NameCensus.

UK surname

Avery

Derived from an Old French surname meaning "ruler of the elves" or from a place name meaning "island of birds."

In the 1881 census there were 5,002 people recorded with the Avery surname, ranking it #891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,269, ranked #1,075, down from #891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Somerset, Wycombe and North Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Avery is 6,808 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.3%.

1881 census count

5,002

Ranked #891

Modern count

6,269

2016, ranked #1,075

Peak year

1911

6,808 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Avery had 5,002 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,269 in 2016, ranked #1,075.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,808 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Avery surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Avery surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Avery 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 3,290 #878
1861 historical 3,161 #914
1881 historical 5,002 #891
1891 historical 5,184 #908
1901 historical 6,068 #919
1911 historical 6,808 #757
1997 modern 6,521 #996
1998 modern 6,764 #999
1999 modern 6,782 #1,003
2000 modern 6,704 #1,009
2001 modern 6,569 #1,006
2002 modern 6,613 #1,028
2003 modern 6,470 #1,030
2004 modern 6,443 #1,035
2005 modern 6,291 #1,046
2006 modern 6,310 #1,043
2007 modern 6,309 #1,050
2008 modern 6,328 #1,048
2009 modern 6,453 #1,055
2010 modern 6,554 #1,058
2011 modern 6,461 #1,057
2012 modern 6,326 #1,060
2013 modern 6,439 #1,057
2014 modern 6,448 #1,063
2015 modern 6,340 #1,067
2016 modern 6,269 #1,075

Geography

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Where Averys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lambeth and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Somerset, Wycombe, North Devon, Tewkesbury and South Oxfordshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Somerset 024 North Somerset
2 Wycombe 006 Wycombe
3 North Devon 013 North Devon
4 Tewkesbury 002 Tewkesbury
5 South Oxfordshire 005 South Oxfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Avery

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Avery

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Avery is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Avery 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

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

Meaning and origin of Avery

The surname AVERY is of English origin, derived from the Norman French personal name "Averey" or "Avera", which itself is a form of the Germanic name "Alberich", meaning "elf ruler". This name dates back to the medieval period, around the 11th and 12th centuries.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname AVERY can be found in various historical records from the 12th century onwards, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Alvredus". The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195 as "Averey".

AVERY is believed to have originated in various regions of England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. The name is also associated with several place names, such as Avery's Green in Gloucestershire and Avery Hill in London.

Notable individuals with the surname AVERY throughout history include:

1. John Avery (c. 1598-1670), an early English settler in America who arrived in Massachusetts in 1630 and served as a Deputy to the General Court.

2. Samuel Avery (1622-1696), an English merchant and co-founder of the East India Company.

3. William Avery (1636-1695), an English physician and writer who published several works on midwifery and childbirth.

4. John Avery (1789-1870), an English botanist and author who wrote extensively on the flora of Wiltshire.

5. Benjamin Parley Avery (1828-1875), an American businessman and co-founder of the Avery Label Company, known for producing self-adhesive labels.

