NameCensus.

UK surname

Anstee

A locational surname originating from Anstey in Hertfordshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 363 people recorded with the Anstee surname, ranking it #8,545 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 806, ranked #6,867, up from #8,545 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Christchurch, London parishes and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Blaenau Gwent and Cambridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Anstee is 894 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 122.0%.

1881 census count

363

Ranked #8,545

Modern count

806

2016, ranked #6,867

Peak year

1999

894 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Anstee had 363 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,545 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 806 in 2016, ranked #6,867.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 600 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Anstee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Anstee surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Anstee 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 238 #9,120
1861 historical 174 #13,483
1881 historical 363 #8,545
1891 historical 358 #9,655
1901 historical 583 #7,232
1911 historical 600 #6,841
1997 modern 879 #6,077
1998 modern 885 #6,245
1999 modern 894 #6,235
2000 modern 879 #6,283
2001 modern 849 #6,343
2002 modern 872 #6,340
2003 modern 851 #6,343
2004 modern 873 #6,236
2005 modern 847 #6,325
2006 modern 835 #6,394
2007 modern 827 #6,511
2008 modern 813 #6,653
2009 modern 814 #6,793
2010 modern 809 #6,958
2011 modern 795 #6,992
2012 modern 813 #6,749
2013 modern 829 #6,754
2014 modern 830 #6,780
2015 modern 825 #6,756
2016 modern 806 #6,867

Geography

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Where Anstees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Christchurch, London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Bitton and Cranfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Blaenau Gwent, Cambridge, South Gloucestershire and Milton Keynes. 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 Christchurch Monmouthshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Bitton Somerset
5 Cranfield Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 031 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Blaenau Gwent 005 Blaenau Gwent
3 Cambridge 006 Cambridge
4 South Gloucestershire 024 South Gloucestershire
5 Milton Keynes 024 Milton Keynes

Forenames

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First names often paired with Anstee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Anstee

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

Anstee is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Anstee falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Anstee

The surname Anstee has its origins in the English counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "an" meaning "one" and "stede" meaning "place" or "farm," suggesting that the name likely referred to a single dwelling or homestead.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1275, where it is listed as "Atte Anstede." This entry indicates that the name was initially a locational surname, referring to someone who lived at or near a specific place called Anstede.

In the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, the name is spelled as "Anstey," which is another common variation of the surname. This version has remained more widely used throughout history.

The Anstee surname appears in several historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Anstede" in reference to a place in Somerset. This further reinforces the name's connection to a specific location or settlement.

Notable individuals with the surname Anstee include:

1. Richard Anstee (1520-1588), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Westbury in 1555. 2. Thomas Anstee (1646-1723), an English clergyman and author of several religious works. 3. William Anstee (1770-1834), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. 4. John Anstee (1777-1846), a British soldier and colonial administrator in South Africa. 5. Henry Anstee (1825-1904), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Sussex County Cricket Club.

Additionally, the name Anstee has been associated with various place names in England, such as Anstey in Leicestershire and Anstey in Hertfordshire, further indicating the surname's locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Anstee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Anstee 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. Bedfordshire leads with 76 Anstees recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.23x.

County Total Index
Bedfordshire 76 41.23x
Gloucestershire 51 7.30x
Monmouthshire 30 11.66x
Surrey 29 1.67x
Middlesex 26 0.73x
Somerset 23 4.01x
Northamptonshire 18 5.38x
Warwickshire 17 1.89x
Essex 15 2.13x
Glamorgan 15 2.42x
Hertfordshire 11 4.48x
Lancashire 11 0.26x
Pembrokeshire 8 7.07x
Wiltshire 8 2.54x
Kent 7 0.58x
Worcestershire 6 1.29x
Cambridgeshire 3 1.33x
Norfolk 3 0.55x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.93x
Cheshire 2 0.25x
Cardiganshire 1 1.15x
Devon 1 0.13x
Dorset 1 0.43x
Royal Navy 1 2.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Doynton in Gloucestershire leads with 29 Anstees recorded in 1881 and an index of 5918.37x.

Place Total Index
Doynton 29 5918.37x
Luton 18 56.41x
Cranfield 14 790.96x
Kempston 14 334.13x
Dyrham Hinton 12 2448.98x
Arthingworth 10 4347.83x
Coyty Lower 10 248.76x
Bermondsey 9 8.49x
Christchurch 9 113.07x
Bitton 8 131.58x
Coventry St Michael 8 27.74x
Dorking 8 68.67x
Toddington 8 303.03x
Bridgewater 7 44.99x
Leighton Buzzard 7 88.27x
Rogerstone 7 440.25x
Wimbledon 7 35.93x
Aberystruth 6 26.44x
Bedminster 6 11.14x
Houghton Regis 6 204.08x
Kidderminster Borough 6 22.05x
Lewisham 6 9.26x
Prittlewell 6 61.60x
St Pancras London 6 2.09x
Burton 5 438.60x
Foleshill 5 52.91x
Long Newnton 5 1428.57x
Shopland 5 5000.00x
South Mimms 5 102.46x
Studham 5 495.05x
Chipping Barnet 4 93.24x
Coventry Holy Trinity 4 14.92x
Harpenden 4 106.95x
Kensington London 4 2.02x
Newport 4 32.57x
Rayleigh 4 246.91x
St Marylebone London 4 2.10x
Whittlebury 4 666.67x
Castle Combe 3 500.00x
Croughton 3 405.41x
East Harling 3 230.77x
Lyncombe Widcombe 3 20.00x
Newington 3 2.28x
North Meols 3 7.26x
St Andrewthe Less 3 11.65x
Stoke Newington London 3 10.82x
Caddington 2 74.07x
Cardiff St John 2 9.88x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 2.98x
Heaton Norris 2 8.32x
Hulme 2 2.27x
Keynsham 2 48.54x
Llangwm 2 186.92x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 2 40.73x
Monks Coppenhall 2 6.74x
Priston 2 645.16x
St Woollos 2 6.96x
Tempsford 2 307.69x
Watford 2 10.51x
West Derby 2 1.62x
Bath St Michael 1 34.48x
Bishop Stortford 1 12.20x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 4.30x
Camberwell 1 0.44x
Cardiff St Mary 1 2.93x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 10.37x
Harberton 1 59.17x
Hoggeston 1 476.19x
Llechryd 1 270.27x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.32x
Naseby 1 135.14x
Pembroke St Mary 1 6.86x
Penarth 1 16.50x
Royal Navy 1 2.76x
Southwark St Saviour 1 5.46x
Twickenham 1 6.55x
Walcot 1 3.28x
Westbury On Trym 1 4.23x
Whitchurch 1 113.64x
Yetminster 1 114.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 26
John 18
George 17
James 9
Alfred 6
Arthur 6
Henry 6
Joseph 6
Thomas 6
Albert 5
Charles 5
Edward 5
Richard 4
Harold 3
Edgar 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Fredk. 2
Hercules 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Authur 1
Collin 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Granville 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Ivor 1
Jabez 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Joe 1
Jonah 1
Josiah 1
Matthew 1
Moses 1
Nantos 1
Percy 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Ted 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Anstee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Anstee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 363 people were recorded with the Anstee surname. That placed it at #8,545 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Anstee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 806 in 2016. That gives Anstee a modern rank of #6,867.

What does the Anstee surname mean?

A locational surname originating from Anstey in Hertfordshire, England.

What does the Anstee map show?

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