NameCensus.

UK surname

Ayres

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a patch of open ground, grassy area, or pasture.

In the 1881 census there were 4,164 people recorded with the Ayres surname, ranking it #1,084 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,116, ranked #940, up from #1,084 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Bray, Maidenhead, Cookham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Gloucestershire, Stroud and Hart.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ayres is 7,539 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.9%.

1881 census count

4,164

Ranked #1,084

Modern count

7,116

2016, ranked #940

Peak year

1999

7,539 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ayres had 4,164 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,084 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,116 in 2016, ranked #940.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,370 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ayres surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ayres surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ayres 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 2,264 #1,298
1861 historical 2,136 #1,362
1881 historical 4,164 #1,084
1891 historical 4,694 #992
1901 historical 5,798 #959
1911 historical 6,370 #805
1997 modern 7,153 #907
1998 modern 7,462 #902
1999 modern 7,539 #898
2000 modern 7,457 #904
2001 modern 7,241 #909
2002 modern 7,374 #912
2003 modern 7,254 #908
2004 modern 7,211 #915
2005 modern 7,089 #916
2006 modern 7,076 #920
2007 modern 7,116 #922
2008 modern 7,138 #922
2009 modern 7,333 #918
2010 modern 7,423 #929
2011 modern 7,324 #924
2012 modern 7,114 #929
2013 modern 7,239 #932
2014 modern 7,230 #937
2015 modern 7,150 #936
2016 modern 7,116 #940

Geography

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Where Ayres' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Bray, Maidenhead, Cookham and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Gloucestershire, Stroud, Hart, West Oxfordshire and Mendip. 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 Bray, Maidenhead, Cookham Berkshire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Gloucestershire 016 South Gloucestershire
2 Stroud 015 Stroud
3 Hart 004 Hart
4 West Oxfordshire 011 West Oxfordshire
5 Mendip 001 Mendip

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ayres

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ayres

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Ayres 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

Ayres 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

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

Meaning and origin of Ayres

The surname Ayres has its origins in England. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'eg' meaning 'island' and 'ar' meaning 'dwelling'. It referred to someone who lived by a river island or a low-lying meadow near a stream.

The name first appeared in records from the 12th century. The earliest recorded spelling was Ayers in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176. It was also recorded as Ayres in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273 and as Ayre in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

During the Middle Ages, the name was found predominantly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, and Sussex. Some early bearers of the name included John Ayres, mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1221, and William Ayers, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

The Ayres name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John Ayres (c. 1590-1658), an English soldier and politician who served as Governor of Virginia from 1625 to 1627. Another prominent figure was Rene Ayres (1625-1670), a French philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of probability theory.

In the literary world, the name is associated with John Ayres (1688-1758), an English poet and playwright, and Lew Ayres (1908-1996), an American actor best known for his role in the film "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930). Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Ayres (1786-1873), a British naval officer and explorer who surveyed the coast of Australia.

