NameCensus.

UK surname

Wooley

Derived from a place name or a nickname referring to a person with a head of thick, curly hair.

In the 1881 census there were 1,933 people recorded with the Wooley surname, ranking it #2,260 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 356, ranked #12,978, down from #2,260 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral, Liverpool and Gloucester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wooley is 1,933 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 81.6%.

1881 census count

1,933

Ranked #2,260

Modern count

356

2016, ranked #12,978

Peak year

1881

1,933 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wooley had 1,933 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,260 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016, ranked #12,978.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,933 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Wooley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wooley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wooley 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 1,352 #2,125
1861 historical 1,307 #2,184
1881 historical 1,933 #2,260
1891 historical 1,623 #2,757
1901 historical 1,393 #3,611
1911 historical 1,144 #4,082
1997 modern 646 #7,688
1998 modern 583 #8,548
1999 modern 543 #9,068
2000 modern 462 #10,212
2001 modern 402 #11,183
2002 modern 374 #12,040
2003 modern 346 #12,511
2004 modern 351 #12,422
2005 modern 350 #12,359
2006 modern 354 #12,339
2007 modern 345 #12,714
2008 modern 351 #12,661
2009 modern 373 #12,364
2010 modern 380 #12,462
2011 modern 376 #12,416
2012 modern 377 #12,238
2013 modern 381 #12,360
2014 modern 368 #12,770
2015 modern 350 #13,159
2016 modern 356 #12,978

Geography

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Where Wooleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Manchester and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral, Liverpool, Gloucester and Rushcliffe. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 002 Wirral
2 Liverpool 001 Liverpool
3 Wirral 005 Wirral
4 Gloucester 002 Gloucester
5 Rushcliffe 005 Rushcliffe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wooley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wooley

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

Wooley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Wooley

The surname "Wooley" originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "wull" and "leah," which together mean a meadow where wool was produced or processed. This name was initially given as a topographic name to individuals who lived near such meadows or were involved in the wool trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Wooley" can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, and Gloucestershire. It was often spelled as "Wulley," "Wulleye," or "Wolleleye" in ancient records and medieval manuscripts.

One notable historical reference to the name "Wooley" is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a John Wolleleye is listed as a taxpayer. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Somerset from 1268 mention a Roger de Wulleye.

In the 14th century, the surname "Wooley" appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a Thomas de Wulleye was recorded as a landowner. Around the same time, a John Wolleleye was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname "Wooley." One of the earliest was Sir John Wooley (c. 1535-1594), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Wooley (1591-1666), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Clonfert in Ireland.

