NameCensus.

UK surname

August

A surname derived from the month of August or referring to someone majestic, great, or venerable.

In the 1881 census there were 129 people recorded with the August surname, ranking it #17,013 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 241, ranked #17,233, down from #17,013 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Gorleston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Oxfordshire, Friockheim and Bedford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for August is 250 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.8%.

1881 census count

129

Ranked #17,013

Modern count

241

2016, ranked #17,233

Peak year

2013

250 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • August had 129 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,013 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016, ranked #17,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 215 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

August surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

August surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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August 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 92 #18,050
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 129 #17,013
1891 historical 164 #17,205
1901 historical 182 #16,057
1911 historical 215 #14,290
1997 modern 206 #17,315
1998 modern 223 #16,936
1999 modern 218 #17,258
2000 modern 214 #17,457
2001 modern 207 #17,573
2002 modern 215 #17,487
2003 modern 216 #17,229
2004 modern 221 #17,066
2005 modern 222 #16,983
2006 modern 232 #16,600
2007 modern 225 #17,154
2008 modern 226 #17,238
2009 modern 233 #17,241
2010 modern 234 #17,544
2011 modern 223 #17,940
2012 modern 238 #17,092
2013 modern 250 #16,778
2014 modern 247 #17,035
2015 modern 249 #16,858
2016 modern 241 #17,233

Geography

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Where Augusts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Gorleston and Great Yarmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Oxfordshire, Friockheim, Bedford, Cheshire West and Chester and Hertsmere. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Gorleston Suffolk
5 Great Yarmouth Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Oxfordshire 012 West Oxfordshire
2 Friockheim Angus
3 Bedford 009 Bedford
4 Cheshire West and Chester 003 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Hertsmere 006 Hertsmere

Forenames

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First names often paired with August

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for August

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For August, 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 August surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every August 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, August 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

August is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

August falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of August

The surname August originated in Germany during the medieval period, derived from the Latin name Augustus, meaning "venerable" or "consecrated." It was initially used as a personal name or a nickname, referring to someone born in the month of August or someone of high esteem.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname August can be found in various German records and documents dating back to the 13th century. One notable example is a mention of a certain Henricus August in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical records from the Anhalt region, dated around 1270.

In the 14th century, the name August appeared in several historical manuscripts, such as the Werdener Urkundenbuch, which contained records from the town of Werden in the Ruhr region. These early mentions suggest that the name was well-established in various parts of Germany by this time.

As the surname spread throughout German-speaking regions, it underwent slight variations in spelling, including Augustin, Augustinus, and Augustiner. Some of these variations were likely influenced by the Latin root "Augustus" or the month of August.

Prominent individuals bearing the surname August throughout history include Johann Christian August Heyse (1764-1829), a German philologist and lexicographer known for his work on the German language. Another notable figure is Friedrich August von Hayek (1899-1992), an Austrian-British economist and philosopher who received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1974.

Other notable individuals with the surname August include:

1. Johann Samuel August Abbt (1733-1766), a German philosopher and writer. 2. Johann Christian August Clarus (1774-1854), a German jurist and criminologist. 3. Johann August Sutter (1803-1880), a German-born Swiss pioneer and settler in California. 4. Ernst August Guenther (1876-1963), a German-born American botanist and plant breeder. 5. Adolphus August Busch (1839-1913), a German-American brewer and co-founder of the Anheuser-Busch company.

While the surname August has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through German immigration and cultural influence. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the Latin name Augustus, reflecting its historical significance and enduring presence.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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August families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the August 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. Middlesex leads with 38 Augusts recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.02x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 38 3.02x
Surrey 32 5.22x
Hampshire 17 6.59x
Kent 10 2.33x
Suffolk 7 4.57x
Durham 6 1.60x
Lancashire 5 0.33x
Norfolk 5 2.58x
Angus 4 3.43x
Devon 2 0.76x
Essex 2 0.81x
Northumberland 1 0.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 12 Augusts recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.74x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 12 23.74x
St Pancras London 12 11.85x
Milton In Gravesend 9 139.75x
Croydon 8 23.51x
Bethnal Green London 7 12.81x
Gorleston 7 179.95x
Camberwell 6 7.47x
Burley 5 1851.85x
Reigate Borough 5 354.61x
Warlingham 5 1000.00x
Beddington 4 168.78x
Bow London 4 24.97x
Chelsea London 4 10.55x
Dundee 4 9.19x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 24.68x
Rusholme 4 100.50x
Hampstead London 2 10.20x
Heigham 2 19.27x
Kingston On Thames 2 13.58x
Sloley 2 1818.18x
Spitalfields London 2 21.14x
St Anne Soho London 2 27.82x
West Ham 2 3.65x
Bishopwearmouth 1 3.11x
Devonport 1 33.22x
Gillingham 1 11.30x
Great Yarmouth 1 6.24x
Lambeth 1 0.91x
Mile End Old Town London 1 3.73x
North Shields 1 26.74x
Poplar London 1 4.21x
Richmond 1 11.64x
South Shields 1 30.03x
St George Martyr London 1 39.22x
St Luke London 1 4.96x
St Marylebone London 1 1.49x
Stoke Damerel 1 5.46x
Toxteth Park 1 1.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 10
Mary 9
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Harriet 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Emily 2
Selina 2
Sophia 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Cecilia 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Fredrica 1
Georgenia 1
Jahn 1
Jane 1
Josephine 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Rosena 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
George 8
John 8
Charles 6
Edward 4
Robert 3
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Joseph 2
Reuben 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Carl 1
Christfor 1
Geo. 1
James 1
Jeremy 1
Kul 1
Les 1
N. 1
Perien 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

August surname: questions and answers

How common was the August surname in 1881?

In 1881, 129 people were recorded with the August surname. That placed it at #17,013 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the August surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016. That gives August a modern rank of #17,233.

What does the August surname mean?

A surname derived from the month of August or referring to someone majestic, great, or venerable.

What does the August map show?

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