NameCensus.

UK surname

Carey

An anglicized form of the Irish surname "Ó Ciardha," meaning "descendant of Ciardha" (from "ciar" meaning "black" or "dark").

In the 1881 census there were 5,521 people recorded with the Carey surname, ranking it #804 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 11,671, ranked #559, up from #804 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rother, Woking and Powys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carey is 11,883 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 111.4%.

1881 census count

5,521

Ranked #804

Modern count

11,671

2016, ranked #559

Peak year

2010

11,883 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carey had 5,521 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #804 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 11,671 in 2016, ranked #559.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,943 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Carey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carey surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carey 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 2,781 #1,051
1861 historical 2,907 #991
1881 historical 5,521 #804
1891 historical 5,681 #829
1901 historical 6,775 #816
1911 historical 6,943 #746
1997 modern 11,192 #547
1998 modern 11,558 #551
1999 modern 11,654 #551
2000 modern 11,644 #547
2001 modern 11,327 #549
2002 modern 11,602 #549
2003 modern 11,319 #549
2004 modern 11,428 #543
2005 modern 11,176 #549
2006 modern 11,146 #552
2007 modern 11,201 #553
2008 modern 11,304 #554
2009 modern 11,634 #556
2010 modern 11,883 #559
2011 modern 11,662 #561
2012 modern 11,451 #558
2013 modern 11,826 #556
2014 modern 11,874 #558
2015 modern 11,743 #558
2016 modern 11,671 #559

Geography

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Where Careys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rother, Woking, Powys and Guildford. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rother 007 Rother
2 Woking 011 Woking
3 Rother 008 Rother
4 Powys 015 Powys
5 Guildford 005 Guildford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carey

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

Challenged Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger 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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Carey 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

Carey 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

Carey falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Carey

The surname Carey is of Irish origin and derives from the Gaelic Ó Ciardha, meaning "descendant of Ciardhach." The name Ciardhach is believed to have been a personal name meaning "black" or "dark-featured." The name was first found in County Kilkenny, where the family was based for many centuries.

The Careys were a prominent Norman family who arrived in Ireland during the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century. They settled in County Kilkenny and became one of the most influential families in the region. The earliest recorded instance of the name Carey appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where it is spelled "Kari."

In the 14th century, the Careys of Croom Castle in County Limerick were notable members of the family. Sir John Carey, born around 1350, was Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1494 to 1495. His son, Sir Robert Carey, born in 1460, was a renowned soldier and served as Governor of Murvagh Castle.

The Domesday Book, a survey of England completed in 1086, does not mention the name Carey, likely because the family had not yet arrived in England from Normandy. However, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a Robert de Kari in Oxfordshire, an early spelling variation of the name.

One of the most famous Careys in history was Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon (1524-1596), who served as Lord Chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth I. He was a member of the Privy Council and a distinguished military leader during the Tudor period.

Another notable Carey was George Savile Carey (1743-1807), a British politician and writer who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies and held various government positions. He was also a prolific author and published works on history, politics, and philosophy.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded Careys was John Carey, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He is considered the progenitor of many prominent Carey families in America, including the Careys of Maryland and Massachusetts.

