4
Anna 3
Augusta 3
Catherine 3
Frances 3
Harriett 3
Lucy 3
Maud 3
Minnie 3
Ada 2
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Elizth. 2
Janet 2
Laura 2
Lydia 2
Mabel 2
Margt. 2
Rachael 2
Rebecca 2
Ruth 2
Batell 1
Beatrice 1
Elina 1
Elizbet. 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 46
John 38
George 30
Thomas 26
James 24
Robert 19
Henry 17
Joseph 14
Charles 12
Alfred 11
Arthur 9
Edward 9
Harry 7
Samuel 6
Walter 6
Matthew 5
Alexander 4
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Thos. 4
Albert 3
David 3
Francis 3
Geo. 3
Reginald 3
Andrew 2
Enoch 2
F. 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Josiah 2
Percy 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Benjamin 1
Chas.H. 1
Christopher 1
Collins 1
Elizabeth 1
Esmond 1
Fredic. 1
Fredk.W. 1
Infant 1
Jabez 1
Jeremiah 1
Jonathan 1
Lewis 1
Mark 1
Owston 1

FAQ

Wiley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wiley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 732 people were recorded with the Wiley surname. That placed it at #4,995 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wiley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,056 in 2016. That gives Wiley a modern rank of #5,522.

What does the Wiley surname mean?

Derived from a nickname meaning "wily" or "cunning," referring to someone who is clever, mischievous, or tricky.

What does the Wiley map show?

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