NameCensus.

UK surname

Armes

An occupational surname for one who made or supplied arms and armor.

In the 1881 census there were 453 people recorded with the Armes surname, ranking it #7,289 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 876, ranked #6,422, up from #7,289 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to King's Lynn St Margaret, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Norwich and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Armes is 988 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 93.4%.

1881 census count

453

Ranked #7,289

Modern count

876

2016, ranked #6,422

Peak year

1998

988 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Armes had 453 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,289 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 876 in 2016, ranked #6,422.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 753 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Armes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Armes surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Armes 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 293 #7,783
1861 historical 249 #9,904
1881 historical 453 #7,289
1891 historical 501 #7,418
1901 historical 690 #6,352
1911 historical 753 #5,722
1997 modern 925 #5,838
1998 modern 988 #5,724
1999 modern 966 #5,869
2000 modern 967 #5,848
2001 modern 956 #5,791
2002 modern 945 #5,952
2003 modern 907 #6,048
2004 modern 891 #6,148
2005 modern 882 #6,110
2006 modern 866 #6,221
2007 modern 872 #6,248
2008 modern 865 #6,330
2009 modern 891 #6,320
2010 modern 904 #6,361
2011 modern 883 #6,419
2012 modern 845 #6,558
2013 modern 882 #6,445
2014 modern 892 #6,417
2015 modern 883 #6,401
2016 modern 876 #6,422

Geography

Back to top

Where Armes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around King's Lynn St Margaret, Birmingham Town: Birmingham, St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Norwich, Huntingdonshire and Broadland. 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 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
2 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
3 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 004 Waveney
2 Norwich 005 Norwich
3 Huntingdonshire 013 Huntingdonshire
4 Broadland 013 Broadland
5 Norwich 004 Norwich

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Armes

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Armes

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

Armes is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Armes falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Armes

The surname ARMES has its roots in the French language and is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy, France, during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "armes," which means "arms" or "weapons," indicating a possible connection to an ancestor's profession or role as a soldier, armorer, or a person involved in the manufacturing or handling of arms and armor.

One of the earliest known mentions of the surname ARMES can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population in England compiled by the order of William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname may have been among the Norman settlers who accompanied William during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

In the 12th century, a notable figure with the surname ARMES was Sir John Armes, a knight who fought alongside King Richard I during the Third Crusade (1189-1192). He was recorded as having participated in the Siege of Acre and other notable battles in the Holy Land.

During the 13th century, the surname ARMES was also found in various manorial records and other historical documents in England, particularly in the counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Gloucestershire. One prominent individual from this period was Sir William Armes (c. 1225-1290), a wealthy landowner and benefactor who donated land to the Church.

In the 14th century, the surname ARMES appeared in various forms, including Armys, Armez, and Armus, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. One notable bearer of this name was Sir Robert Armes (c. 1320-1385), a renowned military commander who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

The 16th century saw the rise of another notable individual with the surname ARMES, Sir William Armes (c. 1510-1572), who was a member of the English Parliament and served as the High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1555.

Throughout history, the surname ARMES has been associated with various place names, such as Armes Hill in Gloucestershire, Armes Farm in Warwickshire, and Armes Manor in Staffordshire, further reinforcing its connection to specific geographical locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Armes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Armes 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 196 Armes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.85x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 196 28.85x
Suffolk 42 7.80x
Warwickshire 32 2.87x
Middlesex 28 0.63x
Durham 26 1.98x
Kent 25 1.66x
Yorkshire 23 0.53x
Staffordshire 10 0.67x
Essex 9 1.03x
Huntingdonshire 9 10.26x
Sussex 7 0.94x
Cumberland 6 1.58x
Derbyshire 6 0.87x
Devon 5 0.54x
Lincolnshire 5 0.71x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.84x
Surrey 5 0.23x
Cornwall 4 0.80x
Worcestershire 4 0.69x
Flintshire 2 1.68x
Lancashire 2 0.04x
Anglesey 1 1.28x
Midlothian 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lowestoft in Suffolk leads with 32 Armes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 125.84x.

