NameCensus.

UK surname

Capey

In the 1881 census there were 92 people recorded with the Capey surname, ranking it #20,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 91, ranked #32,109, down from #20,709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Burslem and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent, Cheshire East and Harborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Capey is 165 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.1%.

1881 census count

92

Ranked #20,709

Modern count

91

2016, ranked #32,109

Peak year

1911

165 bearers

Map years

4

1891 to 1998

Key insights

  • Capey had 92 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016, ranked #32,109.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 165 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Capey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Capey surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Capey 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 40 #26,118
1861 historical 78 #23,836
1881 historical 92 #20,709
1891 historical 111 #22,421
1901 historical 128 #19,822
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 73 #30,306
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 108 #26,549
2001 modern 100 #27,402
2002 modern 100 #27,944
2003 modern 94 #28,686
2004 modern 90 #29,481
2005 modern 92 #29,271
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 90 #30,567
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 105 #29,287
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 100 #30,773
2014 modern 99 #31,186
2015 modern 95 #31,749
2016 modern 91 #32,109

Geography

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Where Capeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Burslem, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, West Derby and Wirksworth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent, Cheshire East, Harborough, Stockport and Stafford. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Burslem Staffordshire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 Wirksworth Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 020 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Cheshire East 033 Cheshire East
3 Harborough 011 Harborough
4 Stockport 032 Stockport
5 Stafford 002 Stafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Capey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Capey

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

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Capey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Capey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Capey 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

Capey 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

Capey falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Capey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Capey 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. Staffordshire leads with 41 Capeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.53x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 41 13.53x
Lancashire 19 1.78x
Leicestershire 16 16.08x
Cheshire 10 5.05x
Middlesex 5 0.56x
Oxfordshire 1 1.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolstanton in Staffordshire leads with 32 Capeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 347.83x.

Place Total Index
Wolstanton 32 347.83x
Leicester St Margaret 14 57.68x
West Derby 14 44.93x
Lostock Gralam 9 3750.00x
Toxteth Park 5 13.87x
Cheadle 4 275.86x
Hackney London 4 7.95x
Burslem 3 34.56x
Belgrave 2 88.89x
Burford 1 208.33x
Congleton 1 29.24x
Hornsey 1 8.81x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 3.11x
Wolstanton Chesterton 1 64.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Ann 3
Eliz. 3
Elizabeth 3
Annie 2
Bertha 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Lydia 2
Alice 1
Beatrice 1
Charlotte 1
Elizh. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Francis 1
Helena 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Rhoda 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
Joseph 5
Thomas 5
John 4
William 4
Arthur 3
Wm. 3
Ernest 2
Herbert 2
James 2
Alf. 1
Alf.E. 1
Charles 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Henry 1
Joshua 1
Percy 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Capey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Capey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 92 people were recorded with the Capey surname. That placed it at #20,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Capey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016. That gives Capey a modern rank of #32,109.

What does the Capey map show?

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