NameCensus.

UK surname

Amess

In the 1881 census there were 132 people recorded with the Amess surname, ranking it #16,744 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 330, ranked #13,765, up from #16,744 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Jarrow and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, South Tyneside and Bromsgrove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Amess is 354 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 150.0%.

1881 census count

132

Ranked #16,744

Modern count

330

2016, ranked #13,765

Peak year

1999

354 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Amess had 132 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,744 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 330 in 2016, ranked #13,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 158 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Amess surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Amess surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Amess 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 117 #15,456
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 132 #16,744
1891 historical 154 #18,004
1901 historical 153 #17,844
1911 historical 158 #17,277
1997 modern 319 #13,000
1998 modern 342 #12,739
1999 modern 354 #12,497
2000 modern 349 #12,585
2001 modern 340 #12,620
2002 modern 348 #12,674
2003 modern 336 #12,786
2004 modern 328 #13,058
2005 modern 310 #13,518
2006 modern 321 #13,258
2007 modern 318 #13,503
2008 modern 321 #13,516
2009 modern 325 #13,657
2010 modern 323 #14,005
2011 modern 332 #13,608
2012 modern 313 #14,095
2013 modern 317 #14,186
2014 modern 332 #13,807
2015 modern 336 #13,593
2016 modern 330 #13,765

Geography

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Where Amess' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Jarrow, Gateshead and Newburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, South Tyneside and Bromsgrove. 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 Jarrow Durham
3 Gateshead Durham
4 London parishes London 3
5 Newburgh Fife

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 005 South Holland
2 South Tyneside 016 South Tyneside
3 South Holland 007 South Holland
4 South Holland 004 South Holland
5 Bromsgrove 013 Bromsgrove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Amess

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Amess

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Amess surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Amess household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Amess is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Amess 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

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

1881 census detail

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Amess families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Amess 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. Norfolk leads with 32 Amess' recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.54x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 32 16.54x
Durham 22 5.88x
Worcestershire 22 13.39x
Kent 11 2.56x
Fife 9 12.08x
Derbyshire 7 3.55x
Gloucestershire 6 2.43x
Middlesex 6 0.48x
Perthshire 6 10.63x
Sussex 3 1.41x
Warwickshire 2 0.63x
Berkshire 1 1.06x
Lancashire 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bromsgrove in Worcestershire leads with 21 Amess' recorded in 1881 and an index of 379.75x.

Place Total Index
Bromsgrove 21 379.75x
Westoe 16 75.40x
Palling 15 7500.00x
Newburgh 9 947.37x
Trimingham 8 10000.00x
Deal 7 191.26x
Hartshorn 7 945.95x
Auchtergaven 6 631.58x
Bishopwearmouth 6 18.67x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 25.83x
Great Yarmouth 5 31.19x
St Pancras London 5 4.94x
Southrepps 4 1081.08x
Hastings St Leonards 3 96.15x
Aston 2 2.29x
Sholden 2 1176.47x
Belbroughton 1 117.65x
Cheetham 1 8.98x
Hackney London 1 1.42x
Lound 1 526.32x
Milton In Gravesend 1 15.53x
Ramsgate 1 14.27x
Sandhurst 1 54.64x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Amess surname: questions and answers

How common was the Amess surname in 1881?

In 1881, 132 people were recorded with the Amess surname. That placed it at #16,744 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Amess surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 330 in 2016. That gives Amess a modern rank of #13,765.

What does the Amess map show?

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