Place Total Index
Lowestoft 32 125.84x
West Rudham 29 4027.78x
Heigham 23 63.07x
Norwich St Clement 22 279.19x
Norwich St James 20 375.23x
Birmingham 15 4.04x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 15 73.53x
Middlesbrough 12 21.05x
Thorpe Next Norwich 11 152.78x
Deptford St Paul 10 8.60x
St Pancras London 9 2.53x
Cannock 8 30.73x
Fen Stanton 8 493.83x
Horsford 8 761.90x
Manningham 8 14.83x
Norwich St Saviour 8 336.13x
Chatham 7 16.88x
Curdworth 7 686.27x
Gazeley 7 555.56x
St Marylebone London 7 2.97x
Cleator 6 37.88x
Derby St Werburgh 6 15.02x
Netteswell 6 1200.00x
North Bailey South 6 923.08x
Stranton 6 13.56x
Weasenham All Sts 6 1090.91x
Wingate 6 66.59x
Brighton 5 3.33x
Coleshill 5 140.06x
Norwich St Paul 5 122.85x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 5 146.63x
Nottingham St Mary 5 3.25x
Rochester St Margaret 5 31.45x
Manthorpe Cum Little 4 74.07x
North Walsham 4 81.63x
Norwich St George Colegate 4 161.94x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 4 96.85x
Shoreditch London 4 2.09x
Chilton 3 73.17x
Downham Market 3 64.24x
Hellesdon 3 240.00x
Nuneaton 3 23.24x
Richmond 3 9.94x
Swaffham 3 54.25x
Walpole St Andrew 3 283.02x
West Ham 3 1.56x
Yardley 3 20.33x
Bacton 2 285.71x
Banham 2 115.61x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 4.80x
Carlton Colville 2 101.52x
Carshalton 2 24.27x
Chelsea London 2 1.50x
Darlington 2 3.94x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 16.72x
Earlham 2 555.56x
Gulval 2 62.11x
Hampstead London 2 2.91x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 3.51x
Hope 2 33.84x
Madron Penzance 2 11.00x
Norwich St Etheldred 2 208.33x
Norwich St John Timberhill 2 109.29x
Tavistock 2 19.08x
Trentham 2 15.76x
Bridestow 1 103.09x
Castle Acre 1 49.51x
Dartford 1 6.49x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.42x
Fulmodestone Cum Croxton 1 181.82x
Harrow On The Hill 1 11.33x
Horsham St Faith 1 88.50x
Hove 1 3.06x
Kings Norton 1 1.93x
Meriden 1 78.74x
Patrington 1 48.31x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 1.41x
South Lynn 1 13.04x
St Ives 1 21.98x
Twickenham 1 5.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Elizabeth 18
Alice 15
Emily 14
Sarah 13
Eliza 11
Ann 10
Edith 6
Emma 6
Jane 6
Maria 6
Caroline 5
Charlotte 5
Hannah 5
Ellen 4
Esther 4
Rachel 4
Agnes 3
Annie 3
Florence 3
Susan 3
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Kathleen 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Matilda 2
Rebecca 2
Anne 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Christina 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Emeline 1
Ester 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Honor 1
Infant 1
Isabella 1
Leilian 1
Lizzie 1
Louesia 1
Lydia 1
Melinda 1
Minna 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 36
John 20
James 16
Robert 16
George 15
Thomas 12
Joseph 11
Albert 7
Henry 7
Arthur 6
Frederick 6
Alfred 5
Isaac 5
Walter 5
Charles 4
Stephen 4
Daniel 3
Fredrick 3
Philip 3
Richard 3
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Phillip 2
Timothy 2
Alonso 1
Angus 1
Christopher 1
Clemant 1
David 1
Edmond 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Frederk. 1
Harcourt 1
Isac 1
Johnathon 1
Jonathan 1
Linett 1
Lionel 1
Maurice 1
Raymond 1
Reginald 1
Samuel 1
Silas 1
Wm.Hey. 1

FAQ

Armes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Armes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 453 people were recorded with the Armes surname. That placed it at #7,289 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Armes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 876 in 2016. That gives Armes a modern rank of #6,422.

What does the Armes surname mean?

An occupational surname for one who made or supplied arms and armor.

What does the Armes map show?

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