NameCensus.

UK surname

Chesters

A locational surname derived from someone who lived near a Roman camp or town.

In the 1881 census there were 864 people recorded with the Chesters surname, ranking it #4,378 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,519, ranked #4,073, up from #4,378 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitchurch, Wolstanton and Bidstone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chesters is 1,603 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.8%.

1881 census count

864

Ranked #4,378

Modern count

1,519

2016, ranked #4,073

Peak year

2002

1,603 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chesters had 864 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,378 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,519 in 2016, ranked #4,073.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,321 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Chesters surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chesters surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chesters 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 542 #4,654
1861 historical 496 #5,271
1881 historical 864 #4,378
1891 historical 904 #4,558
1901 historical 1,184 #4,138
1911 historical 1,321 #3,611
1997 modern 1,410 #4,117
1998 modern 1,553 #3,933
1999 modern 1,581 #3,906
2000 modern 1,580 #3,894
2001 modern 1,564 #3,863
2002 modern 1,603 #3,844
2003 modern 1,554 #3,875
2004 modern 1,535 #3,923
2005 modern 1,526 #3,892
2006 modern 1,516 #3,931
2007 modern 1,520 #3,949
2008 modern 1,511 #4,001
2009 modern 1,560 #3,967
2010 modern 1,558 #4,058
2011 modern 1,532 #4,078
2012 modern 1,496 #4,099
2013 modern 1,548 #4,032
2014 modern 1,557 #4,031
2015 modern 1,530 #4,065
2016 modern 1,519 #4,073

Geography

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Where Chesters' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitchurch, Wolstanton, Bidstone, Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca and Coppenhall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East and Shropshire. 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 Whitchurch Shropshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Bidstone Cheshire
4 Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca Cheshire
5 Coppenhall Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 047 Cheshire East
2 Cheshire East 050 Cheshire East
3 Shropshire 001 Shropshire
4 Cheshire East 051 Cheshire East
5 Cheshire East 036 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chesters

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chesters

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Chesters is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Chesters is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chesters falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Chesters

The surname Chesters is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word "ceastre," which means "a Roman town or walled city." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have resided in or near a town with Roman origins.

One possible source of the name Chesters is the village of Chesters in Northumberland, located near the remains of the Romanfort of Cilurnum on Hadrian's Wall. This settlement was mentioned in the Boldon Book, a survey of land ownership in the region, compiled in 1183.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Chesters can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which lists a Richard de Chesters. Another early reference appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, mentioning a William de Chestres.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1342, which includes a John de Chestres, and the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, listing a John Chestres.

Notably, in the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing this surname was Thomas Chesters (c. 1490-1558), an English ecclesiastic who served as the Abbot of Peterborough from 1537 until the monastery's dissolution in 1539.

Another individual of note was John Chesters (1656-1724), a British architect and surveyor who worked on various projects, including the rebuilding of St. Paul's Cathedral in London after the Great Fire of 1666.

In the 18th century, William Chesters (1726-1806) was a prominent English portraitist and landscape painter, known for his works depicting the English countryside and rural life.

Moving into the 19th century, Charles Chesters (1810-1884) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London.

