NameCensus.

UK surname

Blowers

One who worked the bellows at a forge or furnace, assisting a smith or ironworker.

In the 1881 census there were 762 people recorded with the Blowers surname, ranking it #4,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,281, ranked #4,677, up from #4,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kessingland, London parishes and Woodbridge. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney and Suffolk Coastal.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blowers is 1,471 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.1%.

1881 census count

762

Ranked #4,843

Modern count

1,281

2016, ranked #4,677

Peak year

2002

1,471 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blowers had 762 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,281 in 2016, ranked #4,677.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,160 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Blowers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blowers surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blowers 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 431 #5,681
1861 historical 438 #5,884
1881 historical 762 #4,843
1891 historical 841 #4,851
1901 historical 1,034 #4,625
1911 historical 1,160 #4,029
1997 modern 1,394 #4,152
1998 modern 1,422 #4,223
1999 modern 1,468 #4,160
2000 modern 1,435 #4,212
2001 modern 1,467 #4,064
2002 modern 1,471 #4,132
2003 modern 1,416 #4,180
2004 modern 1,393 #4,242
2005 modern 1,339 #4,332
2006 modern 1,320 #4,395
2007 modern 1,370 #4,306
2008 modern 1,371 #4,327
2009 modern 1,381 #4,378
2010 modern 1,395 #4,412
2011 modern 1,353 #4,484
2012 modern 1,304 #4,562
2013 modern 1,320 #4,592
2014 modern 1,314 #4,627
2015 modern 1,300 #4,631
2016 modern 1,281 #4,677

Geography

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Where Blowers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kessingland, London parishes, Woodbridge, Carlton Colville and Ipswich St Mary Stoke. 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 Kessingland Suffolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Woodbridge Suffolk
4 Carlton Colville Suffolk
5 Ipswich St Mary Stoke Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 012 Waveney
2 Waveney 006 Waveney
3 Waveney 009 Waveney
4 Waveney 004 Waveney
5 Suffolk Coastal 004 Suffolk Coastal

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blowers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blowers

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

Blowers is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Blowers

The surname Blowers has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 14th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word 'blawere', which referred to a person who played a wind instrument, particularly a trumpet or horn. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to individuals who were musicians or town criers.

One of the earliest known references to the name Blowers can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, dated 1317. In this record, a man named Adam le Blawere is mentioned, indicating the use of the name as a descriptive term for his occupation.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Blowers began to spread across various regions of England, with variations in spelling such as Blower, Blore, and Blour appearing in historical records. The different spellings likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of written records at the time.

In the 16th century, the surname Blowers can be found in the parish registers of St. Michael's Church in Coventry, Warwickshire. One notable individual from this time period was John Blowers, a prominent merchant and alderman in Coventry, who lived from around 1520 to 1590.

As the name spread, it became associated with certain place names, such as Blowers Green in Staffordshire and Blowers Hill in Gloucestershire. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the surname, or vice versa, with the surname being derived from the place name.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname Blowers. One such figure was Sir John Blowers (1625-1698), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Pontefract in Yorkshire. Another was Benjamin Blowers (1768-1845), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Blowers dates back to the 17th century. Thomas Blowers (1642-1707) was an English Puritan settler who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony and became a prominent figure in the town of Beverly.

Other notable individuals with the surname Blowers include Samuel Blowers (1724-1784), an American lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General of Massachusetts, and Sampson Blowers (1742-1842), a Canadian lawyer and judge who served as the first Chief Justice of Nova Scotia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blowers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blowers 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 338 Blowers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.33x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 338 37.33x
Essex 125 8.52x
Norfolk 72 6.30x
Surrey 61 1.68x
Middlesex 38 0.51x
Shropshire 30 4.67x
Yorkshire 23 0.31x
Leicestershire 21 2.55x
Lancashire 20 0.23x
Berkshire 10 1.79x
Denbighshire 8 2.85x
Kent 5 0.20x
Lincolnshire 4 0.34x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.64x
Cornwall 1 0.12x
Devon 1 0.06x
Hampshire 1 0.07x
Somerset 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kessingland in Suffolk leads with 49 Blowers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1565.50x.