Other individuals of note include John Ayres (1625-1696), an English sculptor who created monuments and memorials in several churches in London, and Philip Ayres (1638-1712), an English organist and composer who served as the Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ayres families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ayres 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 842 Ayres' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.08x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 842 2.08x
Surrey 345 1.75x
Buckinghamshire 298 12.16x
Berkshire 216 7.10x
Yorkshire 185 0.46x
Devon 184 2.18x
Northamptonshire 183 4.80x
Cambridgeshire 171 6.66x
Oxfordshire 167 6.67x
Huntingdonshire 132 16.39x
Norfolk 132 2.12x
Bedfordshire 123 5.86x
Warwickshire 120 1.17x
Kent 115 0.83x
Hampshire 113 1.36x
Gloucestershire 95 1.19x
Lancashire 81 0.17x
Somerset 76 1.16x
Sussex 71 1.04x
Essex 63 0.79x
Hertfordshire 54 1.93x
Glamorgan 52 0.74x
Staffordshire 51 0.37x
Wiltshire 46 1.28x
Suffolk 40 0.81x
Cornwall 33 0.72x
Durham 28 0.23x
Worcestershire 27 0.51x
Leicestershire 26 0.58x
Lincolnshire 17 0.26x
Brecknockshire 11 1.36x
Carmarthenshire 11 0.64x
Derbyshire 7 0.11x
Northumberland 7 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.13x
Herefordshire 5 0.30x
Monmouthshire 5 0.17x
Midlothian 4 0.07x
Shropshire 4 0.11x
Channel Islands 3 0.25x
Royal Navy 3 0.62x
Dorset 2 0.08x
Cheshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 68 Ayres' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.73x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 68 1.73x
Bethnal Green London 61 3.46x
Lambeth 60 1.70x
St Pancras London 56 1.72x
Camberwell 46 1.78x
Bottisham 42 191.96x
Hillingdon 41 31.71x
Kensington London 41 1.82x
Aston 38 1.35x
Cookham 36 37.94x
Isleworth 36 19.97x
Mile End Old Town London 36 4.17x
Reading St Giles 33 11.05x
Wycombe 33 18.06x
Henley On Thames 31 60.43x
Tottenham 30 4.65x
St Andrewthe Less 29 9.88x
West Ham 28 1.58x
Holywell Cum Needingworth 27 267.59x
Shoreditch London 27 1.54x
Brighton 26 1.88x
Kentisbeare 26 223.56x
Chelsea London 25 2.05x
Clerkenwell London 25 2.61x
Paddington London 25 1.68x
Frome 24 15.37x
Bromley London 23 2.58x
Everleigh 23 466.53x
Fulham London 23 3.91x
Greenwich 22 3.41x
Hackney London 22 0.97x
Oxford St Thomas 22 18.83x
Sheffield 22 1.72x
Amersham 21 60.41x
Eton 21 37.78x
Newington 21 1.40x
Radstone 21 1304.35x
Reading St Mary 21 8.61x
Swansea Town 21 3.63x
Birmingham 20 0.59x
Edmonton 20 6.12x
Kislingbury 20 207.25x
Littleport 20 40.76x
Stoke Damerel 20 3.39x
Stokenchurch 20 89.29x
Burnham Thorpe 19 386.97x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 19 16.96x
Epsom 19 19.73x
Great Marlow 19 28.71x
Luton 19 5.23x
Stockton On Tees 19 3.27x
Farnborough 18 20.62x
Oldham 18 1.16x
St Marylebone London 18 0.83x
Bicester Market End 17 36.96x
Brightside Bierlow 17 2.16x
Southwark St George Martyr 17 2.08x
St Anne Soho London 17 7.34x
Talaton 17 265.21x
Bow London 16 3.10x
Crondall 16 35.84x
Croydon 16 1.46x
Great Bookham 16 105.33x
Lowestoft 16 6.86x
Wolverhampton 16 1.52x
Bermondsey 15 1.24x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 15 2.00x
Kingston On Thames 15 3.16x
Leeds 15 0.66x
Northampton Priory St 15 6.55x
Northampton St Giles 15 10.32x
Stone 15 78.82x
Aylesbury 14 12.89x
Battersea 14 0.94x
Cardington 14 81.92x
Peterborough 14 5.07x
Twickenham 14 8.05x
Deptford St Paul 13 1.22x
East Stonehouse 13 7.82x
St George In East London 13 3.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 245
Elizabeth 158
Sarah 151
Ann 82
Annie 72
Eliza 71
Ellen 70
Emma 69
Jane 69
Alice 65
Emily 59
Martha 48
Charlotte 37
Hannah 32
Louisa 32
Caroline 30
Margaret 27
Fanny 26
Edith 25
Florence 25
Harriet 25
Kate 24
Maria 24
Susan 23
Amelia 20
Anne 17
Ada 16
Lucy 15
Matilda 15
Rose 15
Agnes 14
Esther 14
Frances 14
Sophia 14
Clara 13
Eleanor 12
Elizth. 12
Rebecca 12
Gertrude 10
Isabella 9
Rosa 9
Selina 9
Laura 8
Lydia 8
Maud 8
Minnie 8
Phoebe 8
Amy 7
Lilly 7
Susannah 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 291
John 208
George 146
James 119
Thomas 112
Henry 105
Charles 93
Alfred 54
Joseph 54
Arthur 51
Edward 51
Robert 50
Albert 41
Frederick 41
Richard 40
Harry 35
Walter 28
Samuel 25
Frank 22
David 21
Ernest 20
Herbert 17
Edwin 15
Wm. 14
Francis 13
Edmund 10
Thos. 10
Sidney 9
Geo. 8
Isaac 8
Tom 8
Benjamin 7
Fred 7
Willm. 7
Daniel 6
Eli 6
Abraham 5
Chas. 5
Fredk. 5
Christopher 4
Elijah 4
Fredrick 4
Horace 4
Jacob 4
Jesse 4
Oliver 4
Percy 4
Reuben 4
Stephen 4
W. 4

FAQ

Ayres surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ayres surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,164 people were recorded with the Ayres surname. That placed it at #1,084 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ayres surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,116 in 2016. That gives Ayres a modern rank of #940.

What does the Ayres surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a patch of open ground, grassy area, or pasture.

What does the Ayres map show?

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