Lastly, in the early 20th century, George Chesters (1882-1942) was a British politician and member of Parliament, representing the Labour Party in the House of Commons from 1923 to 1931.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chesters families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chesters 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 426 Chesters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.82x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 426 22.82x
Staffordshire 148 5.18x
Lancashire 108 1.08x
Shropshire 90 12.32x
Flintshire 44 19.35x
Essex 8 0.48x
Denbighshire 7 2.19x
Middlesex 7 0.08x
Berkshire 5 0.79x
Hampshire 4 0.23x
Lanarkshire 4 0.15x
Northumberland 4 0.32x
Gloucestershire 3 0.18x
Warwickshire 2 0.09x
Yorkshire 2 0.02x
Derbyshire 1 0.08x
Durham 1 0.04x
Hertfordshire 1 0.17x
Isle of Man 1 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 44 Chesters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.53x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 44 14.53x
Nantwich 43 198.25x
Wolstanton 39 44.98x
Wolstanton Chesterton 30 205.62x
Monks Coppenhall 24 34.07x
Church Coppenhall 23 275.45x
Burslem 20 24.46x
West Derby 20 6.81x
Wrenbury Cum Frith 19 1292.52x
Runcorn 18 41.82x
Over 15 79.07x
Prees 14 157.30x
Ardwick 12 13.26x
Audlem 12 272.73x
Beeston 12 1237.11x
Liverpool 12 1.97x
Sound 12 1518.99x
Burland 11 578.95x
Newhall In Nantwich 11 533.98x
Whitchurch 11 77.57x
Bunbury 10 390.63x
Drayton In Hales 10 66.40x
Liscard 10 29.73x
Tilstone Fearnall 10 2325.58x
Birkenhead 9 6.05x
Elton 9 25.96x
Everton 9 2.81x
Manchester 9 1.99x
Wimboldsley 9 3333.33x
Barrow 8 380.95x
Betchton 8 334.73x
Chelmsford 8 27.93x
Handley 8 1012.66x
Hope 8 70.73x
Mold Leeswood 8 155.64x
Baddiley 7 843.37x
Chester St Oswald 7 20.71x
Chetwynd 7 296.61x
Ightfield 7 700.00x
Mold 7 33.95x
Tiverton 7 463.58x
Tranmere 7 10.20x
Whitchurch Hollyhurst 7 5833.33x
Blacon Cum Crabwall 6 869.57x
Brindley 6 1111.11x
Chester St John Baptist 6 17.88x
Congleton 6 18.60x
Hale 6 93.17x
Hanmer Halghton 6 504.20x
Islington London 6 0.73x
Norton In Moors 6 39.71x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 6 27.95x
Wem 6 55.20x
Whitchurch New 6 1200.00x
Wolstanton Thursfield 6 172.91x
Barton Upon Irwell 5 6.62x
Church Hulme 5 261.78x
Great Boughton 5 77.64x
Malpas 5 181.82x
Marburywith Quoisley 5 256.41x
Overton 5 207.47x
Stoke Upon Tern 5 185.19x
Stretford 5 9.06x
Tilehurst 5 39.00x
Abergele 4 43.53x
Bradwall 4 208.33x
Dodcott Cum Wilkesley 4 209.42x
Ellesmere 4 31.90x
Halkin 4 100.50x
Haughton 4 27.32x
Moreton Say 4 212.77x
Norley 4 190.48x
Salford 4 1.36x
Wellhaugh 4 439.56x
Whitchurch Old 4 5000.00x
Willaston In Nantwich 4 69.44x
Darnhall 3 612.24x
Hollingworth 3 38.96x
Little Stanney 3 652.17x
Rutherglen 3 7.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 73
Elizabeth 43
Sarah 35
Martha 26
Ann 25
Margaret 20
Eliza 19
Emma 13
Alice 11
Jane 11
Hannah 10
Ellen 9
Annie 8
Harriet 8
Frances 7
Anne 6
Emily 6
Florence 5
Edith 4
Fanny 4
Louisa 4
Lucy 4
Caroline 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Grace 2
Jessie 2
Lizzie 2
Maggie 2
Minnie 2
Rosa 2
B. 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Catharine 1
Chistina 1
Dorothy 1
Eda 1
Eleanor 1
Elizh. 1
Ganer 1
Helen 1
Henriet 1
Jamima 1
Judith 1
Julia 1
Tilley 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 74
William 58
Thomas 55
George 50
Joseph 29
James 17
Samuel 14
Charles 10
Robert 10
Albert 9
Henry 9
Richard 9
Alfred 7
Arthur 7
Edward 7
Frederick 6
Hugh 5
Enoch 4
Stephen 4
Philip 3
Ralph 3
David 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Jos. 2
Leonard 2
Levi 2
Richd. 2
Tom 2
Utrick 2
Wm. 2
Clarence 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
Jacob 1
Jerry 1
Jesse 1
Josiah 1
Leis 1
Lewis 1
Not 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Sam 1
Sanual 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Chesters surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chesters surname in 1881?

In 1881, 864 people were recorded with the Chesters surname. That placed it at #4,378 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chesters surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,519 in 2016. That gives Chesters a modern rank of #4,073.

What does the Chesters surname mean?

A locational surname derived from someone who lived near a Roman camp or town.

What does the Chesters map show?

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