NameCensus.

UK surname

Cheese

An occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold cheese.

In the 1881 census there were 446 people recorded with the Cheese surname, ranking it #7,361 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 399, ranked #11,902, down from #7,361 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Paddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rother, Shropshire and Babergh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cheese is 593 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 10.5%.

1881 census count

446

Ranked #7,361

Modern count

399

2016, ranked #11,902

Peak year

1911

593 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cheese had 446 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,361 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 399 in 2016, ranked #11,902.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 593 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cheese surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cheese surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cheese 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 337 #6,953
1861 historical 323 #7,888
1881 historical 446 #7,361
1891 historical 465 #7,874
1901 historical 542 #7,601
1911 historical 593 #6,904
1997 modern 459 #9,920
1998 modern 453 #10,358
1999 modern 461 #10,272
2000 modern 462 #10,212
2001 modern 442 #10,388
2002 modern 448 #10,477
2003 modern 447 #10,343
2004 modern 426 #10,768
2005 modern 413 #10,918
2006 modern 415 #10,928
2007 modern 404 #11,290
2008 modern 405 #11,351
2009 modern 397 #11,793
2010 modern 408 #11,804
2011 modern 388 #12,121
2012 modern 382 #12,127
2013 modern 393 #12,085
2014 modern 399 #12,030
2015 modern 394 #12,038
2016 modern 399 #11,902

Geography

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Where Cheeses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch, Paddington and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rother, Shropshire, Babergh, Ashford and Blaenau Gwent. 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 London parishes London 1
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Paddington London (West Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rother 007 Rother
2 Shropshire 039 Shropshire
3 Babergh 007 Babergh
4 Ashford 014 Ashford
5 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cheese

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cheese

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cheese is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cheese is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cheese falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cheese

The surname "Cheese" is of English origin, derived from an occupational name for a maker or seller of cheese. It likely emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, when surnames began to be adopted more widely.

The name is believed to have originated in rural areas where cheese-making was a common occupation. It may have been derived from the Old English word "cyse," which referred to the dairy product. Alternatively, it could have been derived from the Middle English word "chese," which was a variant spelling of the modern word "cheese."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Cheese" can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I. The name appears as "Chese" in this document, indicating its early variant spelling.

In the 14th century, a man named John Chese was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, England, in 1348. This record provides evidence of the surname's use and its association with the cheese-making trade during that time.

Another notable bearer of the surname was William Cheese, a prominent English merchant and landholder who lived in the 15th century. He is mentioned in various historical records from the reign of King Henry VI, demonstrating the surname's prevalence among the prosperous classes.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname "Cheese" was John Cheese, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1555 during the reign of Queen Mary I for his religious beliefs. His sacrifice is recorded in John Foxe's famous work, "Acts and Monuments," also known as the "Book of Martyrs."

In the 17th century, the surname "Cheese" was associated with several notable individuals, including Richard Cheese, a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as a Member of Parliament and a Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles I.

As the surname spread across England, it also gave rise to various place names that incorporated the word "Cheese," such as Cheeseburn in Northumberland and Cheesefoot Head in Hampshire, reflecting the close association between the surname and the cheese-making industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cheese families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cheese 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. Surrey leads with 66 Cheeses recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.11x.

County Total Index
Surrey 66 3.11x
Middlesex 64 1.47x
Worcestershire 59 10.38x
Buckinghamshire 49 18.63x
Shropshire 32 8.51x
Staffordshire 30 2.04x
Herefordshire 27 15.14x
Warwickshire 25 2.28x
Devon 19 2.10x
Gloucestershire 15 1.76x
Lancashire 11 0.21x
Kent 9 0.61x
Durham 6 0.46x
Monmouthshire 6 1.91x
Montgomeryshire 4 4.01x
Suffolk 4 0.75x
Brecknockshire 3 3.45x
Sussex 3 0.41x
Yorkshire 3 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.73x
Channel Islands 2 1.55x
Somerset 2 0.29x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.57x
Cornwall 1 0.20x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Oxfordshire 1 0.37x
Wiltshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wycombe in Buckinghamshire leads with 38 Cheeses recorded in 1881 and an index of 193.78x.

