NameCensus.

UK surname

Auger

An occupational surname for a carpenter or maker of augers, a type of hand drill.

In the 1881 census there were 534 people recorded with the Auger surname, ranking it #6,436 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 731, ranked #7,448, down from #6,436 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Birch, Easthorpe, Copford and Colchester St Peter. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Uttlesford, Nairn Rural and Barking and Dagenham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Auger is 772 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.9%.

1881 census count

534

Ranked #6,436

Modern count

731

2016, ranked #7,448

Peak year

1999

772 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Auger had 534 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,436 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 731 in 2016, ranked #7,448.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 534 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Auger surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Auger surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Auger 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 242 #9,001
1861 historical 218 #11,175
1881 historical 534 #6,436
1891 historical 273 #11,918
1901 historical 433 #8,954
1911 historical 464 #8,307
1997 modern 761 #6,805
1998 modern 770 #6,968
1999 modern 772 #6,985
2000 modern 758 #7,055
2001 modern 739 #7,063
2002 modern 743 #7,160
2003 modern 715 #7,255
2004 modern 719 #7,231
2005 modern 696 #7,386
2006 modern 688 #7,468
2007 modern 703 #7,398
2008 modern 715 #7,361
2009 modern 722 #7,451
2010 modern 745 #7,415
2011 modern 723 #7,512
2012 modern 734 #7,351
2013 modern 747 #7,372
2014 modern 767 #7,231
2015 modern 739 #7,400
2016 modern 731 #7,448

Geography

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Where Augers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Birch, Easthorpe, Copford, Colchester St Peter and Wisbech St Peter. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Uttlesford, Nairn Rural, Barking and Dagenham, West Oxfordshire and Wychavon. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Birch, Easthorpe, Copford Essex
4 Colchester St Peter Essex
5 Wisbech St Peter Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Uttlesford 002 Uttlesford
2 Nairn Rural Highland
3 Barking and Dagenham 013 Barking and Dagenham
4 West Oxfordshire 012 West Oxfordshire
5 Wychavon 006 Wychavon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Auger

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Auger

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Auger surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Auger household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Auger is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Auger is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Auger falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Auger

The surname Auger originated in France during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old French word 'auger', meaning a type of drill or boring tool used by carpenters and woodworkers. It was likely an occupational surname given to those who worked as carpenters or makers of such tools.

The earliest recorded instances of the Auger surname can be found in French records dating back to the 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Radulfus Auger, who was mentioned in the Cartulaire de Savigny in 1188. Another early reference is to a Johannes Auger, recorded in the Testa de Nevill, a survey of land ownership in England from 1219-1235.

During the Middle Ages, the Auger family was well-established in the region of Normandy in northern France. Some early notable individuals with this surname include Guillaume Auger (1530-1595), a French lawyer and jurist who served as a counselor in the Parlement of Paris. Jean Auger (1564-1635) was a French Jesuit priest and polemicist who was a prominent figure during the Counter-Reformation.

As the surname spread across Europe, variants and spellings emerged. In England, the name was sometimes anglicized to Augar or Augur. Robert Augar (1427-1506) was an English ecclesiastic who served as the Bishop of Hereford from 1492 until his death. Sir Anthony Aucher (1514-1568) was an English landowner and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In Germany, the Auger surname was sometimes spelled as Auger or Augur. One notable bearer was Johann Christoph Auger (1687-1756), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. Another was Johann Friedrich Augur (1720-1797), a German philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy.

While the Auger surname has its origins in France, it has since spread to many other countries and regions around the world, carried by various waves of migration and settlement over the centuries. Despite its occupational beginnings, the name has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Auger families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Auger 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. Essex leads with 164 Augers recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.71x.

County Total Index
Essex 164 15.71x
Middlesex 97 1.83x
Surrey 44 1.71x
Kent 36 2.00x
Cambridgeshire 31 9.26x
Oxfordshire 26 7.96x
Devon 20 1.82x
Cornwall 19 3.17x
Berkshire 14 3.53x
Buckinghamshire 13 4.07x
Nottinghamshire 9 1.26x
Channel Islands 8 5.11x
Derbyshire 7 0.85x
Northumberland 7 0.89x
Sussex 7 0.79x
Northamptonshire 6 1.21x
Lancashire 5 0.08x
Norfolk 5 0.62x
Leicestershire 4 0.68x
Yorkshire 4 0.08x
Gloucestershire 3 0.29x
Hertfordshire 3 0.82x
Suffolk 2 0.31x
Wiltshire 2 0.43x
Worcestershire 2 0.29x
Durham 1 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.60x
Somerset 1 0.12x
Warwickshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Saffron Walden in Essex leads with 55 Augers recorded in 1881 and an index of 498.64x.