In the 18th century, Edward Wooley (1665-1733) was a renowned English mathematician and astronomer, best known for his work on the calculation of cometary orbits. Later, in the 19th century, John Wooley (1790-1869) was a British landscape painter and etcher, renowned for his depictions of rural scenes.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname "Wooley" was Sir Leonard Wooley (1880-1960), a renowned British archaeologist and explorer who excavated several ancient sites in the Middle East, including the city of Ur in modern-day Iraq.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname "Wooley" throughout history, reflecting its English roots and association with the wool trade and meadows of medieval times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wooley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wooley 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. Lancashire leads with 309 Wooleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.39x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 309 1.39x
Staffordshire 267 4.23x
Middlesex 171 0.91x
Warwickshire 106 2.25x
Yorkshire 104 0.56x
Cheshire 100 2.42x
Derbyshire 88 3.01x
Kent 80 1.25x
Surrey 68 0.75x
Nottinghamshire 64 2.54x
Northamptonshire 63 3.58x
Somerset 57 1.89x
Shropshire 53 3.28x
Lincolnshire 48 1.61x
Leicestershire 46 2.22x
Gloucestershire 38 1.04x
Glamorgan 26 0.80x
Rutland 26 18.95x
Sussex 24 0.76x
Monmouthshire 22 1.63x
Radnorshire 16 10.61x
Buteshire 13 11.48x
Worcestershire 13 0.53x
Herefordshire 12 1.57x
Denbighshire 10 1.42x
Midlothian 10 0.40x
Ayrshire 9 0.64x
Dorset 8 0.65x
Hertfordshire 8 0.62x
Lanarkshire 8 0.13x
Durham 7 0.13x
Essex 7 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.44x
Channel Islands 4 0.72x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.93x
Brecknockshire 3 0.80x
Devon 3 0.08x
Royal Navy 3 1.35x
Suffolk 3 0.13x
Bedfordshire 2 0.21x
Wiltshire 2 0.12x
Cornwall 1 0.05x
Hampshire 1 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.27x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Northumberland 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 61 Wooleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.12x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 61 9.12x
Aston 51 3.93x
Birmingham 41 2.61x
Ashton Under Lyne 37 7.63x
Nottingham St Mary 32 4.91x
Wolverhampton 27 5.57x
Warrington 26 9.89x
Hanbury 25 724.64x
Salford 25 3.83x
Ketton 24 336.13x
Lambeth 22 1.35x
Kensington London 19 1.83x
Liverpool 19 1.41x
Manchester 17 1.70x
Toxteth Park 17 2.26x
Brighton 16 2.52x
Llanfihangel Beguildy 16 251.57x
Walsall Foreign 16 4.91x
Bilston 14 11.45x
Gretton 14 262.17x
Openshaw 14 13.48x
Berkswell 13 139.49x
Hornsey 13 5.50x
Mile End Old Town 13 4.41x
Oldham 13 1.82x
Hammersmith London 12 2.61x
Ipstones 12 132.30x
Leicester St Margaret 12 2.37x
Paddington London 12 1.75x
St Pancras London 12 0.80x
Winstone 12 810.81x
Woolwich 12 5.09x
Crich 11 57.59x
Llanwonno 11 9.41x
Newington 11 1.59x
Willenhall 11 9.31x
Blackburn 10 1.69x
Burton Extra 10 27.65x
Camberwell 10 0.84x
Chatham 10 5.70x
Chester St Oswald 10 13.39x
Holbeach 10 30.05x
Hoyland Nether 10 22.02x
Kilsby 10 261.10x
Altrincham 9 12.48x
Chelsea London 9 1.60x
Holcombe 9 261.63x
Kirkdale 9 2.41x
Muirkirk 9 27.40x
Newbold Dunston 9 32.36x
Newton 9 5.27x
Norton Canes 9 39.15x
Pendleton In Salford 9 3.41x
Saddleworth 9 6.30x
Shifnal 9 20.53x
Stringston 9 1232.88x
West Malling 9 62.67x
Wrockwardine 9 25.35x
Accrington 8 3.97x
Bromley London 8 1.95x
Burslem 8 4.43x
Darlaston 8 9.18x
Fulham London 8 2.95x
Greasley 8 14.07x
Holt 8 122.32x
Puriton 8 165.63x
Skelton In Guisbrough 8 15.97x
St Marylebone London 8 0.80x
Tealby 8 190.93x
Wednesbury 8 5.07x
Castleford 7 10.38x
Cheltenham 7 2.48x
Heaton Norris 7 5.55x
Kilbride 7 50.18x
Macclesfield 7 3.82x
Newcastle Higher 7 31.67x
Panteg 7 32.89x
Spitalfields London 7 4.98x
Wirksworth 7 26.32x
Wolstanton 7 3.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 130
Elizabeth 89
Sarah 67
Eliza 42
Ann 37
Hannah 36
Annie 33
Emma 32
Jane 30
Alice 29
Martha 24
Ellen 21
Catherine 19
Emily 19
Clara 16
Harriet 15
Louisa 14
Fanny 13
Maria 13
Caroline 12
Margaret 11
Ada 10
Agnes 10
Charlotte 10
Harriett 9
Rose 9
Florence 8
Kate 8
Edith 7
Amelia 6
Frances 6
Julia 6
Lucy 6
Gertrude 5
Isabella 5
Susan 5
Anna 4
Jemima 4
Rebecca 4
Selina 4
Sophia 4
Betsy 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Lydia 3
Susannah 3
Anne 2
Ethel 2
Henrietta 2
Lizzie 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 120
William 112
Thomas 73
George 70
Joseph 57
James 53
Charles 48
Henry 38
Robert 25
Richard 24
Alfred 18
Edward 18
Samuel 16
Arthur 15
Walter 15
Frederick 12
Albert 11
Harry 10
Herbert 8
Frank 6
Isaac 5
Mark 5
Benjamin 4
Daniel 4
David 4
Francis 4
Peter 4
Ralph 4
Thos. 4
Henery 3
Jonah 3
Jonathan 3
Matthew 3
Philip 3
Sam 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Anthony 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Harold 2
Jeremiah 2
Mathew 2
Phillip 2
Robt. 2
Sydney 2
Willm. 2

FAQ

Wooley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wooley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,933 people were recorded with the Wooley surname. That placed it at #2,260 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wooley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016. That gives Wooley a modern rank of #12,978.

What does the Wooley surname mean?

Derived from a place name or a nickname referring to a person with a head of thick, curly hair.

What does the Wooley map show?

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