Place Total Index
Kessingland 49 1565.50x
Lowestoft 29 67.80x
Lambeth 27 4.17x
Woodbridge 26 224.72x
Southwold 21 391.79x
Grays Thurrock 20 146.63x
Carlton Colville 19 572.29x
Great Oakley 17 723.40x
Henstead 13 948.91x
Leiston 13 209.00x
Baschurch 12 273.35x
West Ham 12 3.70x
Mutford 11 1089.11x
Aldringham 10 769.23x
Kirkley 10 132.10x
Reading St Giles 10 18.27x
Sporle With Palgrave 10 540.54x
Weeley 10 649.35x
Wimbledon 10 24.59x
Ardleigh 9 221.13x
Burnham 9 166.05x
Gedgrave 9 5000.00x
Gillingham 9 789.47x
Ipswich St Mathew 9 35.48x
Methwold 9 243.24x
Purleigh 9 410.96x
St Pancras London 9 1.50x
Heigham 8 13.04x
Hockley 8 503.14x
Ilketshall St Margaret 8 1095.89x
Newton 8 11.77x
Reydon 8 975.61x
Wangford 8 470.59x
Camberwell 7 1.47x
Erwarton 7 1590.91x
Great Yarmouth 7 7.39x
Horton In Bradford 7 6.09x
Knodishall 7 614.04x
Leicester St Mary 7 10.51x
North Cove 7 1186.44x
Wenhaston 7 313.90x
Wroxeter 7 564.52x
Bury 6 5.95x
Feltwell 6 270.27x
Ipswich St Peter 6 49.22x
Middlesbrough 6 6.26x
Ruabon 6 15.54x
Wrentham 6 239.04x
Acton 5 11.47x
Barnby 5 757.58x
Clapham 5 5.38x
Claydon 5 370.37x
Colchester St Giles 5 34.48x
Ipswich St Helen 5 46.60x
Leicester Black Friars 5 93.28x
Leicester St Nicholas 5 107.07x
Maldon St Marys 5 142.05x
Nether Hallam 5 5.02x
Redenhall 5 112.61x
Weston 5 735.29x
Barford 4 493.83x
Battersea 4 1.46x
Beccles 4 27.45x
Benacre 4 754.72x
Canewdon 4 218.58x
Diss 4 40.82x
Leicester All Sts 4 24.72x
Maldon All Sts 4 137.46x
Newington 4 1.46x
North Bierley 4 10.06x
Shadingfield 4 952.38x
Shoreditch London 4 1.24x
St Giles In Fields London 4 10.97x
Stanford Le Hope 4 190.48x
Stonham Aspall 4 216.22x
Ellesmere Criftins 3 576.92x
Hampstead London 3 2.59x
Limehouse London 3 3.68x
Littleport 3 33.37x
Ruyton Of Eleven Towns 3 105.63x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 46
Elizabeth 28
Eliza 22
Emma 19
Sarah 19
Alice 18
Jane 13
Ellen 11
Emily 10
Ann 9
Charlotte 9
Hannah 9
Lucy 8
Florence 7
Susan 7
Ada 6
Anna 6
Caroline 6
Clara 6
Harriet 6
Louisa 6
Martha 6
Rebecca 6
Edith 5
Maria 5
Sophia 5
Ethel 3
Gertrude 3
Rose 3
Rosetta 3
Anne 2
Annie 2
Beatrice 2
Eleanor 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Hariot 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Lilly 2
Minnie 2
Patience 2
Rosa 2
Thirza 2
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
C.M.A. 1
Infant 1
Ivey 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 58
George 29
John 29
Charles 26
James 23
Henry 19
Robert 17
Frederick 14
Joseph 11
Arthur 10
Thomas 9
Edward 8
Albert 7
Alfred 7
Samuel 7
Walter 7
Harry 6
Richard 6
Benjamin 4
Daniel 4
Frank 4
Mark 4
Herbert 3
Brady 2
Edgar 2
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Josiah 2
Maurice 2
Peter 2
Alexander 1
Archer 1
Branston 1
Burchet 1
Ceipy 1
Denton 1
Ebenezer 1
Elijah 1
Ephraim 1
Fred 1
Hendrick 1
Horace 1
Horatio 1
Jacob 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Blowers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blowers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 762 people were recorded with the Blowers surname. That placed it at #4,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blowers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,281 in 2016. That gives Blowers a modern rank of #4,677.

What does the Blowers surname mean?

One who worked the bellows at a forge or furnace, assisting a smith or ironworker.

What does the Blowers map show?

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