NameCensus.

UK surname

Cavers

A surname derived from Old French, referring to someone who lived in or near a cave.

In the 1881 census there were 144 people recorded with the Cavers surname, ranking it #15,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 177, ranked #21,230, down from #15,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hawick and Wilton, Warkworth and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Berwickshire Central, Langholm and Eskdale and Wealden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cavers is 218 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.9%.

1881 census count

144

Ranked #15,891

Modern count

177

2016, ranked #21,230

Peak year

1901

218 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cavers had 144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016, ranked #21,230.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 218 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Cavers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cavers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cavers 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 133 #14,106
1861 historical 168 #13,895
1881 historical 144 #15,891
1891 historical 192 #15,383
1901 historical 218 #14,332
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 145 #21,571
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 156 #21,290
2000 modern 161 #20,822
2001 modern 162 #20,460
2002 modern 177 #19,759
2003 modern 170 #20,023
2004 modern 157 #21,168
2005 modern 153 #21,490
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 167 #20,719
2008 modern 169 #20,745
2009 modern 161 #21,879
2010 modern 169 #21,652
2011 modern 167 #21,642
2012 modern 165 #21,782
2013 modern 162 #22,433
2014 modern 174 #21,561
2015 modern 175 #21,372
2016 modern 177 #21,230

Geography

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Where Cavers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hawick and Wilton, Warkworth, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Moffat and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Berwickshire Central, Langholm and Eskdale, Wealden, Broxtowe and Denholm and Hermitage. 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 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
2 Warkworth Northumberland
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Moffat Dumfries
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Berwickshire Central Scottish Borders
2 Langholm and Eskdale Dumfries and Galloway
3 Wealden 008 Wealden
4 Broxtowe 012 Broxtowe
5 Denholm and Hermitage Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cavers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cavers

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Cavers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Cavers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cavers 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

Cavers is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cavers

The surname Cavers is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "cafu" meaning prudent or cautious, and "ofer" meaning a bank or ridge. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, in the northern counties of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cavers surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1199, where a certain Richard de Cavers is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in northern England by the late 12th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Cavers surname appears to have been concentrated primarily in the counties of Northumberland and Yorkshire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 include references to individuals with the surname Cavers in both of these counties.

In the 16th century, the Cavers surname can be found in various historical records, such as parish registers and tax rolls. One notable individual from this period was John Cavers, who was born in Yorkshire in 1542 and served as a member of the local militia during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Over the centuries, the spelling of the surname has evolved, with variations such as Caver, Cafer, and Caver being recorded in different regions of England. The predominant spelling of Cavers seems to have become established by the 17th century.

In the 18th century, a family of Cavers owned and operated a successful textile business in the town of Huddersfield, Yorkshire. One member of this family, William Cavers (1718-1794), was a respected merchant and philanthropist who donated funds for the construction of a local schoolhouse.

Another individual of note was Sir Thomas Cavers (1765-1842), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Northumberland and rose to the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy.

In the 19th century, the Cavers surname spread to other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, as individuals emigrated to various parts of the British Empire. One such individual was Robert Cavers (1813-1888), a Scottish-born engineer who worked on several significant railway projects in Australia.

Overall, the Cavers surname has a rich history rooted in the northern counties of England, with variations in spelling and notable individuals emerging over the centuries as the name spread across the British Isles and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cavers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cavers 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. Roxburghshire leads with 45 Cavers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 188.68x.

County Total Index
Roxburghshire 45 188.68x
Middlesex 28 2.13x
Dumfriesshire 13 44.69x
Selkirkshire 10 83.96x
Nottinghamshire 9 5.07x
Peeblesshire 8 129.24x
Berwickshire 6 37.64x
Bedfordshire 4 5.87x
Durham 3 0.77x
Fife 2 2.57x
Northumberland 2 1.02x
Surrey 2 0.31x
East Lothian 1 5.73x
Midlothian 1 0.57x
Morayshire 1 4.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Moffat in Dumfriesshire leads with 13 Cavers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 977.44x.

Place Total Index
Moffat 13 977.44x
Hawick 11 205.99x
Nottingham St Mary 9 19.61x
Castleton 8 784.31x
Ednam 8 2857.14x
Wilton 8 305.34x
Kensington London 7 9.56x
Peebles 7 382.51x
Melrose 6 200.00x
St Marylebone London 6 8.53x
Ashkirk 4 1739.13x
Coldstream 4 347.83x
Islington London 4 3.13x
Luton 4 33.90x
Poplar London 4 16.10x
Selkirk 3 89.29x
St George In East London 3 24.23x
Westoe 3 13.51x
Dysart 2 38.10x
Jedburgh 2 85.47x
Lilliesleaf 2 625.00x
Southwark Christchurch 2 32.41x
Westminster St James 2 14.77x
Berwick North 1 81.97x
Chirton 1 22.57x
Dallas 1 238.10x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.41x
Galashiels 1 22.73x
Hobkirk 1 333.33x
Innerleithen 1 60.98x
Lauder 1 113.64x
Melrose 1 48.54x
Mile End Old Town London 1 3.57x
Rochester 1 666.67x
St Pancras London 1 0.94x
Whitsome 1 400.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Alice 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Rebecca 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
Henry 3
John 3
James 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Augustus 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
George 1
Thomas 1
Willie 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cavers households.

FAQ

Cavers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cavers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 144 people were recorded with the Cavers surname. That placed it at #15,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cavers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016. That gives Cavers a modern rank of #21,230.

What does the Cavers surname mean?

A surname derived from Old French, referring to someone who lived in or near a cave.

What does the Cavers map show?

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