Over time, the surname AVERY has also experienced variations in spelling, including Averie, Avary, Averie, and Averry, among others. These variations reflect the diversity of regional dialects and scribal practices in different parts of England during the medieval and early modern periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Avery families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Avery 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 629 Averys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.28x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 629 1.28x
Devon 600 5.88x
Kent 428 2.56x
Sussex 412 4.99x
Surrey 365 1.53x
Warwickshire 290 2.35x
Hampshire 218 2.17x
Gloucestershire 214 2.23x
Worcestershire 183 2.86x
Somerset 178 2.26x
Durham 154 1.06x
Buckinghamshire 144 4.86x
Northumberland 138 1.89x
Lancashire 128 0.22x
Cornwall 127 2.29x
Yorkshire 123 0.25x
Oxfordshire 82 2.71x
Wiltshire 79 1.82x
Berkshire 66 1.79x
Nottinghamshire 48 0.73x
Staffordshire 47 0.28x
Essex 38 0.39x
Lincolnshire 37 0.47x
Northamptonshire 37 0.80x
Monmouthshire 31 0.88x
Cheshire 29 0.27x
Dorset 28 0.87x
Glamorgan 24 0.28x
Norfolk 24 0.32x
Derbyshire 22 0.29x
Rutland 12 3.33x
Channel Islands 10 0.69x
Cambridgeshire 9 0.29x
Hertfordshire 9 0.27x
Royal Navy 9 1.54x
Suffolk 8 0.13x
Pembrokeshire 7 0.45x
East Lothian 6 0.92x
Huntingdonshire 6 0.62x
Denbighshire 4 0.22x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.07x
Bedfordshire 3 0.12x
Leicestershire 3 0.06x
Renfrewshire 3 0.08x
Anglesey 2 0.23x
Lanarkshire 2 0.01x
Merionethshire 1 0.11x
Roxburghshire 1 0.11x
Shropshire 1 0.02x
West Lothian 1 0.14x
Wigtownshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 124 Averys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.01x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 124 3.01x
Lambeth 83 1.94x
Hackney London 80 2.91x
Aston 70 2.06x
Camberwell 59 1.88x
Islington London 57 1.20x
Kensington London 51 1.87x
Stoke Damerel 48 6.72x
Deptford St Paul 46 3.57x
Brighton 43 2.58x
Tonbridge 41 6.80x
St Pancras London 40 1.01x
Kings Norton 39 6.80x
Bedminster 38 5.13x
Redditch 38 29.28x
Plymouth St Andrew 36 4.58x
Portsea 36 1.83x
Bledlow 33 183.84x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 33 3.65x
Mere 32 64.99x
Tormoham 32 7.41x
Shoreditch London 31 1.46x
North Tawton 27 86.15x
Radnage 27 377.10x
Tipton 27 5.33x
Plymouth Charles The 26 5.79x
West Ham 26 1.22x
Wycombe 26 11.77x
Longbenton 24 7.77x
Chailey 23 89.84x
East Chiltington 23 330.94x
Gateshead 23 2.11x
Maker 23 44.88x
Newington 23 1.27x
Bermondsey 22 1.51x
Biddenden 22 96.15x
Hammersmith London 22 1.82x
Lewisham 22 2.47x
West Derby 22 1.29x
Hastings St Mary 21 10.21x
Newcastle On Tyne St 21 5.56x
Salford 21 1.23x
Sparsholt 21 288.46x
Croydon 20 1.51x
Eling 20 19.66x
Henley On Thames 20 32.26x
Maidstone 20 4.02x
Rotherfield Greys 20 62.42x
Southampton St Mary 20 3.17x
Southwark St George Martyr 20 2.03x
St Marylebone London 20 0.76x
Ditchling 19 84.41x
Elswick 19 3.26x
Podimore Milton 19 1217.95x
St Woollos 19 4.81x
Wembury 19 205.18x
Barnstaple 18 11.24x
Blackburn 18 1.16x
Edgbaston 18 4.70x
Paddington London 18 1.00x
Fulham London 17 2.39x
Hastings St Clement 17 21.86x
Eastbourne 16 4.21x
Edmonton 16 4.05x
Heworth 16 5.57x
Hougham 16 16.09x
Langley 16 257.65x
Margate St John Baptist 16 5.23x
Northfield 16 13.18x
Norwood 16 14.28x
Poplar London 16 1.73x
Solihull 16 18.01x
Southwark Christchurch 16 6.97x
West Wycombe 16 39.80x
White Waltham 16 116.19x
Bishopwearmouth 15 1.20x
Kings Nympton 15 142.18x
Plymstock 15 28.08x
Speldhurst 15 17.62x
Worcester St Peter 15 12.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 314
Elizabeth 210
Sarah 152
Jane 107
Eliza 100
Ann 98
Emma 88
Alice 79
Annie 68
Emily 68
Ellen 66
Margaret 41
Hannah 40
Charlotte 38
Harriet 37
Martha 34
Kate 33
Ada 32
Caroline 31
Edith 31
Florence 31
Catherine 28
Louisa 27
Lucy 26
Fanny 22
Maria 22
Agnes 21
Susan 21
Harriett 20
Amelia 19
Frances 19
Clara 17
Esther 16
Rose 16
Eleanor 15
Isabella 15
Anna 14
Matilda 14
Rebecca 13
Amy 12
Helen 12
Beatrice 11
Rosa 11
Elizth. 10
Grace 10
Julia 10
Anne 9
Lizzie 9
Minnie 9
Sophia 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 349
John 267
George 185
Thomas 174
James 146
Charles 137
Henry 100
Joseph 76
Edward 59
Alfred 56
Robert 55
Arthur 52
Frederick 52
Samuel 50
Albert 45
Richard 38
Walter 36
Frank 29
Harry 27
Edwin 26
Ernest 25
Herbert 16
Francis 15
Wm. 15
Benjamin 14
Isaac 13
Fred 11
David 10
Thos. 9
Amos 8
Christopher 8
Stephen 8
Jesse 7
Edgar 6
Fredk. 6
Joshua 6
Mark 6
Willm. 6
Chas. 5
Daniel 5
Geo. 5
Percy 5
Peter 5
Robt. 5
Fredrick 4
Harold 4
Lewin 4
Matthew 4
Sidney 4
Tom 4

FAQ

Avery surname: questions and answers

How common was the Avery surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,002 people were recorded with the Avery surname. That placed it at #891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Avery surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,269 in 2016. That gives Avery a modern rank of #1,075.

What does the Avery surname mean?

Derived from an Old French surname meaning "ruler of the elves" or from a place name meaning "island of birds."

What does the Avery map show?

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