NameCensus.

UK surname

Block

An occupational surname referring to someone who blocks or shapes hats.

In the 1881 census there were 595 people recorded with the Block surname, ranking it #5,878 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,032, ranked #5,656, up from #5,878 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Christ Church Spitalfields, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney and Suffolk Coastal.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Block is 1,067 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.4%.

1881 census count

595

Ranked #5,878

Modern count

1,032

2016, ranked #5,656

Peak year

2014

1,067 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Block had 595 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,878 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,032 in 2016, ranked #5,656.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 977 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Block surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Block surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Block 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 337 #6,953
1861 historical 493 #5,294
1881 historical 595 #5,878
1891 historical 745 #5,342
1901 historical 904 #5,134
1911 historical 977 #4,628
1997 modern 1,033 #5,342
1998 modern 1,059 #5,409
1999 modern 1,056 #5,457
2000 modern 1,033 #5,534
2001 modern 1,020 #5,497
2002 modern 1,061 #5,429
2003 modern 1,022 #5,500
2004 modern 1,017 #5,519
2005 modern 997 #5,568
2006 modern 984 #5,626
2007 modern 999 #5,614
2008 modern 1,001 #5,652
2009 modern 1,002 #5,754
2010 modern 1,024 #5,767
2011 modern 1,001 #5,818
2012 modern 1,038 #5,560
2013 modern 1,058 #5,558
2014 modern 1,067 #5,553
2015 modern 1,051 #5,570
2016 modern 1,032 #5,656

Geography

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Where Blocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Christ Church Spitalfields, London parishes, St Pancras and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney and Suffolk Coastal. 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 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 015 Waveney
2 Waveney 014 Waveney
3 Suffolk Coastal 004 Suffolk Coastal
4 Waveney 011 Waveney
5 Waveney 006 Waveney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Block

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Block

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Block is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Block is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Block falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Block

The surname BLOCK is of Germanic origin, derived from the Middle High German word "bloc," meaning a thick piece of wood or a tree stump. It likely originated in the regions of present-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents compiled in the 13th century, where a person named "Henricus Bloc" is mentioned in a document dated 1268.

Another early reference to the name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name "Bloch" is listed as a landowner in the county of Essex.

In the 14th century, the surname BLOCK began to spread across Europe, with various spellings emerging, such as Blok, Blocke, and Bloch. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and scribal errors in transcribing the name.

Notable historical figures with the surname BLOCK include:

1. Adriaen Block (c. 1567-1627), a Dutch explorer and trader who explored parts of the East Coast of North America and is credited with being the first European to establish a settlement in what is now New York City.

2. Marc Block (1491-1551), a German theologian and Reformer who worked alongside Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation.

3. Benjamin Block (1631-1690), a Dutch painter known for his still-life paintings and portraits.

4. Andreas Block (1736-1804), a German composer and violinist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of Darmstadt.

5. Paul Block (1877-1941), an American newspaper publisher and co-founder of the Paul Block Newspaper Chain, which owned several newspapers across the United States in the early 20th century.

The name BLOCK has also been associated with various place names, such as Blockhaus (a type of log cabin), Blockland (a region in Germany), and Blocksberg (a mountain range in Germany).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Block families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Block 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. Suffolk leads with 167 Blocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.62x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 167 23.62x
Middlesex 163 2.81x
Surrey 68 2.40x
Lancashire 37 0.54x
Yorkshire 19 0.33x
Gloucestershire 17 1.49x
Kent 14 0.71x
Norfolk 14 1.57x
Durham 13 0.75x
Warwickshire 13 0.89x
Hertfordshire 10 2.50x
Leicestershire 8 1.24x
Nottinghamshire 8 1.02x
Lincolnshire 6 0.65x
Bedfordshire 5 1.66x
Staffordshire 5 0.26x
Sussex 5 0.51x
Brecknockshire 3 2.58x
Fife 3 0.87x
Northumberland 3 0.35x
Cornwall 2 0.30x
Devon 2 0.17x
Essex 2 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.27x
Denbighshire 1 0.46x
Glamorgan 1 0.10x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x
Oxfordshire 1 0.28x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.54x
Perthshire 1 0.38x
Royal Navy 1 1.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aldeburgh in Suffolk leads with 33 Blocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 789.47x.