Overall, the surname Carey has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with branches of the family later spreading to England and beyond, contributing to various fields such as politics, military, and literature over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carey 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. Lancashire leads with 760 Careys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.16x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 760 1.16x
Middlesex 755 1.37x
Surrey 466 1.74x
Somerset 379 4.27x
Kent 360 1.92x
Sussex 312 3.36x
Yorkshire 305 0.56x
Lanarkshire 178 1.00x
Essex 167 1.54x
Gloucestershire 141 1.31x
Devon 135 1.18x
Channel Islands 120 7.35x
Durham 120 0.73x
Wiltshire 109 2.24x
Hampshire 102 0.90x
Oxfordshire 91 2.68x
Lincolnshire 87 0.99x
Angus 84 1.65x
Warwickshire 84 0.60x
Norfolk 82 0.97x
Cheshire 76 0.63x
Glamorgan 70 0.73x
Monmouthshire 70 1.76x
Staffordshire 55 0.30x
Northumberland 53 0.65x
Ayrshire 41 0.99x
Worcestershire 40 0.56x
Nottinghamshire 38 0.51x
Northamptonshire 37 0.71x
Berkshire 35 0.85x
Leicestershire 26 0.43x
Midlothian 26 0.35x
Renfrewshire 25 0.59x
Buckinghamshire 22 0.66x
Suffolk 20 0.30x
Hertfordshire 19 0.50x
Cambridgeshire 17 0.49x
Cumberland 17 0.36x
Derbyshire 16 0.19x
Brecknockshire 13 1.18x
Royal Navy 13 1.98x
Bedfordshire 12 0.42x
Dorset 12 0.33x
Herefordshire 11 0.49x
Cornwall 10 0.16x
Banffshire 5 0.44x
East Lothian 5 0.69x
Anglesey 4 0.41x
Fife 4 0.12x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.06x
Argyllshire 2 0.13x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.09x
Denbighshire 2 0.10x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.16x
Perthshire 2 0.08x
Berwickshire 1 0.15x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.06x
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. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 147 Careys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.70x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 147 3.70x
West Ham 78 3.25x
St Peter Port 77 25.50x
Lambeth 63 1.31x
Manchester 61 2.08x
Camberwell 59 1.68x
Islington London 57 1.07x
Govan 48 1.09x
Barony 47 1.04x
Hackney London 46 1.49x
Kensington London 44 1.44x
St Pancras London 44 0.99x
Glasgow 42 1.33x
Dundee 40 2.10x
Rotherhithe 40 5.88x
Birmingham 37 0.80x
Toxteth Park 36 1.63x
Bermondsey 35 2.13x
Bethnal Green London 35 1.46x
Salford 35 1.82x
Tonbridge 34 5.02x
Stratton Audley 33 484.58x
Clevedon 32 34.70x
Stoke Damerel 32 3.99x
Birkenhead 31 3.20x
Reigate Foreign 31 10.67x
Bedminster 29 3.48x
Walcot 29 6.14x
Warrington 29 3.74x
Westport St Mary 29 82.15x
Chelsea London 28 1.69x
Croydon 28 1.88x
Portsea 28 1.27x
Eastbourne 27 6.32x
Easton In Gordano 27 75.65x
Fulham London 26 3.25x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 26 50.47x
Oldham 25 1.19x
Wolverhampton 25 1.75x
Everton 24 1.15x
Holy Trinity 24 1.83x
Tottenham 24 2.74x
Westminster St John 24 3.58x
Bedwellty 23 3.27x
Deptford St Paul 23 1.59x
Kilmarnock 22 4.48x
St George In East London 22 4.25x
Bexhill 21 45.37x
Brighton 21 1.12x
Elswick 21 3.21x
Faversham 21 11.72x
St Luke London 21 2.38x
Mile End Old Town London 20 1.71x
Norwich St James 20 30.10x
Pendleton In Salford 20 2.57x
Windle 20 5.44x
Bromley London 19 1.57x
St Andrew Holborn London 19 7.97x
St George Hanover Square 19 1.96x
Thundersley 19 193.68x
Widnes 19 4.03x
Battersea 18 0.89x
Bletchingley 18 51.40x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 18 1.77x
Greenwich 18 2.05x
Selling 18 116.73x
Shoreditch London 18 0.75x
Southwark St George Martyr 18 1.62x
St Marylebone London 18 0.61x
Wardleworth 18 4.82x
Westoe 18 1.94x
Liff Benvie 17 2.19x
Nottingham St Mary 17 0.89x
Sculcoates 17 1.96x
St Giles In Fields London 17 6.29x
West Derby 17 0.89x
Poplar London 16 1.54x
Spitalfields London 16 3.86x
Twerton 16 17.50x
Wainfleet All Sts 16 62.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 352
Elizabeth 174
Sarah 142
Ellen 109
Ann 98
Eliza 81
Margaret 73
Alice 72
Annie 70
Catherine 68
Emma 67
Emily 66
Jane 62
Louisa 41
Fanny 37
Kate 37
Hannah 36
Bridget 31
Edith 31
Maria 29
Caroline 28
Harriet 28
Martha 27
Florence 26
Susan 25
Anne 24
Julia 24
Agnes 22
Charlotte 21
Frances 20
Harriett 19
Rose 19
Ada 18
Lucy 16
Amelia 15
Esther 15
Amy 14
Rebecca 12
Grace 11
Jessie 11
Lydia 11
Minnie 11
Sophia 11
Beatrice 10
Elizth. 10
Winifred 10
Clara 9
Eleanor 9
Ethel 9
Rosa 9

Top male names

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

FAQ

Carey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,521 people were recorded with the Carey surname. That placed it at #804 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 11,671 in 2016. That gives Carey a modern rank of #559.

What does the Carey surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Irish surname "Ó Ciardha," meaning "descendant of Ciardha" (from "ciar" meaning "black" or "dark").

What does the Carey map show?

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