Place Total Index
Saffron Walden 55 498.64x
Wisbech St Peter 20 119.12x
Bethnal Green London 16 6.97x
Chatham 16 32.24x
St Pancras London 13 3.05x
Colchester St Peter 12 287.08x
Great Baddow 10 269.54x
Mistley 10 357.14x
West Ham 10 4.34x
Beckley 9 1384.62x
Birch 9 526.32x
Horton Cum Studley 9 2045.45x
Ordsall 9 164.84x
Charleton 8 808.08x
Sonning 8 182.65x
Sutton 8 42.92x
Twickenham 8 35.29x
Blenkinsopp 7 530.30x
Burnham 7 181.82x
Hackney London 7 2.36x
Orpington 7 126.81x
Walthamstow 7 18.64x
Wycombe 7 29.37x
Canewdon 6 461.54x
Clerkenwell London 6 4.81x
Great Coggeshall 6 110.50x
Islington London 6 1.17x
Kingston On Thames 6 9.70x
Lexden 6 143.20x
Peterborough 6 16.67x
Richmond 6 16.62x
Sawston 6 185.76x
Battersea 5 2.57x
Calstock 5 42.59x
Fulham London 5 6.52x
Lambeth 5 1.08x
Lanlivery 5 199.20x
Lower Heyford 5 526.32x
Ripley 5 48.88x
St Luke London 5 5.90x
St Marylebone London 5 1.77x
St Teath 5 138.50x
Streatham 5 12.75x
Tonbridge 5 7.69x
West Wycombe 5 115.21x
Melton Mowbray 4 37.95x
Mile End New Town London 4 38.28x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 4.72x
Purleigh 4 256.41x
Springfield 4 87.53x
St Peter Port 4 13.80x
St Sampson 4 56.66x
Barking 3 9.82x
Colchester St Giles 3 29.10x
Everton 3 1.50x
Isleworth 3 12.76x
Newington 3 1.54x
Plymouth Charles The 3 6.19x
Prittlewell 3 20.75x
St Albans 3 40.16x
St George In East London 3 6.03x
Stoke Damerel 3 3.89x
Wath On Dearne 3 28.71x
Chalgrove 2 215.05x
Chatteris 2 23.42x
Chelmsford 2 11.17x
Chipping Ongar 2 111.11x
Claines 2 10.55x
Eastbourne 2 4.88x
Litchurch 2 6.00x
New Windsor 2 175.44x
Paddington London 2 1.03x
Plumstead 2 3.33x
Reading St Giles 2 5.14x
Shoreditch London 2 0.87x
Wallingford St Leonard 2 108.11x
Walpole 2 281.69x
Westminster St John 2 3.11x
Willesden 2 4.01x
Wymondham 2 24.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 36
William 34
James 26
George 20
Charles 11
Thomas 11
Joseph 8
Albert 7
Frederick 7
Henry 7
Arthur 6
Edward 6
Harry 5
Richard 5
Robert 5
Samuel 5
Alfred 4
Herbert 4
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Fred 3
Walter 3
Ellis 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Tom 2
Alexander 1
Anthony 1
Authur 1
Benjaman 1
Earnest 1
Edle.Tom 1
Edwd. 1
Elizabeth 1
Fredrick 1
Freerick 1
Gustave 1
Hannah 1
Harley 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
Jno 1
Lewis 1
Matthew 1
Oliver 1
Percival 1
Peter 1
Pierre 1
Robt. 1
Willy 1

FAQ

Auger surname: questions and answers

How common was the Auger surname in 1881?

In 1881, 534 people were recorded with the Auger surname. That placed it at #6,436 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Auger surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 731 in 2016. That gives Auger a modern rank of #7,448.

What does the Auger surname mean?

An occupational surname for a carpenter or maker of augers, a type of hand drill.

What does the Auger map show?

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