Place Total Index
Aldeburgh 33 789.47x
Bethnal Green London 28 11.10x
Spitalfields London 20 45.81x
Blyford 17 4722.22x
Lambeth 17 3.36x
Liverpool 16 3.83x
Bermondsey 15 8.68x
Benacre 13 3170.73x
Kessingland 12 491.80x
Deptford St Paul 11 7.20x
Kensington London 11 3.41x
Mitcham 11 61.52x
Paddington London 10 4.69x
Toxteth Park 10 4.29x
Islington London 9 1.60x
St Pancras London 9 1.93x
West Derby 9 4.47x
Camberwell 8 2.16x
Gisleham 8 1333.33x
Henstead 8 747.66x
Leeds 8 2.46x
Martlesham 8 808.08x
Shoreditch London 8 3.18x
St Andrew Holborn 8 40.65x
Stockton On Tees 8 9.61x
Aston 7 1.74x
Bristol St Michael 7 71.72x
Cheshunt 7 50.04x
Ipswich St Margaret 7 29.18x
Lowestoft 7 20.96x
Sproughton 7 564.52x
St Anne Soho London 7 21.12x
Brandon 6 125.00x
Chelmondiston 6 348.84x
Croydon 6 3.82x
Edgbaston 6 13.22x
Sheffield 6 3.28x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 5.14x
St Marylebone London 6 1.94x
Bedford St Paul 5 24.26x
Falkenham 5 925.93x
Great Grimsby 5 8.49x
Huddersfield 5 5.97x
Kirton 5 400.00x
Thurmaston North 5 602.41x
Walton 5 197.63x
Beccles 4 35.15x
Bristol St Paul In 4 13.19x
Bromley London 4 3.13x
Chelsea London 4 2.29x
Claydon 4 380.95x
Hastings St Leonards 4 27.82x
Mile End Old Town London 4 3.24x
Nottingham St Nicholas 4 37.52x
St Paul Covent Garden 4 68.85x
Wednesbury 4 8.17x
Worksop 4 17.24x
Bow London 3 4.06x
Dunfermline 3 5.68x
Great Yarmouth 3 4.06x
Hemley 3 1578.95x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 3 45.73x
Llangattock 3 31.75x
West Dean 3 16.23x
Westoe 3 3.06x
Cheltenham 2 2.28x
Exeter St Thomas The 2 16.23x
Felixstow 2 116.28x
Hackney London 2 0.61x
Heigham 2 4.18x
Holbrook 2 129.03x
Limehouse London 2 3.14x
Monkwearmouth Shore 2 5.93x
Newington 2 0.93x
Ratcliffe London 2 6.24x
St George Hanover Square 2 1.96x
St Luke London 2 2.15x
St Pancras Soper Lane 2 1818.18x
Watford 2 6.45x
Woodbridge 2 22.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Sarah 20
Elizabeth 15
Ellen 14
Jane 12
Annie 11
Alice 10
Eliza 8
Emily 8
Louisa 8
Emma 7
Martha 7
Edith 6
Fanny 6
Harriet 6
Maria 6
Margaret 5
Anne 4
Ann 3
Bertha 3
Catharine 3
Catherine 3
Ethel 3
Florence 3
Rose 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Betsy 2
Harriett 2
Infant 2
Julia 2
Laura 2
Lavinia 2
Mabel 2
Susan 2
Adelaide 1
Blanch 1
Caroline 1
Cilia 1
Clara 1
Corah 1
Devvy 1
Doreas 1
Dorothea 1
Doube 1
E.A. 1
Ettie 1
Eva 1
Flora 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 37
George 20
John 20
James 14
Robert 13
Charles 12
Alfred 11
Arthur 10
Henry 10
Isaac 8
Thomas 7
David 6
Samuel 6
Frederick 5
Harry 5
Herbert 5
Albert 4
Joseph 4
Walter 4
Edward 3
Ernest 3
Louis 3
Maurice 3
Paul 3
Wm. 3
Aaron 2
Abraham 2
Andrew 2
Carl 2
Jacob 2
Lewis 2
Morris 2
Philip 2
Ralph 2
Soloman 2
Sydney 2
Alexander 1
Benjamin 1
F. 1
Gerold 1
Gust 1
Harres 1
Heinz 1
Jno.Hy. 1
Joel 1
Jonah 1
Julius 1
Kyle 1
Leopold 1
Wolf 1

FAQ

Block surname: questions and answers

How common was the Block surname in 1881?

In 1881, 595 people were recorded with the Block surname. That placed it at #5,878 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Block surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,032 in 2016. That gives Block a modern rank of #5,656.

What does the Block surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who blocks or shapes hats.

What does the Block map show?

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