NameCensus.

UK surname

Berry

An English surname referring to someone who lived near or gathered berries, or had a complexion like a berry.

In the 1881 census there were 23,740 people recorded with the Berry surname, ranking it #142 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 31,418, ranked #170, down from #142 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Halifax and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Wigan and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Berry is 32,271 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.3%.

1881 census count

23,740

Ranked #142

Modern count

31,418

2016, ranked #170

Peak year

1999

32,271 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Berry had 23,740 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #142 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 31,418 in 2016, ranked #170.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 30,628 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Berry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Berry surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Berry 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 14,226 #162
1861 historical 14,414 #167
1881 historical 23,740 #142
1891 historical 25,635 #135
1901 historical 30,036 #137
1911 historical 30,628 #122
1997 modern 30,996 #162
1998 modern 31,966 #168
1999 modern 32,271 #166
2000 modern 32,078 #167
2001 modern 31,401 #165
2002 modern 31,978 #168
2003 modern 31,176 #169
2004 modern 30,912 #171
2005 modern 30,426 #170
2006 modern 30,354 #171
2007 modern 30,524 #171
2008 modern 30,678 #172
2009 modern 31,338 #173
2010 modern 32,024 #171
2011 modern 31,649 #170
2012 modern 31,018 #170
2013 modern 31,748 #170
2014 modern 31,950 #170
2015 modern 31,650 #169
2016 modern 31,418 #170

Geography

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Where Berrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Halifax, Eccles and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Wigan, Salford and Herefordshire. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Eccles Lancashire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 032 Bolton
2 Wigan 018 Wigan
3 Salford 012 Salford
4 Herefordshire 005 Herefordshire, County of
5 Bolton 033 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Berry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Berry

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Berry is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Berry 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

Berry falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Berry

The surname Berry is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derived from the Old English words 'berien' or 'byri', meaning a hill or small eminence. It was a topographic name given to someone who lived on or near a hill or elevated land.

The name first appeared in records in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. One of the earliest recorded instances was in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled 'Beri'.

During the Middle Ages, the name was widespread in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire. Some early bearers of the name included John atte Bery (1279) from Bedfordshire and William de la Bery (1327) from Oxfordshire.

As surnames became hereditary, the name evolved into different spellings such as Berie, Bery, Berye, and eventually the modern form of Berry. Place names like Berry Pomeroy in Devon and Berry Hill in Gloucestershire may have influenced the spelling variations.

Notable individuals with the surname Berry throughout history include Richard Berry (c.1535-1612), an English clergyman and writer; John Berry (1638-1691), an English lawyer and politician; James Berry (1768-1848), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars; Martha Berry (1865-1942), an American educator and philanthropist who founded Berry College in Georgia; and Sir Ralph Berry (1891-1969), a British civil servant and diplomat.

The name Berry has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from clergymen and lawyers to military officers and educators. Its origins as a topographic name reflecting the landscape make it a lasting reminder of the ancestral homelands of its early bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Berry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Berry 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. Lancashire leads with 6,452 Berrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.35x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 6,452 2.35x
Yorkshire 3,308 1.44x
Middlesex 2,246 0.97x
Surrey 1,172 1.04x
Devon 942 1.95x
Warwickshire 620 1.06x
Kent 600 0.76x
Gloucestershire 540 1.19x
Cheshire 471 0.92x
Sussex 430 1.10x
Suffolk 407 1.44x
Essex 405 0.89x
Staffordshire 383 0.49x
Somerset 369 0.99x
Hampshire 364 0.77x
Durham 325 0.47x
Lanarkshire 308 0.41x
Oxfordshire 304 2.12x
Nottinghamshire 301 0.96x
Aberdeenshire 237 1.10x
Lincolnshire 229 0.62x
Derbyshire 216 0.60x
Worcestershire 213 0.70x
Wiltshire 208 1.01x
Norfolk 198 0.56x
Leicestershire 171 0.67x
Midlothian 170 0.55x
Glamorgan 163 0.40x
Northamptonshire 163 0.75x
Hertfordshire 156 0.98x
Fife 148 1.08x
Renfrewshire 123 0.68x
Monmouthshire 121 0.72x
Shropshire 117 0.58x
Bedfordshire 92 0.77x
Berkshire 88 0.51x
Herefordshire 85 0.89x
Cumberland 83 0.42x
Cambridgeshire 75 0.51x
Cornwall 73 0.28x
Westmorland 71 1.39x
Buckinghamshire 67 0.48x
Angus 55 0.26x
Northumberland 54 0.16x
Dorset 49 0.32x
Pembrokeshire 46 0.62x
Ayrshire 43 0.25x
Kincardineshire 29 1.03x
Huntingdonshire 25 0.54x
Perthshire 25 0.24x
Stirlingshire 23 0.27x
Channel Islands 22 0.32x
Isle of Man 18 0.42x
Royal Navy 17 0.62x
Wigtownshire 16 0.52x
Brecknockshire 15 0.32x
Dunbartonshire 14 0.22x
Selkirkshire 14 0.67x
Cardiganshire 12 0.21x
Denbighshire 12 0.14x
East Lothian 8 0.26x
Flintshire 7 0.11x
West Lothian 7 0.20x
Banffshire 6 0.12x
Berwickshire 5 0.18x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.10x
Argyllshire 4 0.06x
Radnorshire 4 0.21x
Anglesey 3 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.06x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.06x
Rutland 2 0.12x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.01x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.05x
Inverness-shire 1 0.01x
Peeblesshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Worsley in Lancashire leads with 344 Berrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.29x.

