NameCensus.

UK surname

Calvert

A locational surname referring to someone from a calf enclosure or cold spring.

In the 1881 census there were 6,106 people recorded with the Calvert surname, ranking it #717 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,382, ranked #907, down from #717 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, London parishes and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Richmondshire, Redcar and Cleveland and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Calvert is 7,857 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.9%.

1881 census count

6,106

Ranked #717

Modern count

7,382

2016, ranked #907

Peak year

1911

7,857 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Calvert had 6,106 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #717 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,382 in 2016, ranked #907.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,857 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Calvert surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Calvert surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Calvert 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 4,069 #701
1861 historical 3,962 #705
1881 historical 6,106 #717
1891 historical 6,385 #723
1901 historical 7,390 #727
1911 historical 7,857 #654
1997 modern 7,245 #892
1998 modern 7,544 #891
1999 modern 7,602 #891
2000 modern 7,561 #892
2001 modern 7,415 #887
2002 modern 7,551 #890
2003 modern 7,292 #900
2004 modern 7,289 #899
2005 modern 7,169 #899
2006 modern 7,084 #916
2007 modern 7,209 #907
2008 modern 7,267 #907
2009 modern 7,364 #914
2010 modern 7,528 #913
2011 modern 7,457 #912
2012 modern 7,331 #903
2013 modern 7,463 #904
2014 modern 7,475 #911
2015 modern 7,398 #909
2016 modern 7,382 #907

Geography

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Where Calverts are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Richmondshire, Redcar and Cleveland, Hambleton and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Richmondshire 005 Richmondshire
2 Redcar and Cleveland 018 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
4 Stockton-on-Tees 003 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Redcar and Cleveland 003 Redcar and Cleveland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Calvert

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Calvert

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

Calvert 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

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

Meaning and origin of Calvert

The surname Calvert has its origin in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "calver," which means "bare" or "bald." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone who had little or no hair.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Calvert can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and their holdings across parts of England after the Norman Conquest. This historical record mentions individuals bearing variations of the name, such as "Calverd" and "Calvart."

In the 13th century, the surname Calvert began to appear more frequently in various records, including tax rolls and court documents. One notable example is Walter Calvert, who was listed as a landowner in Staffordshire in the late 1200s.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Calvert family gained prominence in England, with several members holding influential positions. Sir George Calvert (1579-1632) was a prominent statesman and the first Lord Baltimore, who played a significant role in establishing the colony of Maryland in North America.

Another notable figure was Leonard Calvert (1606-1647), the second Lord Baltimore and the first colonial governor of Maryland. He was instrumental in the establishment and early governance of the colony, which became a haven for Catholics and a model of religious tolerance at the time.

In the 18th century, Benedict Calvert (1679-1732), the fourth Lord Baltimore, was known for his involvement in the development of the colony and his efforts to maintain good relations with the Native American tribes in the region.

Over the centuries, the Calvert surname has been associated with various place names, such as Calvert County in Maryland, which was named after the Calvert family, and the towns of Calvert and Calvert City in Texas and Kentucky, respectively.

