NameCensus.

UK surname

Worley

Derived from a place name meaning "wood clearing" or "wood meadow" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,323 people recorded with the Worley surname, ranking it #3,101 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,133, ranked #3,029, up from #3,101 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Chalfont St Giles, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, St. Helens and Wellingborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Worley is 2,406 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.2%.

1881 census count

1,323

Ranked #3,101

Modern count

2,133

2016, ranked #3,029

Peak year

1999

2,406 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Worley had 1,323 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,101 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,133 in 2016, ranked #3,029.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,101 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Worley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Worley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Worley 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 943 #2,943
1861 historical 996 #2,800
1881 historical 1,323 #3,101
1891 historical 1,534 #2,875
1901 historical 1,820 #2,884
1911 historical 2,101 #2,386
1997 modern 2,328 #2,676
1998 modern 2,388 #2,713
1999 modern 2,406 #2,718
2000 modern 2,343 #2,767
2001 modern 2,302 #2,754
2002 modern 2,357 #2,750
2003 modern 2,317 #2,741
2004 modern 2,292 #2,761
2005 modern 2,221 #2,809
2006 modern 2,233 #2,797
2007 modern 2,240 #2,810
2008 modern 2,206 #2,874
2009 modern 2,268 #2,868
2010 modern 2,305 #2,888
2011 modern 2,251 #2,921
2012 modern 2,195 #2,921
2013 modern 2,241 #2,919
2014 modern 2,206 #2,971
2015 modern 2,157 #3,009
2016 modern 2,133 #3,029

Geography

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Where Worleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Chalfont St Giles, London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea and Moulton, Moulton Park. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, St. Helens, Wellingborough, Walsall and Hambleton. 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 Chalfont St Giles Buckinghamshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Moulton, Moulton Park Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 066 County Durham
2 St. Helens 011 St. Helens
3 Wellingborough 009 Wellingborough
4 Walsall 031 Walsall
5 Hambleton 008 Hambleton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Worley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Worley

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Worley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Worley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Worley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Worley 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

Worley falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Worley

The surname Worley is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "worl," which means "mound" or "small hill." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived on or near a small hill or raised ground.

The earliest known record of the name Worley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was documented as "Worlay" and referred to a location or settlement near the present-day county of Derbyshire.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Worley, Worleigh, Worlie, and Wourley. These variations can be attributed to regional dialects, scribal errors, and the lack of standardized spelling practices in earlier times.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Worley was John Worley, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1525. He was a prominent landowner and served as a local magistrate during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable figure in history was Sir Robert Worley (1592-1669), an English diplomat and politician who served as the ambassador to the Netherlands during the Commonwealth period. He played a significant role in negotiating treaties and maintaining diplomatic relations between England and the Dutch Republic.

In the 18th century, Thomas Worley (1709-1781) was a renowned clockmaker from Nottingham, England. His timepieces were highly valued for their craftsmanship and precision, and some of his clocks are still preserved in museums and private collections today.

Moving into the 19th century, we find Mary Worley (1817-1895), a British author and activist who wrote extensively on women's rights and education. Her works, such as "The Rights and Wrongs of Women" and "Thoughts on the Education of Girls," were influential in advocating for gender equality and educational opportunities for women.

Another notable figure was John Worley (1865-1941), a British architect who designed several iconic buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House and the Savoy Hotel. His architectural style was heavily influenced by the Baroque and Renaissance periods, and his works are considered significant contributions to the cityscape of London.

