NameCensus.

UK surname

Chester

An English placename surname derived from a city in Cheshire, England, or any of several other English towns.

In the 1881 census there were 3,665 people recorded with the Chester surname, ranking it #1,240 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,470, ranked #1,524, down from #1,240 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft) and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harborough, Kettering and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chester is 4,905 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.0%.

1881 census count

3,665

Ranked #1,240

Modern count

4,470

2016, ranked #1,524

Peak year

1911

4,905 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chester had 3,665 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,240 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,470 in 2016, ranked #1,524.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,905 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Chester surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chester surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chester 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 2,415 #1,231
1861 historical 2,629 #1,118
1881 historical 3,665 #1,240
1891 historical 4,147 #1,161
1901 historical 4,445 #1,281
1911 historical 4,905 #1,064
1997 modern 4,603 #1,422
1998 modern 4,800 #1,412
1999 modern 4,787 #1,434
2000 modern 4,718 #1,444
2001 modern 4,612 #1,442
2002 modern 4,699 #1,450
2003 modern 4,559 #1,458
2004 modern 4,555 #1,462
2005 modern 4,468 #1,467
2006 modern 4,451 #1,475
2007 modern 4,468 #1,479
2008 modern 4,476 #1,492
2009 modern 4,579 #1,494
2010 modern 4,621 #1,508
2011 modern 4,584 #1,500
2012 modern 4,501 #1,503
2013 modern 4,543 #1,511
2014 modern 4,557 #1,517
2015 modern 4,524 #1,513
2016 modern 4,470 #1,524

Geography

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Where Chesters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft), Loughborough, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harborough, Kettering, Doncaster and Hyndburn. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft) Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Loughborough Leicestershire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harborough 010 Harborough
2 Kettering 011 Kettering
3 Doncaster 003 Doncaster
4 Kettering 005 Kettering
5 Hyndburn 001 Hyndburn

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chester

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chester

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Chester 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

Chester 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

Chester falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Chester

The surname Chester originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ceastre," which means "Roman camp or town." The name is believed to have first emerged in areas where Roman settlements were established, primarily in the northwestern regions of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Chester can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, several individuals with the surname Chester were listed as landowners in various counties of England.

The surname Chester is also closely associated with the city of Chester, located in the county of Cheshire. The city's name derives from the Latin word "castra," meaning "camp," and it was an important Roman fortress and settlement during the Roman occupation of Britain. It is likely that some individuals who lived in or near the city adopted the surname Chester as a way to identify themselves with their place of origin.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Chester was Ranulph de Blundeville, Earl of Chester, who lived from 1170 to 1232. He was a prominent figure during the reign of King John and played a significant role in the negotiations that led to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

Another notable individual with the surname Chester was Sir John Chester, a 14th-century English knight and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1351 and 1353.

In the 16th century, the Chester family of Chicheley, Buckinghamshire, produced several notable individuals, including Sir John Chester (1485-1556), a Member of Parliament and Lord of the Manor of Chicheley, and his son, Sir Thomas Chester (1520-1594), who also served as a Member of Parliament.

The surname Chester has also been associated with other place names in England, such as Chesterfield in Derbyshire, which derives from the Old English words "ceastre" and "feld," meaning "Roman camp in an open field."

Throughout history, the surname Chester has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, nobles, landowners, and military personnel, reflecting its enduring presence in English society over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chester families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chester 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. Yorkshire leads with 605 Chesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.71x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 605 1.71x
Lancashire 525 1.24x
Middlesex 340 0.95x
Leicestershire 223 5.62x
Lincolnshire 178 3.11x
Surrey 167 0.96x
Warwickshire 158 1.75x
Northamptonshire 156 4.64x
Staffordshire 129 1.07x
Nottinghamshire 114 2.36x
Kent 110 0.90x
Shropshire 108 3.49x
Cheshire 99 1.25x
Sussex 79 1.31x
Northumberland 70 1.31x
Essex 61 0.86x
Derbyshire 58 1.04x
Gloucestershire 46 0.66x
Cumberland 43 1.40x
Buckinghamshire 37 1.71x
Lanarkshire 35 0.30x
Worcestershire 34 0.73x
Hampshire 32 0.44x
Devon 31 0.42x
Durham 31 0.29x
Cornwall 28 0.69x
Norfolk 25 0.45x
Suffolk 25 0.57x
Somerset 19 0.33x
Westmorland 19 2.42x
Oxfordshire 18 0.81x
Hertfordshire 6 0.24x
Wiltshire 6 0.19x
Anglesey 5 0.79x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.33x
Huntingdonshire 5 0.70x
Stirlingshire 5 0.38x
Berkshire 4 0.15x
Denbighshire 4 0.30x
Glamorgan 4 0.06x
Royal Navy 4 0.94x
Herefordshire 3 0.20x
Monmouthshire 3 0.12x
Radnorshire 3 1.04x
Bedfordshire 2 0.11x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.24x
Argyllshire 1 0.10x
Ayrshire 1 0.04x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 57 Chesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.29x.