Place Total Index
Wycombe 38 193.78x
Lambeth 21 5.54x
Dudley 16 23.16x
Camberwell 13 4.68x
Shoreditch London 13 6.89x
Aston 11 3.64x
Paddington London 11 6.88x
Bermondsey 10 7.72x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 10 12.45x
Penge 10 35.98x
Lye 9 95.24x
Mile End Old Town London 9 9.72x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 12.90x
Beckenham 8 41.24x
Bitterley 8 536.91x
Martley 8 490.80x
Amersham 7 187.67x
Bilton 7 276.68x
Birmingham 7 1.91x
Exeter St Sidwell 7 33.75x
Lyonshall 7 542.64x
West Bromwich 7 8.33x
Wombourn 7 256.41x
Claines 6 38.49x
Haughton Le Skerne 6 560.75x
Mortlake 6 63.49x
Nash 6 689.66x
Tenbury 6 192.93x
Wolverhampton 6 5.31x
Clifford 5 423.73x
Hammersmith London 5 4.67x
Longtown 5 454.55x
Stanton Lacy 5 153.85x
Toxteth Park 5 2.86x
Chelsea London 4 3.05x
Clun 4 149.81x
Hampstead London 4 5.90x
Ipswich St Margaret 4 22.25x
Swinfen Packington 4 666.67x
Upton Cum Chalvey 4 38.17x
Brighton 3 2.03x
Churchstoke 3 159.57x
Clifton Upon Teme 3 447.76x
Great Malvern 3 25.32x
Liverpool 3 0.96x
Newland 3 41.84x
St Pancras London 3 0.86x
Bedminster 2 3.04x
Chirbury 2 90.50x
Hopesay 2 208.33x
Islington London 2 0.47x
Llantillio Pertholey 2 108.70x
Llanvihangel Crucorney 2 303.03x
Mathon 2 119.76x
Middleton On Hill 2 344.83x
Newington 2 1.24x
Papworth Everard 2 1052.63x
Plymouth Charles The 2 5.01x
Spitalfields London 2 6.11x
St Clement 2 102.04x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.61x
Walton On Thames 2 20.56x
West Derby 2 1.32x
Wollaston 2 55.56x
Basingstoke 1 9.75x
Bobbington 1 166.67x
Burton Upon Trent 1 2.91x
Cainham 1 57.47x
Eastham 1 200.00x
Hereford St John 1 49.02x
Kensington London 1 0.41x
Llanbeblig 1 5.60x
Llangattock 1 14.10x
Ludlow St Lawrence 1 13.37x
Old Artillery Ground 1 26.67x
Potter Newton 1 13.14x
Putney 1 5.04x
St Clement Danes London 1 11.11x
Wellington 1 109.89x
West Ayton 1 147.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 15
Sarah 13
Alice 11
Emily 11
Emma 11
Eliza 8
Annie 6
Jane 6
Ann 5
Catherine 5
Charlotte 5
Edith 5
Ellen 5
Hannah 5
Isabella 5
Martha 5
Amy 4
Harriet 4
Helen 4
Lucy 4
Lydia 4
Fanny 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
Minnie 3
Rachel 3
Rose 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Clara 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Henrietta 2
Julia 2
M. 2
Matilda 2
Rhoda 2
Bertha 1
Euinice 1
Harrell 1
Harriett 1
Heath 1
Lois 1
Lottie 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Maud 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 32
William 25
James 23
Charles 15
Thomas 14
Henry 10
Edward 9
Joseph 8
Alfred 7
Arthur 7
Clement 4
George 4
Richard 4
Robert 4
Chas. 3
Frederick 3
Albert 2
David 2
Edwd. 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Lewis 2
Percy 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Edgar 1
Edith 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Frances 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
H. 1
Herbert 1
J.Albert 1
Matthew 1
Nicholas 1
Richd. 1
Thos. 1
Tommy 1
Urban 1
Wm. 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Cheese surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cheese surname in 1881?

In 1881, 446 people were recorded with the Cheese surname. That placed it at #7,361 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cheese surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 399 in 2016. That gives Cheese a modern rank of #11,902.

What does the Cheese surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold cheese.

What does the Cheese map show?

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