NameCensus.

UK surname

Anchor

A surname with origins in someone's association with physical anchors or being an innkeeper.

In the 1881 census there were 93 people recorded with the Anchor surname, ranking it #20,593 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 79, ranked #33,100, down from #20,593 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, London parishes and Hunston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oldham, Rochdale and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Anchor is 176 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 15.1%.

1881 census count

93

Ranked #20,593

Modern count

79

2016, ranked #33,100

Peak year

1861

176 bearers

Map years

3

1861 to 1998

Key insights

  • Anchor had 93 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,593 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 79 in 2016, ranked #33,100.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 176 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Anchor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Anchor surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Anchor 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 61 #22,412
1861 historical 176 #13,335
1881 historical 93 #20,593
1891 historical 91 #25,239
1901 historical 98 #23,119
1911 historical 113 #21,168
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 100 #27,619
1999 modern 97 #28,187
2000 modern 97 #28,142
2001 modern 94 #28,246
2002 modern 95 #28,666
2003 modern 96 #28,381
2004 modern 101 #27,813
2005 modern 93 #29,133
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 92 #29,929
2008 modern 88 #30,857
2009 modern 92 #30,820
2010 modern 89 #31,745
2011 modern 81 #32,558
2012 modern 78 #33,044
2013 modern 81 #32,996
2014 modern 79 #33,205
2015 modern 81 #32,975
2016 modern 79 #33,100

Geography

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Where Anchors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, London parishes, Hunston, Kings Norton and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Oldham, Rochdale and Salford. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Hunston Sussex
4 Kings Norton Worcestershire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oldham 007 Oldham
2 Oldham 026 Oldham
3 Rochdale 001 Rochdale
4 Rochdale 003 Rochdale
5 Salford 021 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Anchor

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Anchor

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Anchor is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Anchor 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

Anchor 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 Anchor is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Anchor, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Anchor

The surname Anchor is of English origin, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle English word "anker," which referred to an anchor, a heavy object used to secure a ship or boat to the bottom of a body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Anchor can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, England, from 1296, where a Robert Ankere is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Ankere," highlights the close connection between the surname and the occupational term "anchor-maker" or "anchor-worker."

The Anchor surname is also believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname, possibly referring to someone who lived near a notable anchor or had a distinctive gait or posture reminiscent of an anchor's shape. Such nicknames were common in medieval times and often evolved into hereditary surnames.

In the 14th century, the Anchor surname appeared in various records, including the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, which mentioned a John Anker. During this period, the name was concentrated in coastal regions of England, where anchor-making and maritime occupations were prevalent.

One notable bearer of the Anchor surname was John Anchor (c. 1500-1573), an English clergyman and writer who served as the rector of St. Mary-le-Bow in London. He is remembered for his work "The Consolatory Letter to the Faythfull in Chryst," published in 1554.

In the 17th century, Thomas Anchor (1615-1686) was a prominent English Puritan clergyman and author, known for his religious writings and sermons. He served as the minister of St. Giles Cripplegate in London and was a member of the Westminster Assembly.

Another notable bearer of the Anchor surname was William Anchor (1763-1839), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including St. Pancras Church and the Haymarket Theatre.

During the 19th century, the Anchor surname spread across various parts of the English-speaking world, with notable individuals like Charles Anchor (1792-1857), an English engraver and artist known for his landscape and architectural engravings.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Anchor surname dates back to the late 17th century, when John Anchor (c. 1660-1720) settled in Virginia and became a prominent landowner and member of the House of Burgesses.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Anchor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Anchor 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 37 Anchors recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.40x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 37 3.40x
Hampshire 11 5.85x
Sussex 9 5.82x
Cambridgeshire 7 12.06x
Huntingdonshire 7 38.46x
Middlesex 5 0.55x
Cheshire 3 1.48x
Kent 3 0.96x
Northamptonshire 3 3.48x
Shropshire 3 3.79x
Devon 2 1.05x
Surrey 2 0.45x
Gloucestershire 1 0.56x
Royal Navy 1 9.16x

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 17 Anchors recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.42x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 17 48.42x
Salford 12 37.51x
Portsmouth 9 207.85x
Hunston 7 10000.00x
Ramsey 7 479.45x
Liverpool 5 7.57x
Wisbech St Peter 4 137.46x
Furtho 3 30000.00x
Hampstead London 3 21.01x
Minster In Sheppey 3 57.92x
Upwell 3 697.67x
Plymouth Charles The 2 23.78x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 12.21x
Camberwell 1 1.71x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 5.79x
Church Stretton 1 188.68x
Congleton 1 28.57x
Cressage 1 1250.00x
Dawley 1 34.72x
Farnworth 1 15.34x
Hambledon 1 158.73x
Macclesfield 1 11.12x
Mickleton 1 416.67x
Portsea 1 2.72x
Reigate Foreign 1 20.66x
Royal Navy 1 10.71x
Rumbolds Wyke 1 357.14x
South Bersted 1 76.34x
St Clement Danes London 1 52.63x
St George Hanover Square 1 6.19x
Stockport 1 9.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 4
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Borrella 1
Charlotte 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Helen 1
Julia 1
Malley 1
Margaret 1
Marjery 1
Miriam 1
Nelly 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Susana 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
John 4
Charles 3
George 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Ernest 2
James 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Dennis 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jas. 1
Jno.Thos. 1
Joseph 1
Lennox 1
Lester 1
Richard 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Anchor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Anchor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 93 people were recorded with the Anchor surname. That placed it at #20,593 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Anchor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 79 in 2016. That gives Anchor a modern rank of #33,100.

What does the Anchor surname mean?

A surname with origins in someone's association with physical anchors or being an innkeeper.

What does the Anchor map show?

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