Place Total Index
Worsley 344 20.29x
Oldham 242 2.73x
Islington London 220 0.98x
Salford 205 2.53x
Bethnal Green London 193 1.92x
Burnley 170 7.34x
Liverpool 169 1.01x
Preston 169 2.30x
Lambeth 168 0.83x
Huddersfield 166 4.96x
Camberwell 157 1.06x
Chorley 155 10.04x
Little Bolton 153 4.33x
Hackney London 149 1.15x
Farnworth 147 8.92x
St Marylebone London 145 1.17x
Leeds 138 1.06x
St Pancras London 132 0.71x
Manchester 121 0.98x
Wigan 117 3.04x
Lockwood 115 13.92x
Warrington 115 3.53x
Great Bolton 109 2.99x
Shoreditch London 109 1.08x
Bury 108 3.44x
Aston 103 0.64x
West Ham 103 1.02x
Birmingham 101 0.52x
Kensington London 101 0.78x
Battersea 99 1.16x
Mile End Old Town London 97 1.97x
Pilkington 95 9.09x
Southwark St George Martyr 95 2.04x
Bradford 94 1.69x
Great Little Marsden 93 7.38x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 91 0.73x
Hulme 91 1.58x
Sheffield 91 1.24x
Almondbury 88 7.92x
Habergham Eaves 87 3.46x
Pemberton 86 7.84x
Newington 85 0.99x
Little Hulton 81 17.78x
Chelsea London 79 1.13x
Ovenden 79 7.73x
Paddington London 79 0.93x
Toxteth Park 79 0.85x
Halifax 78 2.31x
Barton Upon Irwell 74 3.57x
Failsworth 74 11.76x
Pendleton In Salford 74 2.26x
Nottingham St Mary 73 0.90x
Govan 72 0.39x
Portsea 72 0.77x
Broughton In Salford 70 2.78x
Deptford St Paul 69 1.13x
Clerkenwell London 68 1.24x
Skelmersdale 68 14.83x
Newton 67 3.16x
Ashton Under Lyne 65 1.08x
Sherston Magna 65 52.61x
Colne 64 7.81x
Dalton In Huddersfield 64 12.44x
Elland Cum Greetland 64 6.18x
Stretford 64 4.23x
Barony 62 0.33x
Idle 62 5.82x
Westhoughton 62 8.45x
Everton 61 0.70x
Skircoat 61 6.73x
Leyland 59 12.33x
Hindley 58 4.95x
Barrowford Booth 57 18.73x
Bermondsey 57 0.83x
Wednesbury 57 2.91x
Ince In Makerfield 56 4.38x
Keighley 55 2.25x
Sowerby In Halifax 55 7.32x
Chorlton On Medlock 54 1.24x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 54 1.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,608
Elizabeth 866
Sarah 837
Jane 455
Ann 449
Alice 445
Ellen 408
Eliza 340
Emma 325
Annie 311
Margaret 285
Emily 274
Hannah 274
Martha 273
Louisa 142
Harriet 139
Florence 136
Charlotte 127
Edith 119
Maria 118
Catherine 117
Clara 110
Caroline 107
Fanny 104
Ada 99
Lucy 87
Anne 83
Kate 78
Susan 77
Esther 70
Agnes 69
Susannah 63
Frances 60
Harriett 60
Isabella 59
Amelia 57
Matilda 57
Amy 54
Rose 54
Rebecca 49
Elizth. 47
Betsy 43
Gertrude 41
Lydia 39
Ruth 39
Sophia 39
Jessie 38
Minnie 36
Eleanor 35
Betty 34

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,431
William 1,335
James 959
Thomas 800
George 627
Joseph 406
Henry 372
Charles 338
Robert 250
Alfred 228
Richard 225
Samuel 218
Edward 200
Arthur 191
Walter 176
Frederick 172
Albert 147
Harry 114
Frank 112
Herbert 92
Benjamin 81
Edwin 79
Fred 79
Ernest 77
David 73
Wm. 70
Peter 61
Daniel 56
Francis 54
Andrew 53
Thos. 49
Michael 40
Tom 39
Patrick 37
Edmund 29
Geo. 28
Abraham 24
Fredrick 24
Isaac 24
Joe 24
Philip 23
Stephen 23
Sidney 21
Willie 21
Fredk. 20
Mark 20
Matthew 20
Robt. 19
Christopher 17
Jonathan 16

FAQ

Berry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Berry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 23,740 people were recorded with the Berry surname. That placed it at #142 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Berry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 31,418 in 2016. That gives Berry a modern rank of #170.

What does the Berry surname mean?

An English surname referring to someone who lived near or gathered berries, or had a complexion like a berry.

What does the Berry map show?

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