NameCensus.

UK surname

Blewer

An English surname derived from the occupation of a maker of bellows.

In the 1881 census there were 55 people recorded with the Blewer surname, ranking it #25,862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 105, ranked #30,114, down from #25,862 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hillingdon (Hillingdon), Ickenham, Cowley, London parishes and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, Solihull and Daventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blewer is 136 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.9%.

1881 census count

55

Ranked #25,862

Modern count

105

2016, ranked #30,114

Peak year

1891

136 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blewer had 55 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,862 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016, ranked #30,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 136 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Blewer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blewer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blewer 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 55 #25,862
1891 historical 136 #19,601
1901 historical 130 #19,649
1911 historical 118 #20,649
1997 modern 122 #23,917
1998 modern 122 #24,556
1999 modern 130 #23,805
2000 modern 118 #25,197
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 128 #24,150
2003 modern 122 #24,628
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 110 #26,430
2006 modern 103 #27,785
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 114 #27,363
2010 modern 123 #26,728
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 105 #30,114

Geography

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Where Blewers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hillingdon (Hillingdon), Ickenham, Cowley, London parishes, Eccles, Lambeth and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham, Solihull, Daventry and Powys. 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 Hillingdon (Hillingdon), Ickenham, Cowley Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 121 Birmingham
2 Solihull 028 Solihull
3 Birmingham 117 Birmingham
4 Daventry 008 Daventry
5 Powys 004 Powys

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blewer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blewer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Blewer, 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 Blewer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Blewer 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Blewer 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

Blewer 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

Blewer 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 Blewer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Blewer

The surname Blewer is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant of the surname Blower, which is derived from the Old English word "blāwere," meaning a trumpeter or hornblower.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Blewer can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a historical record of tax payments made to the English Crown. In 1379, a man named John Blewer was listed as a resident of the village of Ripley.

The name Blewer may also have been influenced by the Old English word "blæwere," meaning a maker of bellows or a blacksmith's assistant. This connection suggests that some individuals with this surname may have ancestors who worked in metalsmithing or related trades.

In the 16th century, the Blewer surname appeared in various records across England. For example, in 1568, a man named Thomas Blewer was listed in the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

One notable historical figure with the surname Blewer was William Blewer, a British soldier and military engineer who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was involved in the construction of fortifications and defensive works during the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession.

Another individual of note was John Blewer, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, England, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He owned several estates and was a prominent figure in the local community.

In the 19th century, the Blewer surname could be found in various parts of England, including Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. One individual of interest from this period was Richard Blewer, a clergyman and author from Warwickshire, who published several religious works in the 1870s.

It's worth noting that the surname Blewer has also been associated with places in England, such as Blewer's Green, a hamlet in the parish of Kingham, Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname in some cases.

While the surname Blewer is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England and the occupations and locations associated with its earliest bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blewer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blewer 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. Surrey leads with 18 Blewers recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.89x.

County Total Index
Surrey 18 6.89x
Staffordshire 15 8.28x
Lancashire 8 1.26x
Warwickshire 5 3.70x
Hertfordshire 2 5.41x
Kent 2 1.09x
Middlesex 2 0.37x
Derbyshire 1 1.19x
Essex 1 0.94x
Sussex 1 1.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 13 Blewers recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.80x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 13 27.80x
Clifton 7 1458.33x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 31.25x
Camberwell 5 14.59x
Aston 4 10.74x
Walsall Foreign 4 42.78x
Wolverhampton 3 21.55x
Hemel Hempstead 2 119.76x
Whitechapel London 2 37.81x
Woolwich 2 29.59x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 24.75x
Duffield 1 151.52x
Grays Thurrock 1 102.04x
Hove 1 25.19x
Kingswinford 1 15.22x
Liverpool 1 2.59x
Stone 1 43.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 5
Alice 4
Mary 4
Martha 3
Annie 2
Emma 2
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Hannah 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Pheba 1
Prudence 1
Rebecca 1
Rosanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Joseph 3
William 3
George 2
Henry 2
James 2
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Blewer households.

FAQ

Blewer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blewer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 55 people were recorded with the Blewer surname. That placed it at #25,862 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blewer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016. That gives Blewer a modern rank of #30,114.

What does the Blewer surname mean?

An English surname derived from the occupation of a maker of bellows.

What does the Blewer map show?

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