NameCensus.

UK surname

Alvis

Derived from the Old Norse name "Álvíss," meaning "all-wise" or "very wise," and later adopted as a surname.

In the 1881 census there were 180 people recorded with the Alvis surname, ranking it #13,735 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 356, ranked #12,978, up from #13,735 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Chelvey, Bockley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Tickenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tewkesbury, South Gloucestershire and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Alvis is 362 in 2005. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 97.8%.

1881 census count

180

Ranked #13,735

Modern count

356

2016, ranked #12,978

Peak year

2005

362 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Alvis had 180 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,735 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 256 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Alvis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Alvis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Alvis 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 78 #19,840
1861 historical 71 #24,765
1881 historical 180 #13,735
1891 historical 205 #14,649
1901 historical 219 #14,292
1911 historical 256 #12,688
1997 modern 325 #12,832
1998 modern 326 #13,146
1999 modern 340 #12,870
2000 modern 327 #13,164
2001 modern 326 #13,006
2002 modern 347 #12,699
2003 modern 354 #12,319
2004 modern 356 #12,299
2005 modern 362 #12,066
2006 modern 356 #12,284
2007 modern 348 #12,637
2008 modern 359 #12,459
2009 modern 360 #12,688
2010 modern 359 #12,975
2011 modern 360 #12,832
2012 modern 359 #12,698
2013 modern 355 #13,045
2014 modern 355 #13,125
2015 modern 350 #13,159
2016 modern 356 #12,978

Geography

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Where Alvis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Chelvey, Bockley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Tickenham, Cold Ashton and Nailsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tewkesbury, South Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Neath Port Talbot and Liverpool. 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 Chelvey, Bockley Somerset
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Tickenham Somerset
4 Cold Ashton Gloucestershire
5 Nailsea Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tewkesbury 003 Tewkesbury
2 South Gloucestershire 024 South Gloucestershire
3 Shropshire 028 Shropshire
4 Neath Port Talbot 010 Neath Port Talbot
5 Liverpool 017 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Alvis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Alvis

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

Alvis 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

Alvis falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Alvis

The surname Alvis has its origins in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English given name "Alfwine," which is a combination of the elements "ælf" meaning "elf" and "wine" meaning "friend."

The surname Alvis was first found in Northamptonshire, where the family held a seat from ancient times. One of the earliest recorded bearers was William Alwyne, who was documented in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.

In the 14th century, the Alvis surname appeared in various forms, including Alvys, Alveys, and Alwys, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time. The name is also found in several early records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where a Thomas Alwys is mentioned.

The Alvis family continued to thrive in various parts of England, with notable bearers including John Alvis, who was born in 1587 in Taunton, Somerset, and Sir John Alvis, a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London during the 17th century.

Another notable individual with the Alvis surname was Thomas Alvis, a philosopher and theologian born in 1621 in Leicestershire. He was educated at Oxford University and later became a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

In the 18th century, the Alvis family had established themselves in various parts of England, with records showing bearers in counties such as Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. One notable figure from this period was William Alvis, a writer and poet born in 1745 in Somerset.

The 19th century saw the rise of the Alvis automobile company, founded by Thomas George John Alvis in 1919 in Coventry, England. The company gained renown for producing high-quality sports cars and luxury vehicles until its closure in the 1960s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Alvis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Alvis 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. Gloucestershire leads with 72 Alvis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.91x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 72 20.91x
Somerset 48 16.98x
Essex 16 4.62x
Middlesex 10 0.57x
Norfolk 8 2.96x
Herefordshire 6 8.33x
Glamorgan 5 1.64x
Wiltshire 5 3.22x
Yorkshire 5 0.29x
Sussex 3 1.01x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.62x
Monmouthshire 1 0.79x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nailsea in Somerset leads with 13 Alvis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1160.71x.

Place Total Index
Nailsea 13 1160.71x
Henbury 12 714.29x
Doynton 10 4166.67x
Coldashton 9 3913.04x
Hackney London 9 9.14x
Yate 9 1200.00x
Almondsbury 8 610.69x
East Ham 8 124.42x
Olveston 8 824.74x
Tolleshunt Knights 8 2857.14x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 7 21.59x
Tickenham 7 3500.00x
West Quantoxhead 7 4117.65x
East Winch 6 2500.00x
Easton In Gordano 6 526.32x
Blaenhonddan 5 352.11x
Clevedon 5 170.07x
Fisherton Anger 5 174.22x
Hereford St Owen 5 210.08x
Adwick On Dearne 4 2666.67x
Bedminster 4 15.06x
Brockley 4 5714.29x
Bristol St Augustine 3 53.96x
Hurstpierpoint 3 181.82x
Stapleton 3 45.94x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 2 24.69x
Wick Abson 2 377.36x
Wraxall 2 370.37x
Guisbrough 1 26.32x
Hereford All Sts 1 30.30x
Llanwenarth Ultra 1 107.53x
Mile End Old Town London 1 2.68x
Peterculter 1 86.96x
Westbury On Trym 1 8.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 5
Florence 5
Louisa 5
Annie 4
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Edith 3
Hannah 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Eleanor 2
Emily 2
Grace 2
Maria 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Bettie 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlott 1
Cisey 1
Constance 1
Ellen 1
Emilin 1
Ethel 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Laura 1
Lily 1
Lois 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1
Selena 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 14
John 12
William 8
Albert 7
James 6
Herbert 5
Arthur 4
Charles 4
Robert 4
Edward 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Chas.Frederick 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Egbert 1
Francis 1
Gilbert 1
Hebt. 1
Henry 1
Percy 1
W.Henry 1
Willm. 1
Wm.George 1

FAQ

Alvis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Alvis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 180 people were recorded with the Alvis surname. That placed it at #13,735 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Alvis surname today?

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

What does the Alvis surname mean?

Derived from the Old Norse name "Álvíss," meaning "all-wise" or "very wise," and later adopted as a surname.

What does the Alvis map show?

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