Other notable individuals bearing the Calvert surname include John Calvert (1785-1877), an English clergyman and author, and Sir Harry Calvert (1763-1826), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became the Governor of Gibraltar.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Calvert families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Calvert 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,836 Calverts recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.80x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,836 4.80x
Lancashire 1,252 1.77x
Durham 548 3.09x
Middlesex 260 0.44x
Cumberland 164 3.20x
Northumberland 117 1.32x
Lincolnshire 105 1.10x
Surrey 83 0.29x
Dumfriesshire 77 5.85x
Cheshire 62 0.47x
Nottinghamshire 62 0.77x
Leicestershire 51 0.77x
Kent 39 0.19x
Derbyshire 36 0.39x
Lanarkshire 33 0.17x
Northamptonshire 32 0.57x
Staffordshire 31 0.15x
Suffolk 26 0.36x
Essex 23 0.20x
Norfolk 18 0.20x
Angus 17 0.31x
Gloucestershire 17 0.15x
Devon 15 0.12x
Roxburghshire 15 1.39x
Sussex 15 0.15x
Westmorland 15 1.15x
Huntingdonshire 14 1.18x
Midlothian 14 0.18x
Berkshire 13 0.29x
Warwickshire 13 0.09x
Hampshire 12 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 11 0.44x
Denbighshire 11 0.49x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.11x
Herefordshire 6 0.25x
Renfrewshire 6 0.13x
Hertfordshire 5 0.12x
Oxfordshire 5 0.14x
Ayrshire 4 0.09x
Brecknockshire 4 0.34x
Glamorgan 4 0.04x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.08x
Channel Islands 3 0.17x
East Lothian 3 0.38x
Peeblesshire 3 1.07x
Royal Navy 3 0.42x
Somerset 3 0.03x
Dorset 2 0.05x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.23x
Worcestershire 2 0.03x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.06x
Fife 1 0.03x
Isle of Man 1 0.09x
Selkirkshire 1 0.19x
Shropshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 145 Calverts recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.35x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 145 4.35x
Preston 121 6.40x
Blackburn 118 6.27x
Great Harwood 88 68.87x
Hunslet 66 7.17x
Keighley 59 9.38x
Oldham 59 2.59x
Horton In Bradford 58 6.29x
Dalton In Huddersfield 55 41.59x
Bradford 51 3.57x
Hinderwell 50 99.23x
Islington London 50 0.87x
Manningham 50 6.88x
Habergham Eaves 49 7.58x
Darlington 48 7.01x
Middlesbrough 48 6.24x
Halifax 45 5.19x
Holy Trinity 45 3.17x
Burnley 44 7.39x
Clayton Le Moors 44 32.08x
Crook Billy Row 44 19.39x
Bishopwearmouth 40 2.63x
Northallerton 40 53.09x
Melbecks 39 164.00x
Wakefield 39 8.61x
Canonbie 38 67.95x
Batley 36 6.42x
Almondbury 35 12.26x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 35 16.33x
Byker 35 7.99x
Stockton On Tees 35 4.10x
West Derby 35 1.69x
Great Bolton 34 3.63x
Guisbrough 34 26.36x
Stockport 34 5.02x
Ovenden 33 12.56x
Accrington 32 4.98x
Stranton 32 5.36x
St Pancras London 31 0.65x
Hackney London 30 0.90x
Warley 30 17.58x
Armley 29 11.14x
Castleton 29 4.11x
Skelton In Guisbrough 29 18.16x
Hawes 28 72.54x
Huddersfield 28 3.26x
Colne 27 12.82x
Holbeck 27 6.90x
Heckmondwike 26 13.69x
Oswaldtwistle 26 10.41x
Broughton In Salford 25 3.87x
Liverpool 25 0.58x
Muker 25 146.46x
Selby 25 20.26x
Skipton 24 12.92x
Dewsbury 23 3.80x
Drighlington 23 26.75x
Ripon 22 16.06x
Tadcaster West 22 47.07x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 21 10.40x
Richmond 21 22.77x
Grinton 20 260.08x
Hulme 20 1.36x
Topcliffe 20 159.74x
Whitby 20 10.05x
Middleham 19 113.77x
Monkwearmouth Shore 19 5.49x
Scarborough 19 3.54x
Spotland 19 2.42x
Elswick 18 2.54x
Nottingham St Mary 18 0.87x
Salford 18 0.87x
Sheffield 18 0.96x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 18 6.56x
Thornthwaite Cum 18 357.14x
Baildon 17 15.29x
Elland Cum Greetland 17 6.39x
Linthorpe 17 4.83x
North Bedburn 17 34.32x
Stoke Newington London 17 3.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 522
Elizabeth 260
Sarah 212
Jane 162
Ann 161
Margaret 110
Hannah 92
Annie 89
Alice 86
Ellen 68
Martha 65
Eliza 58
Emma 55
Emily 52
Isabella 47
Ada 37
Louisa 34
Edith 29
Florence 28
Harriet 27
Susannah 27
Maria 26
Clara 23
Fanny 22
Frances 22
Catherine 20
Anne 19
Eleanor 18
Grace 17
Charlotte 15
Amelia 14
Esther 14
Kate 14
Nancy 14
Minnie 13
Rebecca 13
Susan 13
Agnes 12
Lucy 12
Rose 12
Betty 11
Ethel 11
Dorothy 10
Rachel 10
Ruth 10
Betsy 9
Caroline 9
Gertrude 9
Laura 9
Margt. 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 428
William 347
Thomas 244
George 213
James 190
Robert 112
Joseph 101
Henry 87
Charles 67
Arthur 58
Richard 47
Alfred 42
Edward 37
Samuel 33
David 30
Frederick 29
Herbert 27
Walter 25
Fred 24
Harry 23
Benjamin 21
Ernest 21
Peter 19
Jonathan 18
Christopher 17
Ralph 16
Wm. 16
Albert 15
Edwin 14
Francis 13
Frank 12
Daniel 11
Jno. 11
Alexander 10
Matthew 9
Michael 9
Thos. 9
Anthony 8
Wilfred 8
Willie 8
Adam 7
Ben 7
Fredrick 7
Geo. 7
Joe 7
Tom 7
Isaac 6
Mark 6
Martin 6
Wright 5

FAQ

Calvert surname: questions and answers

How common was the Calvert surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,106 people were recorded with the Calvert surname. That placed it at #717 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Calvert surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,382 in 2016. That gives Calvert a modern rank of #907.

What does the Calvert surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a calf enclosure or cold spring.

What does the Calvert map show?

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