NameCensus.

UK surname

Wrigley

Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "clearing by a wriggling stream" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 3,789 people recorded with the Wrigley surname, ranking it #1,207 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,941, ranked #2,292, down from #1,207 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Manchester and Middleton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochdale and Oldham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wrigley is 4,354 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 22.4%.

1881 census count

3,789

Ranked #1,207

Modern count

2,941

2016, ranked #2,292

Peak year

1911

4,354 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wrigley had 3,789 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,207 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,941 in 2016, ranked #2,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,354 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Wrigley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wrigley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wrigley 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 2,593 #1,136
1861 historical 2,450 #1,190
1881 historical 3,789 #1,207
1891 historical 3,821 #1,258
1901 historical 4,212 #1,335
1911 historical 4,354 #1,189
1997 modern 3,078 #2,082
1998 modern 3,163 #2,120
1999 modern 3,198 #2,115
2000 modern 3,150 #2,133
2001 modern 3,088 #2,126
2002 modern 3,127 #2,151
2003 modern 3,029 #2,167
2004 modern 3,050 #2,150
2005 modern 2,971 #2,181
2006 modern 2,958 #2,189
2007 modern 2,982 #2,182
2008 modern 3,001 #2,187
2009 modern 3,054 #2,208
2010 modern 3,087 #2,232
2011 modern 3,011 #2,268
2012 modern 2,969 #2,251
2013 modern 3,042 #2,238
2014 modern 3,010 #2,281
2015 modern 3,009 #2,249
2016 modern 2,941 #2,292

Geography

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Where Wrigleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Manchester, Middleton and Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochdale and Oldham. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Middleton Lancashire
5 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochdale 023 Rochdale
2 Oldham 014 Oldham
3 Oldham 017 Oldham
4 Oldham 029 Oldham
5 Oldham 026 Oldham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wrigley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wrigley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Wrigley, 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 Wrigley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Wrigley 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, Wrigley 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

Wrigley is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Wrigley

The surname Wrigley originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "wri" meaning twisted or crooked, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. It likely referred to someone who lived near a crooked or winding meadow.

The name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wriggelegh" and "Wriggelea". This suggests the surname was already established by the 11th century in areas like Cheshire and Lancashire.

Early recordings of the name include William de Wrigeleye in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272, and Richard de Wriggeley in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379.

Over time, the name evolved with various spellings like Wriggeley, Wriggeley, Wrigglesworth, and eventually settled into its modern form of Wrigley.

Notable people with the surname Wrigley include Sir Edward Wrigley (1539-1618), an English politician who served as Sheriff of Lancashire, and William Wrigley Jr. (1861-1932), the American businessman who founded the Wrigley Company and popularized chewing gum.

Other historical figures with this name are Thomas Wrigley (1808-1891), an English architect known for designing churches and public buildings, and Francis Wrigley Hirst (1873-1953), an English journalist and editor of The Economist magazine.

