NameCensus.

UK surname

Avon

A surname derived from the river in England, or possibly from the French phrase "à bon" meaning "at the good place."

In the 1881 census there were 98 people recorded with the Avon surname, ranking it #19,999 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, down from #19,999 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mynyddyslwyn, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Horsham and Tunbridge Wells.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Avon is 124 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.4%.

1881 census count

98

Ranked #19,999

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

2000

124 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Avon had 98 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,999 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 109 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Avon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Avon surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Avon 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 93 #22,009
1881 historical 98 #19,999
1891 historical 89 #25,542
1901 historical 88 #24,270
1911 historical 109 #21,611
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 116 #25,332
1999 modern 113 #25,913
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 112 #26,165
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 119 #25,200
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 112 #26,415
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 109 #27,533
2009 modern 120 #26,496
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 120 #26,930
2012 modern 113 #28,016
2013 modern 124 #26,842
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

Back to top

Where Avons are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Horsham, Tunbridge Wells and Westminster. 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 Mynyddyslwyn Monmouthshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 003 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 005 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Horsham 016 Horsham
4 Tunbridge Wells 003 Tunbridge Wells
5 Westminster 012 Westminster

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Avon

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Avon

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Avon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Avon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Avon is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Avon is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Avon falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Avon

The surname Avon is of English origin, derived from the name of the River Avon in England. The river's name comes from the ancient Brittonic word "abona," which means "river." The name Avon was first used as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near the River Avon or one of its tributaries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Avon can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions an individual named William de Avene, possibly from the town of Avon in Hampshire or Avon in Wiltshire.

During the medieval period, the surname was often spelled in various ways, such as Avene, Avon, Aune, and Aven, reflecting the variations in local dialects and spellings.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Robert de Avon (c. 1210 – c. 1280), an English judge and landowner who served as a justice of the Court of Common Pleas during the reign of King Henry III.

Another prominent figure with the surname Avon was Sir John Avon (c. 1325 – 1388), a medieval English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and served as a member of Parliament for Somerset.

During the 16th century, John Avon (c. 1520 – 1590) was a renowned English translator and scholar who produced translations of several classical works, including Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses.

In the 17th century, the surname Avon was associated with William Avon (1637 – 1700), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Michael's Church in Bath.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir Thomas Avon (1685 – 1745), a British naval officer who served as the commander-in-chief of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet during the War of the Austrian Succession.

The surname Avon has spread across various English-speaking countries, and its spelling has remained relatively consistent over time, although variations such as Avons and Avons-Ford have emerged in some cases.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Avon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Avon 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. Somerset leads with 20 Avons recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.27x.

County Total Index
Somerset 20 13.27x
Wiltshire 18 21.74x
Lancashire 13 1.17x
Staffordshire 10 3.16x
Dorset 8 13.02x
Middlesex 6 0.64x
Yorkshire 6 0.65x
Lanarkshire 5 1.65x
Gloucestershire 4 2.18x
Cheshire 1 0.48x
Essex 1 0.54x
Leicestershire 1 0.96x
Monmouthshire 1 1.48x
Surrey 1 0.22x
Sussex 1 0.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westbury in Wiltshire leads with 11 Avons recorded in 1881 and an index of 569.95x.

Place Total Index
Westbury 11 569.95x
Kingswinford 9 78.40x
Berkley 8 8000.00x
Frome 8 222.22x
Salford 8 24.48x
Tyneham 8 8888.89x
South Newton 7 3181.82x
Linthorpe 6 108.30x
Barony 5 6.52x
Bedminster 4 28.25x
Bristol St George 3 35.34x
Kensington London 3 5.76x
Oldham 3 8.37x
Liverpool 2 2.96x
Bedwellty 1 8.37x
Bermondsey 1 3.59x
Chester St Oswald 1 26.74x
Grays Thurrock 1 58.14x
Hackney London 1 1.91x
Hammersmith London 1 4.34x
Leicester Newarke 1 185.19x
St Pancras London 1 1.33x
West Bromwich 1 5.53x
West Grinstead 1 208.33x
Westbury On Trym 1 16.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emma 4
Jane 4
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Catherine 3
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Georgina 2
Hannah 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Charlott 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Katherine 1
Lidia 1
Louisa 1
Marian 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Tresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Charles 4
Henry 4
James 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Francis 3
George 3
Edmund 2
John 2
Alfred 1
Ann 1
Arthur 1
Bengemdin 1
Benjamin 1
Isaac 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Avon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Avon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 98 people were recorded with the Avon surname. That placed it at #19,999 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Avon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Avon a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Avon surname mean?

A surname derived from the river in England, or possibly from the French phrase "à bon" meaning "at the good place."

What does the Avon map show?

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