NameCensus.

UK surname

Anders

An English and Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning "son of Andrew," derived from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "masculine."

In the 1881 census there were 544 people recorded with the Anders surname, ranking it #6,344 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,176, ranked #5,050, up from #6,344 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Walton-on-the-Hill and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Anders is 1,176 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 116.2%.

1881 census count

544

Ranked #6,344

Modern count

1,176

2016, ranked #5,050

Peak year

2016

1,176 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Anders had 544 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,344 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,176 in 2016, ranked #5,050.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 809 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Anders surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Anders surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Anders 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 290 #7,844
1861 historical 284 #8,845
1881 historical 544 #6,344
1891 historical 548 #6,901
1901 historical 626 #6,839
1911 historical 809 #5,431
1997 modern 1,034 #5,336
1998 modern 1,054 #5,428
1999 modern 1,083 #5,353
2000 modern 1,078 #5,347
2001 modern 1,054 #5,355
2002 modern 1,066 #5,406
2003 modern 1,050 #5,377
2004 modern 1,049 #5,391
2005 modern 1,042 #5,364
2006 modern 1,049 #5,351
2007 modern 1,082 #5,249
2008 modern 1,092 #5,250
2009 modern 1,122 #5,233
2010 modern 1,156 #5,216
2011 modern 1,156 #5,161
2012 modern 1,125 #5,188
2013 modern 1,142 #5,208
2014 modern 1,162 #5,156
2015 modern 1,175 #5,067
2016 modern 1,176 #5,050

Geography

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Where Anders' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Walton-on-the-Hill, Wigan and Prescot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens. 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 2
2 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Prescot Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 004 St. Helens
2 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 020 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 014 St. Helens
5 St. Helens 019 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Anders

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Anders

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Anders surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Anders 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Anders is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Anders is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Anders

The surname Anders has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Denmark. It is derived from the Old Norse word "Andres," which is a variant of the name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "brave." The surname is believed to have emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.

In Sweden, the name Anders was commonly used as a given name before it became a surname. It gained popularity as a surname during the late medieval period, when it was adopted by families to differentiate themselves from others with the same given name. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Anders can be found in Swedish church records dating back to the 16th century.

One notable example of the name's historical significance is Anders Celsius, the Swedish astronomer and physicist who developed the Celsius temperature scale. He was born in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1701 and died in 1744. Another famous bearer of the surname was Anders Zorn, a renowned Swedish painter and etcher who lived from 1860 to 1920.

In Denmark, the surname Anders also has a long history, with records dating back to the 15th century. One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Anders Pedersen, a Danish clergyman who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was known for his work in translating parts of the Bible into Danish.

The surname Anders has also been associated with various place names in Scandinavia. For instance, the town of Anderslöv in southern Sweden is believed to have derived its name from the Old Norse word "Andres" combined with the word "löv," meaning "grove" or "thicket."

Other notable individuals with the surname Anders throughout history include Anders Björk, a Swedish botanist and explorer who lived from 1734 to 1777; Anders Dahl, a Swedish physician and botanist who lived from 1751 to 1789; and Anders Fryxell, a Swedish historian and writer who lived from 1795 to 1881.

While the surname Anders has its roots in Scandinavia, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by immigrants and their descendants. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the Nordic countries, where it has been a prominent surname for centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Anders families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Anders 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 430 Anders' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.84x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 430 6.84x
Middlesex 41 0.77x
Durham 20 1.27x
Kent 16 0.89x
Yorkshire 13 0.25x
Essex 9 0.86x
Northumberland 4 0.51x
Surrey 3 0.12x
Derbyshire 2 0.24x
Devon 1 0.09x
Gloucestershire 1 0.10x
Hampshire 1 0.09x
Sussex 1 0.11x
Warwickshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Windle in Lancashire leads with 112 Anders' recorded in 1881 and an index of 316.74x.

Place Total Index
Windle 112 316.74x
Eccleston In Prescot 74 234.55x
Sutton 43 203.98x
Parr 30 133.39x
Pemberton 21 83.80x
Ince In Makerfield 18 61.54x
Everton 16 7.99x
Astley 13 268.04x
Gateshead 13 11.02x
Chelsea London 10 6.27x
West Derby 10 5.44x
Ashton In Makerfield 9 50.28x
Lowton 9 210.28x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 9 49.75x
Wigan 9 10.25x
St Marylebone London 8 2.83x
Frindsbury 7 102.79x
Burtonwood 6 259.74x
Chatham 6 12.07x
Kirkdale 6 5.67x
St Pancras London 6 1.41x
Thaxted 6 172.91x
Toxteth Park 6 2.82x
Haigh 5 228.31x
Widnes 5 11.03x
Hartlepool 4 17.86x
Hindley 4 14.93x
Huddersfield 4 5.23x
Islington London 4 0.78x
Aintree 3 600.00x
Atherton 3 13.11x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.30x
Darlington 3 4.93x
Elswick 3 4.77x
Great Crosby 3 17.50x
Huyton With Roby 3 40.76x
Shoreditch London 3 1.31x
Wath On Dearne 3 28.65x
Derby St Alkmund 2 8.05x
East Ham 2 10.31x
Farnworth 2 5.31x
Gillingham 2 5.37x
Hook 2 17.32x
Liverpool 2 0.52x
Newington 2 13.84x
Paddington London 2 1.03x
Upholland 2 24.84x
Whiston 2 40.82x
Willesden 2 4.01x
Aldershot 1 2.75x
Barking 1 3.27x
Bedlington 1 3.80x
Bermondsey 1 0.63x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 2.00x
Clifton 1 1.90x
Mitcham 1 6.13x
Poulton Barre 1 13.99x
Rotherhithe 1 1.53x
Rottingdean 1 32.79x
Rugby 1 5.53x
Sculcoates 1 1.20x
Shevington 1 34.84x
Sidmouth 1 15.85x
Skelmersdale 1 9.55x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 4.36x
St Bartholomew Great 1 20.75x
St George In East London 1 2.01x
St Lawrence 1 8.05x
Whittingham 1 36.10x
York St Helen Stonegate 1 125.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 37
John 35
James 30
Thomas 20
Joseph 15
Peter 14
Henry 11
Richard 10
Charles 8
George 8
Edward 6
Wm. 6
Jonathan 5
Abraham 4
Frederick 4
Arthur 3
David 3
Frank 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Matthew 2
Ralph 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alfd. 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Ernest 1
Eustace 1
Gilbert 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Jacob 1
Jessie 1
Jno. 1
Joshua 1
Julius 1
Lambert 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Osbert 1
Oscar 1
Patrick 1
Rippon 1
Saml. 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Tristian 1

FAQ

Anders surname: questions and answers

How common was the Anders surname in 1881?

In 1881, 544 people were recorded with the Anders surname. That placed it at #6,344 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Anders surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,176 in 2016. That gives Anders a modern rank of #5,050.

What does the Anders surname mean?

An English and Scandinavian patronymic surname meaning "son of Andrew," derived from the Greek name Andreas, meaning "manly" or "masculine."

What does the Anders map show?

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