NameCensus.

UK surname

Chesher

An English habitational surname indicating one's origins from a place named Chesher or Cheshire.

In the 1881 census there were 142 people recorded with the Chesher surname, ranking it #16,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 216, ranked #18,613, down from #16,012 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, London parishes and Houghton Conquest. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntingdonshire, Peterborough and Valleyfield Culross and Torryburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chesher is 260 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.1%.

1881 census count

142

Ranked #16,012

Modern count

216

2016, ranked #18,613

Peak year

1911

260 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chesher had 142 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,012 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 216 in 2016, ranked #18,613.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 260 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Chesher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chesher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chesher 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 146 #13,157
1861 historical 144 #15,817
1881 historical 142 #16,012
1891 historical 214 #14,214
1901 historical 234 #13,705
1911 historical 260 #12,561
1997 modern 197 #17,792
1998 modern 196 #18,342
1999 modern 206 #17,905
2000 modern 207 #17,833
2001 modern 200 #17,948
2002 modern 194 #18,651
2003 modern 205 #17,851
2004 modern 199 #18,260
2005 modern 195 #18,458
2006 modern 200 #18,294
2007 modern 205 #18,194
2008 modern 210 #18,052
2009 modern 213 #18,284
2010 modern 218 #18,375
2011 modern 216 #18,321
2012 modern 212 #18,481
2013 modern 217 #18,493
2014 modern 219 #18,523
2015 modern 216 #18,600
2016 modern 216 #18,613

Geography

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Where Cheshers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, London parishes, Houghton Conquest, Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints and Luton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntingdonshire, Peterborough, Valleyfield Culross and Torryburn, Greenwich and Southend-on-Sea. 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 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Houghton Conquest Bedfordshire
4 Ware (Ware). Hertford St John, Hertford All Saints Hertfordshire
5 Luton Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntingdonshire 001 Huntingdonshire
2 Peterborough 019 Peterborough
3 Valleyfield Culross and Torryburn Fife
4 Greenwich 001 Greenwich
5 Southend-on-Sea 008 Southend-on-Sea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chesher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chesher

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Chesher is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Chesher 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

Chesher falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Chesher

The Chesher surname is of English origin, originating from the county of Cheshire in the northwest of England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cese" meaning cheese and "hyrde" meaning herd, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in cattle or dairy farming.

The earliest recorded instance of the Chesher surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cesehyrde." This comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that era.

Throughout the centuries, various spellings of the surname have been documented, including Cheshire, Chessire, Cheshyre, and Chesshyre. These variations likely emerged due to differences in local dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions before the standardization of English orthography.

One notable historical figure bearing the Chesher surname was William Chesher (c. 1540-1609), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Peterhouse, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.

Another prominent individual was John Chesher (1663-1726), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Southwark in the early 18th century.

The Chesher surname can also be found in the records of the American colonies, with one of the earliest documented instances being that of Richard Chesher, who arrived in Virginia in 1636.

In the realm of literature, the English poet and philosopher Thomas Traherne (1636-1674) was born with the surname Chesher, although he later adopted the name Traherne.

During the 19th century, Henry Chesher (1826-1899) made a name for himself as an English architect and surveyor, contributing to various architectural projects in London and the surrounding areas.

It is worth noting that the Chesher surname has also been associated with various places, such as Chesher's Green in Hertfordshire, England, and Chesher's Hill in the county of Somerset, further underscoring the historical significance and geographical distribution of this surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chesher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chesher 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. Middlesex leads with 43 Cheshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.10x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 43 3.10x
Bedfordshire 23 32.07x
Hertfordshire 21 22.00x
Staffordshire 10 2.14x
Lancashire 7 0.43x
Worcestershire 7 3.87x
Yorkshire 7 0.51x
Devon 5 1.73x
Surrey 5 0.74x
Hampshire 4 1.41x
Huntingdonshire 4 14.55x
Derbyshire 1 0.46x
Durham 1 0.24x
Lincolnshire 1 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.54x
Renfrewshire 1 0.93x
Warwickshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blockley in Worcestershire leads with 7 Cheshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 686.27x.

Place Total Index
Blockley 7 686.27x
Brickendon 7 1590.91x
Burton Extra 6 223.88x
Chadderton 6 74.72x
Cranfield 6 869.57x
Luton 6 48.35x
Bethnal Green London 5 8.31x
Hackney London 5 6.44x
Kensington London 5 6.49x
South Mimms 5 263.16x
Tanshelf 5 454.55x
Totteridge 5 1666.67x
West Teignmouth 5 226.24x
Wilshampstead 5 1282.05x
Burton Upon Trent 4 36.56x
Camberwell 4 4.52x
Conington 4 2857.14x
Enfield 4 44.00x
Tottenham 4 18.13x
Farnborough 3 100.67x
Hertford St Andrew 3 254.24x
Hertford St John 3 211.27x
Houghton Conquest 3 1034.48x
Westminster St John 3 17.78x
Westminster St Margaret 3 44.91x
Hampstead London 2 9.27x
Hornsey 2 11.42x
Islington London 2 1.49x
St Albans St Peter 2 62.11x
St George Hanover Square 2 8.20x
Ampthill 1 93.46x
Aston 1 1.04x
Bingley 1 11.44x
East Greenock 1 9.86x
East Meon 1 135.14x
Framwellgate 1 40.98x
Leeds 1 1.29x
Leighton Buzzard 1 32.47x
Little Munden 1 454.55x
Mansfield 1 15.48x
Matlock 1 34.36x
Newington 1 1.95x
Silsoe 1 312.50x
Somerby In Grantham 1 178.57x
St Luke London 1 4.50x
Toxteth Park 1 1.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 7
Elizabeth 6
Ada 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Henrietta 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Clif.Rose. 1
Edith 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Eva 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Kitty 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Margeret 1
May 1
Ruth 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
George 7
James 6
Charles 5
John 5
Thomas 4
Alfred 3
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Herbert 3
Arthur 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
David 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Elizabeth 1
Frederic 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Reuben 1
Robert 1
W. 1
Wilkinson 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Chesher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chesher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 142 people were recorded with the Chesher surname. That placed it at #16,012 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chesher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 216 in 2016. That gives Chesher a modern rank of #18,613.

What does the Chesher surname mean?

An English habitational surname indicating one's origins from a place named Chesher or Cheshire.

What does the Chesher map show?

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