In the 17th century, Thomas Wrigley (1637-1702) was a prominent Quaker minister and traveled extensively to spread his religious beliefs in England and America.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wrigley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wrigley 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 2,219 Wrigleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.06x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,219 5.06x
Yorkshire 977 2.67x
Cheshire 276 3.38x
Northamptonshire 65 1.87x
Middlesex 61 0.17x
Derbyshire 42 0.73x
Warwickshire 28 0.30x
Staffordshire 13 0.10x
Westmorland 13 1.60x
Cumberland 12 0.38x
Hampshire 9 0.12x
Flintshire 8 0.81x
Leicestershire 8 0.20x
Sussex 8 0.13x
Lincolnshire 6 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.12x
Gloucestershire 5 0.07x
Surrey 5 0.03x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.18x
Rutland 4 1.47x
Shropshire 4 0.13x
Glamorgan 3 0.05x
Cornwall 2 0.05x
Kent 2 0.02x
Northumberland 2 0.04x
Somerset 2 0.03x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.07x
Essex 1 0.01x
Hertfordshire 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 598 Wrigleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.24x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 598 42.24x
Saddleworth 419 148.31x
Ashton Under Lyne 209 21.80x
Castleton 70 15.98x
Salford 70 5.43x
Middleton In Oldham 63 47.91x
Manchester 58 2.94x
Great Bolton 56 9.64x
Chadderton 50 23.32x
Tonge 48 52.16x
Clitheroe 44 34.08x
Bury 42 8.38x
Stayley 37 39.67x
Dukinfield 36 9.55x
Heap 35 15.05x
Royton 33 24.60x
Stockport 31 7.38x
Kettering 30 21.34x
Wardleworth 30 11.97x
Huddersfield 29 5.43x
South Crosland 28 72.61x
Barton Upon Irwell 27 8.18x
Lockwood 27 20.49x
Gorton 26 6.31x
Heaton Norris 26 10.42x
Leeds 26 1.26x
Liverpool 26 0.98x
Pendleton In Salford 26 4.98x
Longwood 25 42.35x
Newton 25 7.40x
Spotland 25 5.13x
Wuerdle Wardle 25 18.78x
Blackburn 24 2.06x
Preston 24 2.05x
Bradford 23 11.20x
Chorlton On Medlock 23 3.30x
North Meols 23 5.36x
Elton 22 14.52x
St Pancras London 22 0.74x
Tintwistle 21 48.17x
Bollington In 19 26.16x
Hopwood 19 33.14x
Hackney London 18 0.87x
Newton In Ashton Under 18 22.36x
Ardwick 17 4.30x
Butterworth 17 15.91x
Mottram 16 43.29x
Broughton In Salford 15 3.74x
Failsworth 15 14.95x
Hyde 15 6.23x
Moss Side 15 6.50x
Nether Hallam 15 3.03x
Ovenden 15 9.20x
Morley 14 7.35x
Newchurch 14 3.90x
Stretford 14 5.80x
Denton 13 13.38x
Glossop Dale 13 4.80x
Newton 13 102.77x
Everton 12 0.86x
Harpurhey 12 19.71x
Skircoat 12 8.31x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 11 8.27x
Batley 11 3.16x
Drighlington 11 20.62x
Little Bolton 11 1.95x
Lofthouse Cum Carlton 11 24.64x
Northampton Priory St 11 5.27x
Northampton St Giles 11 8.31x
Reddish 11 18.21x
Birmingham 10 0.32x
Doncaster 10 3.74x
Formby 10 20.14x
Hoghton 10 90.33x
Kirkleatham 10 20.22x
Leek Lowe 10 6.02x
Soothill 10 7.56x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 10 5.88x
Tottington Lower End 10 4.80x
Warrington 10 1.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 328
Sarah 203
Elizabeth 170
Ann 105
Jane 77
Alice 75
Hannah 73
Eliza 55
Annie 54
Emma 52
Martha 47
Ellen 35
Emily 32
Harriet 28
Betty 27
Clara 27
Margaret 26
Agnes 24
Esther 23
Maria 18
Amelia 17
Catherine 16
Susannah 16
Louisa 15
Edith 14
Elizth. 14
Frances 14
Bertha 13
Charlotte 12
Lucy 12
Ada 10
Ruth 10
Anne 9
Betsy 9
Ethel 9
Fanny 9
Rachel 9
Isabella 8
Amy 7
Anna 7
Florence 7
Grace 7
Nancy 7
Caroline 6
Harriett 6
Selina 6
Bridget 5
Phoebe 5
Rebecca 5
Lizzie 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 251
James 205
William 173
Joseph 120
Thomas 93
George 82
Samuel 57
Henry 48
Robert 45
Charles 43
Alfred 33
Benjamin 32
Arthur 29
Frank 26
Walter 26
Fred 24
Richard 23
Herbert 22
Albert 21
Edward 19
Harry 17
Frederick 15
Ernest 13
Francis 13
Ben 11
Seth 10
Edmund 9
Edwin 9
Wm. 9
Isaac 8
Tom 8
Abraham 7
Joe 6
Thos. 6
Wright 6
Daniel 5
Lees 5
Miles 5
Edgar 4
Frederic 4
Fredk. 4
Harold 4
Howard 4
Joshua 4
Josiah 4
Lewis 4
Ralph 4
Robt. 4
Sam 4
Timothy 4

FAQ

Wrigley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wrigley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,789 people were recorded with the Wrigley surname. That placed it at #1,207 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wrigley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,941 in 2016. That gives Wrigley a modern rank of #2,292.

What does the Wrigley surname mean?

Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "clearing by a wriggling stream" in Old English.

What does the Wrigley map show?

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