NameCensus.

UK surname

Boxer

An occupational surname derived from the trade of making or selling boxes.

In the 1881 census there were 156 people recorded with the Boxer surname, ranking it #15,114 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 311, ranked #14,376, up from #15,114 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hawkinge, Folkestone and St Matthew Bethnal Green. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tendring, Havering and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boxer is 362 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 99.4%.

1881 census count

156

Ranked #15,114

Modern count

311

2016, ranked #14,376

Peak year

1999

362 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boxer had 156 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,114 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 311 in 2016, ranked #14,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 285 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Boxer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boxer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boxer 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 102 #20,797
1881 historical 156 #15,114
1891 historical 202 #14,808
1901 historical 277 #12,281
1911 historical 285 #11,837
1997 modern 338 #12,489
1998 modern 358 #12,349
1999 modern 362 #12,316
2000 modern 346 #12,670
2001 modern 343 #12,545
2002 modern 348 #12,674
2003 modern 337 #12,759
2004 modern 327 #13,094
2005 modern 311 #13,490
2006 modern 316 #13,402
2007 modern 317 #13,532
2008 modern 312 #13,764
2009 modern 314 #13,985
2010 modern 318 #14,136
2011 modern 318 #14,023
2012 modern 311 #14,173
2013 modern 302 #14,690
2014 modern 303 #14,733
2015 modern 306 #14,536
2016 modern 311 #14,376

Geography

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Where Boxers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hawkinge, Folkestone, St Matthew Bethnal Green and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tendring, Havering, Neath Port Talbot, Bromley and Enfield. 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 Hawkinge, Folkestone Kent
4 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tendring 007 Tendring
2 Havering 002 Havering
3 Neath Port Talbot 016 Neath Port Talbot
4 Bromley 019 Bromley
5 Enfield 019 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boxer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boxer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Boxer, 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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Boxer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Boxer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Boxer is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Boxer is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Boxer falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Boxer

The surname Boxer is of English origin, dating back to the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "box," which referred to a tree or shrub, specifically the boxwood tree. The name likely originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a prominent boxwood tree or grove.

In its earliest recorded forms, the surname appeared as "Boxter" and "Boxere" in medieval records from the 13th and 14th centuries. These early spellings reflect the Old English pronunciation and the influence of Norman French scribes who documented names at the time.

One of the earliest known references to the name Boxer can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which list a William Boxere from Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1334 also mention a John Boxer from Nottinghamshire.

The Boxer surname is closely tied to several place names in England, such as Boxford in Berkshire and Boxley in Kent. These locations likely took their names from the abundance of boxwood trees in the area, and the Boxer surname may have originated from these or similar places.

Notable individuals with the Boxer surname include William Boxer (c. 1500-1570), an English merchant and explorer who made voyages to the West Indies and South America in the mid-16th century. Another notable figure was Edward Boxer (1784-1855), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.

In the literary world, Charles Ralph Boxer (1904-2000) was a renowned historian and author who specialized in the Portuguese Empire and maritime history. His seminal work, "The Portuguese Seaborne Empire," published in 1969, is considered a classic in the field.

Other notable Boxers include Mary Boxer (1935-2022), a British author and journalist, and Sarah Boxer (born 1958), an American journalist and critic who has worked for publications such as The New York Times and The Atlantic.

Throughout its history, the Boxer surname has maintained its connection to its English roots and the symbolic boxwood tree, reflecting the rich tapestry of place names, occupations, and individuals who have carried this name over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boxer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boxer 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 41 Boxers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.69x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 41 2.69x
Kent 37 7.13x
Surrey 28 3.78x
Devon 15 4.74x
Durham 12 2.65x
Hampshire 10 3.21x
Cornwall 8 4.64x
Flintshire 2 4.89x
Hertfordshire 1 0.95x
Suffolk 1 0.54x
Wiltshire 1 0.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Folkestone in Kent leads with 28 Boxers recorded in 1881 and an index of 278.05x.

Place Total Index
Folkestone 28 278.05x
Bethnal Green London 15 22.69x
Bermondsey 10 22.08x
Bishopwearmouth 10 25.73x
Rotherhithe 9 47.87x
Mile End Old Town London 8 24.70x
Ryde 8 119.40x
St Columb Minor 8 551.72x
Hackney London 7 8.20x
Crediton 6 200.00x
Lambeth 4 3.01x
Pilton 4 380.95x
Alkham 3 1000.00x
Camberwell 3 3.09x
Great Torrington 3 166.67x
Lewisham 3 10.83x
St Marylebone London 3 3.69x
Ratcliffe London 2 23.81x
Whitford 2 94.34x
Willesden 2 13.95x
Bovey Tracey 1 90.09x
Brading 1 24.10x
Faversham 1 20.20x
Hammersmith London 1 2.67x
Hetton Le Hole 1 17.42x
Ilfracombe 1 30.67x
Margate St John Baptist 1 10.52x
Penge 1 10.29x
Poplar London 1 3.48x
Salisbury St Edmund 1 46.30x
Southwark St John 1 21.51x
St Albans 1 46.51x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.73x
St Pancras London 1 0.82x
Sunderland 1 12.50x
Sutton At Hone 1 92.59x
Titchfield 1 42.55x
Trimley St Martin 1 312.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 6
Annie 5
Edith 4
Emily 3
Emma 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Anna 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Eliza 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Hasline 2
Matilda 2
Ann 1
Beatrice 1
Clara 1
E. 1
E.H. 1
Ellen 1
Ethel 1
Eveline 1
Evelyn 1
Flora 1
Francis 1
Georgeni 1
Harriet 1
Harriot 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Hypatia 1
Joanna 1
L.A. 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Mildred 1
Priscilla 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 10
Henry 7
William 7
John 5
Thomas 5
Charles 4
Arthur 3
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Frank 2
George 2
Percy 2
W.H. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
C.A. 1
Chas. 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Hugh 1
J.H. 1
J.T.H. 1
Joseph 1
Matilda 1
Michael 1
Willie 1
Willm.James 1

FAQ

Boxer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boxer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 156 people were recorded with the Boxer surname. That placed it at #15,114 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boxer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 311 in 2016. That gives Boxer a modern rank of #14,376.

What does the Boxer surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the trade of making or selling boxes.

What does the Boxer map show?

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