NameCensus.

UK surname

Avey

A surname derived from the Old English "Avis" meaning "little bird."

In the 1881 census there were 219 people recorded with the Avey surname, ranking it #12,122 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 357, ranked #12,953, down from #12,122 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, Edmonton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, Rushcliffe and Hillingdon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Avey is 380 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.0%.

1881 census count

219

Ranked #12,122

Modern count

357

2016, ranked #12,953

Peak year

1998

380 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Avey had 219 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,122 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 357 in 2016, ranked #12,953.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 353 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Avey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Avey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Avey 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 176 #11,489
1861 historical 170 #13,763
1881 historical 219 #12,122
1891 historical 329 #10,320
1901 historical 303 #11,569
1911 historical 353 #10,212
1997 modern 377 #11,508
1998 modern 380 #11,827
1999 modern 376 #11,979
2000 modern 372 #12,020
2001 modern 353 #12,293
2002 modern 369 #12,144
2003 modern 356 #12,258
2004 modern 360 #12,205
2005 modern 353 #12,292
2006 modern 340 #12,722
2007 modern 337 #12,950
2008 modern 339 #13,022
2009 modern 341 #13,214
2010 modern 348 #13,304
2011 modern 346 #13,192
2012 modern 341 #13,217
2013 modern 357 #12,984
2014 modern 365 #12,853
2015 modern 354 #13,063
2016 modern 357 #12,953

Geography

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Where Aveys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Erith, Edmonton, London parishes, Pakenham and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire, Rushcliffe, Hillingdon, Brighton and Hove and South Bucks. 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 Erith Kent
2 Edmonton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Pakenham Suffolk
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
2 Rushcliffe 001 Rushcliffe
3 Hillingdon 003 Hillingdon
4 Brighton and Hove 002 Brighton and Hove
5 South Bucks 008 South Bucks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Avey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Avey

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Avey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Avey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Avey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Avey 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

Avey 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 Avey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Avey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Avey

The surname AVEY is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "aefig," which means "dweller by the river."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name AVEY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1230, where a person named Robertus Avey is mentioned.

In the 14th century, records show a John Avey residing in the village of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. This place name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ægelæs" (meaning "meadow") and "burg" (meaning "fort" or "town"), suggesting a potential connection between the surname AVEY and this location.

During the 16th century, the name AVEY appeared in various spellings such as Avye, Avy, and Aveye in various parish records across England.

Notable individuals with the surname AVEY throughout history include:

1. William Avey (born around 1550), a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, England. 2. Elizabeth Avey (1620-1684), one of the first settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America. 3. Sir John Avey (1678-1742), a British naval officer who served during the War of the Spanish Succession. 4. Thomas Avey (1745-1818), an English clockmaker known for his intricate timepieces. 5. Margaret Avey (1810-1892), a philanthropist and social reformer who established several schools and orphanages in London.

While the surname AVEY is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval times and is associated with various places and notable figures throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Avey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Avey 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 52 Aveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.43x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 52 2.43x
Suffolk 39 14.99x
Cambridgeshire 29 21.43x
Sussex 17 4.72x
Kent 15 2.06x
Norfolk 9 2.74x
Essex 8 1.90x
Cheshire 7 1.48x
Gloucestershire 6 1.43x
Surrey 6 0.58x
Yorkshire 6 0.28x
Hampshire 4 0.91x
Ayrshire 3 1.88x
Cornwall 3 1.24x
Lincolnshire 3 0.88x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.04x
Warwickshire 3 0.56x
Durham 2 0.31x
Lancashire 2 0.08x
Worcestershire 2 0.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 16 Aveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.02x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 16 22.02x
Charlton Next Woolwich 9 118.42x
Hammersmith London 8 15.20x
Limehouse London 8 34.12x
Mildenhall 8 289.86x
Stratford St Mary 8 2162.16x
Holton 7 2121.21x
Northwich 7 933.33x
Bristol St Augustine 6 88.76x
Burwell 6 370.37x
Erith 6 83.57x
Pakenham 6 857.14x
St Andrewthe Less 6 38.81x
St George In East London 6 29.87x
St Marythe Great 6 1363.64x
Chippenham 5 1063.83x
Islington London 5 2.42x
Mile End Old Town London 4 8.80x
St Dunstan In West London 4 597.01x
Swaffham 4 149.81x
Ardrossan 3 54.25x
Bury St Edmunds St James 3 43.17x
Chiswick 3 25.71x
Kensington London 3 2.53x
Mountnessing 3 468.75x
Norwich St John Timberhill 3 340.91x
Nottingham St Mary 3 4.03x
Portsea 3 3.50x
Poundstock 3 789.47x
Sheffield 3 4.45x
Solihull 3 77.52x
Westminster St John 3 11.53x
Whaplode 3 258.62x
Beccles 2 47.73x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 2 40.98x
Colchester St Giles 2 47.96x
Crossgate 2 71.94x
Dudley 2 5.90x
Hackney London 2 1.67x
Holy Trinity Cambridge 2 136.05x
Hunston 2 2000.00x
Linthorpe 2 15.84x
Mitcham 2 30.40x
Newington 2 2.53x
Penge 2 14.66x
St Botolph Cambridge 2 571.43x
St Pancras London 2 1.16x
Thorpe Next Norwich 2 57.47x
Alverstoke 1 6.31x
Brentwood 1 38.91x
Chelsea London 1 1.55x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.48x
Colne Engaine 1 263.16x
Conington 1 909.09x
Exning 1 76.34x
Little Bolton 1 3.07x
Newmarket All Sts 1 100.00x
Poplar London 1 2.48x
South Bersted 1 32.68x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.66x
Stoke Newington London 1 6.01x
Tillingham 1 135.14x
Whitwood 1 33.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 13
John 12
William 11
Thomas 9
James 7
Charles 6
Arthur 4
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Richard 4
Walter 4
Edward 2
Frank 2
Michael 2
Robert 2
Sampson 2
Abraham 1
Benjiman 1
Chas. 1
Earnest 1
Ernest 1
Ezra 1
Fred 1
Fredc.James 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Gilbert 1
Henry 1
Israel 1
Jno. 1
Leonard 1
Reginald 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Avey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Avey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 219 people were recorded with the Avey surname. That placed it at #12,122 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Avey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 357 in 2016. That gives Avey a modern rank of #12,953.

What does the Avey surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English "Avis" meaning "little bird."

What does the Avey map show?

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