NameCensus.

UK surname

Cavender

An English occupational surname referring to a carpenter or wood carver.

In the 1881 census there were 88 people recorded with the Cavender surname, ranking it #21,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 314, ranked #14,291, up from #21,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, St Bees and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Vale of White Horse and Bexley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cavender is 315 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 256.8%.

1881 census count

88

Ranked #21,211

Modern count

314

2016, ranked #14,291

Peak year

2015

315 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cavender had 88 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 314 in 2016, ranked #14,291.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 189 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cavender surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cavender surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cavender 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 77 #23,975
1881 historical 88 #21,211
1891 historical 121 #21,169
1901 historical 154 #17,775
1911 historical 189 #15,488
1997 modern 267 #14,623
1998 modern 289 #14,208
1999 modern 285 #14,438
2000 modern 284 #14,457
2001 modern 280 #14,364
2002 modern 282 #14,585
2003 modern 284 #14,331
2004 modern 278 #14,609
2005 modern 262 #15,182
2006 modern 274 #14,769
2007 modern 273 #14,959
2008 modern 282 #14,748
2009 modern 304 #14,287
2010 modern 308 #14,452
2011 modern 314 #14,165
2012 modern 299 #14,537
2013 modern 303 #14,651
2014 modern 309 #14,533
2015 modern 315 #14,247
2016 modern 314 #14,291

Geography

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Where Cavenders are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, St Bees, London parishes, St Pancras and Poulton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Vale of White Horse, Bexley and Peterborough. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 St Bees Cumberland
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Poulton Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
2 Vale of White Horse 007 Vale of White Horse
3 Caerphilly 002 Caerphilly
4 Bexley 014 Bexley
5 Peterborough 007 Peterborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cavender

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cavender

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cavender surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cavender household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Cavender is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Cavender is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cavender

The surname Cavender is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "cafer" or "cafre," meaning a small enclosure or pen for keeping livestock, and "hendre," a herdsman or keeper of such an enclosure. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or location associated with livestock management.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with variations in spelling such as Cavender, Cavyndyr, and Cavyndre appearing in historical records. One of the earliest known references is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a John Cavyndyr.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where a Robert Cavendre was documented in 1349. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in the region during that time period.

The Cavender surname has also been linked to various place names across England, such as Cavendish in Suffolk and Cavendish Close in Derbyshire. These locations may have influenced the spelling and distribution of the name over time.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Cavender include:

1. William Cavender (c. 1560 - 1626), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Chippenham during the reign of King James I.

2. John Cavender (1623 - 1692), an early settler in Virginia who established a prominent family in the American colonies.

3. Mary Cavender (1676 - 1748), a Quaker preacher and writer from Pennsylvania known for her religious works and advocacy for women's rights.

4. Thomas Cavender (1795 - 1854), a British artist renowned for his landscape paintings and etchings of rural scenes.

5. Samuel Cavender (1810 - 1891), an American inventor and pioneer in the development of agricultural machinery, including the Cavender Grain Drill.

While the Cavender surname has evolved over centuries and spread across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the occupation and geography of medieval England, reflecting the rich tapestry of language and culture that has shaped many family names.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cavender families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cavender 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. Cheshire leads with 19 Cavenders recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.03x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 19 10.03x
Middlesex 19 2.21x
Northumberland 15 11.75x
Lancashire 13 1.28x
Kent 10 3.41x
Durham 6 2.35x
Warwickshire 2 0.92x
Hampshire 1 0.57x
Monmouthshire 1 1.61x
Northamptonshire 1 1.24x
Surrey 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Butley in Cheshire leads with 11 Cavenders recorded in 1881 and an index of 6875.00x.

Place Total Index
Butley 11 6875.00x
Pegswood 8 2758.62x
Runcorn 8 183.07x
St Pancras London 8 11.58x
Bow London 7 64.04x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 91.74x
Deptford St Paul 6 26.56x
Heaton Norris 6 103.45x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 45.21x
Thornton In Fylde 5 224.22x
Maidstone 4 45.87x
Coventry St Michael 2 28.78x
Acton 1 19.88x
Bromley London 1 5.30x
Crook Billy Row 1 30.58x
Glinton 1 833.33x
Gorton 1 10.45x
Hackney London 1 2.08x
Islington London 1 1.20x
Liverpool 1 1.62x
Portsea 1 2.90x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 5.79x
St Woollos 1 14.45x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cavender surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cavender surname in 1881?

In 1881, 88 people were recorded with the Cavender surname. That placed it at #21,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cavender surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 314 in 2016. That gives Cavender a modern rank of #14,291.

What does the Cavender surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a carpenter or wood carver.

What does the Cavender map show?

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