While the Worley surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, as a result of migration and emigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Worley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Worley 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. Middlesex leads with 226 Worleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.74x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 226 1.74x
Surrey 126 1.99x
Buckinghamshire 120 15.29x
Northamptonshire 106 8.68x
Staffordshire 99 2.26x
Hampshire 72 2.71x
Yorkshire 72 0.56x
Nottinghamshire 65 3.71x
Kent 53 1.20x
Leicestershire 45 3.13x
Durham 38 0.98x
Huntingdonshire 32 12.41x
Sussex 32 1.46x
Warwickshire 30 0.92x
Lancashire 26 0.17x
Northumberland 26 1.35x
Devon 18 0.67x
Hertfordshire 18 2.01x
Cheshire 13 0.45x
Gloucestershire 13 0.51x
Berkshire 12 1.23x
Oxfordshire 11 1.37x
Suffolk 10 0.63x
Cambridgeshire 9 1.09x
Derbyshire 9 0.44x
Channel Islands 7 1.82x
Royal Navy 6 3.88x
Worcestershire 6 0.35x
Monmouthshire 5 0.53x
Brecknockshire 4 1.54x
Essex 4 0.16x
Wiltshire 3 0.26x
Bedfordshire 2 0.30x
Herefordshire 2 0.38x
Lincolnshire 2 0.10x
Norfolk 2 0.10x
Cumberland 1 0.09x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Merionethshire 1 0.42x
Midlothian 1 0.06x
Perthshire 1 0.17x
Shropshire 1 0.09x
Somerset 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 47 Worleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.01x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 47 9.01x
Seer Green 39 2653.06x
West Bromwich 30 11.96x
Islington London 26 2.07x
Gateshead 24 8.30x
Walsall Foreign 23 10.16x
Leicester St Margaret 22 6.27x
Westgate 22 18.39x
Camberwell 20 2.41x
Chalfont St Giles 20 355.87x
Kensington London 20 2.77x
Moulton 20 294.55x
Scarrington 20 2173.91x
Croydon 19 5.41x
Lambeth 19 1.68x
St Pancras London 19 1.82x
Aston 18 2.00x
Hackney London 18 2.47x
Brington 16 434.78x
Handsworth 15 13.89x
Iver 15 148.22x
Shoreditch London 15 2.67x
Wycombe 15 25.64x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 14 11.68x
Paddington London 14 2.93x
Bibury 12 390.88x
Chesham 12 41.48x
Plumstead 12 8.13x
Wollaston 12 178.57x
Leicester St Mary 11 9.46x
Nottingham St Mary 11 2.43x
St Marylebone London 11 1.59x
Wellingborough 11 17.92x
Westminster St James 11 8.24x
Eastbourne 10 9.93x
Holywell Cum Needingworth 10 309.60x
Newington 10 2.08x
Denham 9 160.71x
Hardingstone 9 77.19x
Rickmansworth 9 36.53x
Streatham 9 9.34x
Sutton Under Whitstone 9 676.69x
Brightside Bierlow 8 3.17x
Clerkenwell London 8 2.61x
Dallington 8 111.42x
Deptford St Paul 8 2.34x
Hayes 8 60.38x
Ipswich St Clement 8 19.90x
Kingswinford 8 5.03x
St George In East 8 9.06x
Stoke Damerel 8 4.23x
Warrington 8 4.38x
Weybridge 8 58.95x
Wisbech St Peter 8 19.40x
Battersea 7 1.47x
Chislehurst 7 29.46x
Farndon 7 283.40x
Kingsdown In Dartford 7 378.38x
Leeds 7 0.96x
Mansfield 7 11.56x
South Stoneham 7 12.13x
Spitalfields London 7 7.17x
Stranton 7 5.38x
Swinton In Rotherham 7 20.58x
Twickenham 7 12.57x
Wallingford St Leonard 7 154.19x
Abbots Ripton 6 342.86x
Amersham 6 53.91x
Aslockton 6 333.33x
Birmingham 6 0.55x
Buckden 6 129.31x
Ealing 6 5.17x
Millbrook 6 8.95x
Mountsorrel 6 231.66x
Peterborough 6 6.79x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 2.88x
Royal Navy 6 4.54x
Sarratt 6 192.93x
Tipton 6 4.47x
Toxteth Park 6 1.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 85
Elizabeth 54
Sarah 42
Eliza 28
Emma 28
Ann 24
Jane 23
Emily 22
Alice 20
Annie 14
Ellen 13
Fanny 12
Martha 12
Ada 11
Charlotte 11
Florence 11
Louisa 11
Caroline 9
Margaret 9
Hannah 8
Harriet 8
Amelia 7
Isabella 7
Lucy 7
Maria 7
Clara 6
Harriett 6
Minnie 6
Anne 5
Catherine 5
Kate 5
Selina 5
A. 4
Edith 4
Maud 4
Phoebe 4
Rebecca 4
Rose 4
Sophia 4
Susan 4
Agnes 3
Betsy 3
Elizth. 3
Gertrude 3
Grace 3
Bertha 2
Dianna 2
Eleanor 2
Eliz. 2
Lydia 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 102
John 70
George 68
Thomas 44
James 30
Henry 28
Charles 22
Joseph 22
Samuel 22
Robert 19
Alfred 18
Arthur 16
Frederick 11
Frank 10
Harry 9
Richard 9
Edward 8
Albert 7
Daniel 6
Edwin 6
Thos. 6
Ernest 5
Herbert 5
David 4
E. 3
Geo. 3
Isaac 3
Joshua 3
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Benjamin 2
Benjamine 2
Ebenezer 2
Edmund 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Isaiah 2
Jesse 2
Job 2
Matthew 2
Obediah 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Reginald 2
Sydney 2
T. 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Esquire 1
Wyman 1

FAQ

Worley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Worley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,323 people were recorded with the Worley surname. That placed it at #3,101 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Worley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,133 in 2016. That gives Worley a modern rank of #3,029.

What does the Worley surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "wood clearing" or "wood meadow" in Old English.

What does the Worley map show?

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