Place Total Index
Aston 57 2.29x
Loughborough 55 30.55x
Birmingham 52 1.73x
Islington London 41 1.18x
Oldham 39 2.85x
Thorne 37 84.13x
Cheadle 32 21.21x
Nottingham St Mary 31 2.49x
Hornchurch 30 86.63x
Lambeth 30 0.96x
Liverpool 29 1.12x
Warrington 28 5.56x
West Derby 28 2.25x
Haslingden 27 15.36x
Kensington London 27 1.36x
Paddington London 27 2.05x
Hythe St Leonard 26 60.27x
Kingston On Thames 25 5.97x
Middlesbrough 25 5.41x
Preston 25 2.20x
St Marylebone London 25 1.31x
Winwick In Oundle 25 684.93x
Wednesfield 24 13.50x
Ecclesall Bierlow 23 3.19x
Finningley 23 498.92x
Hackney London 23 1.15x
Newington 23 1.74x
Leicester St Margaret 22 2.27x
Skipton 22 19.72x
Bethnal Green London 21 1.35x
Leicester St Mary 20 6.24x
Loddington 20 628.93x
Hook 19 24.36x
Kea 19 62.93x
Toxteth Park 19 1.32x
Boston 18 10.37x
Breedon On The Hill 18 150.63x
Clawson 18 196.72x
Haydon 18 61.83x
Mile End Old Town London 18 2.36x
Newton 18 5.50x
Bootle Cum Linacre 17 5.04x
Croydon 17 1.76x
Deptford St Paul 17 1.81x
Holy Trinity 17 1.99x
Keighley 17 4.50x
West Ham 17 1.09x
Hammersmith London 16 1.82x
Hardington Mandeville 16 206.45x
Sheepshed 16 29.43x
Worsley 16 6.11x
Eastwood 15 34.78x
Swinton In Rotherham 15 16.00x
Acomb 14 108.28x
Gargrave 14 88.61x
Hastings St Mary 14 9.32x
Penrith 14 12.30x
Sale 14 14.45x
Swannington 14 95.56x
Wappenham 14 246.48x
Droylsden 13 9.39x
Glasgow 13 0.63x
Holbeck 13 5.53x
St George Hanover Square 13 2.06x
Acton 12 5.72x
Camberwell 12 0.53x
Doncaster 12 4.63x
Manningham 12 2.75x
Northampton All Sts 12 10.51x
Portsea 12 0.83x
St Pancras London 12 0.42x
St Swithin Lincoln 12 13.34x
Blisworth 11 84.75x
Burnley 11 3.08x
Colne 11 8.70x
Pleasington 11 192.98x
Rushall 11 15.48x
Stokesay 11 120.75x
Waddington 11 200.36x
Wimbledon 11 5.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 271
Sarah 157
Elizabeth 148
Jane 81
Ann 79
Eliza 67
Annie 59
Emma 58
Alice 50
Emily 42
Ellen 41
Hannah 36
Fanny 29
Ada 27
Margaret 27
Martha 27
Maria 25
Clara 24
Louisa 22
Caroline 21
Edith 21
Lucy 21
Charlotte 19
Florence 19
Harriet 19
Kate 18
Frances 16
Catherine 15
Isabella 15
Rose 14
Susan 14
Susannah 12
Anne 11
Amy 10
Harriett 10
Rebecca 10
Agnes 8
Amelia 7
Esther 7
Gertrude 7
Grace 7
Selina 7
Ethel 6
Lizzie 6
Matilda 6
Minnie 6
Sophia 6
Betsy 5
Eleanor 5
Julia 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 227
John 222
Thomas 145
George 131
James 88
Charles 82
Joseph 71
Henry 64
Edward 49
Robert 49
Richard 48
Alfred 38
Arthur 33
Samuel 32
Frederick 30
Walter 24
Herbert 21
Harry 18
Fred 16
Albert 15
Matthew 14
Ernest 12
Frank 12
Daniel 10
Edwin 10
Francis 10
Tom 9
Edmund 7
Hugh 7
Stephen 7
Wm. 7
David 6
Thos. 6
Benjamin 5
Horace 5
Isaac 5
Michael 4
Sidney 4
W. 4
Anthony 3
Christopher 3
Cornelius 3
Earnest 3
Edwd. 3
Felix 3
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Percy 3
Peter 3
Willm. 3

FAQ

Chester surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chester surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,665 people were recorded with the Chester surname. That placed it at #1,240 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chester surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,470 in 2016. That gives Chester a modern rank of #1,524.

What does the Chester surname mean?

An English placename surname derived from a city in Cheshire, England, or any of several other English towns.

What does the Chester map show?

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