NameCensus.

UK surname

Chipps

A variant spelling of the English surname Chipps, originating as a nickname for a cheeky or lively person.

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Chipps surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 113, ranked #28,691, down from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Watford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include York, South Cambridgeshire and Castle Point.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chipps is 148 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.2%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

113

2016, ranked #28,691

Peak year

1891

148 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chipps had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 113 in 2016, ranked #28,691.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 148 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Chipps surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chipps surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chipps 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 94 #17,837
1861 historical 145 #15,715
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 148 #18,506
1901 historical 123 #20,248
1911 historical 138 #18,811
1997 modern 115 #24,834
1998 modern 114 #25,589
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 111 #26,111
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 108 #26,698
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 109 #26,583
2006 modern 106 #27,332
2007 modern 104 #28,020
2008 modern 103 #28,519
2009 modern 104 #28,982
2010 modern 116 #27,704
2011 modern 115 #27,634
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 112 #28,934
2015 modern 112 #28,809
2016 modern 113 #28,691

Geography

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Where Chipps' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Watford and St John Westminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to York, South Cambridgeshire, Castle Point and Basildon. 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 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Watford Hertfordshire
5 St John Westminster London (West Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 York 020 York
2 South Cambridgeshire 016 South Cambridgeshire
3 Castle Point 010 Castle Point
4 Basildon 019 Basildon
5 South Cambridgeshire 015 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chipps

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chipps

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Chipps surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Chipps household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Chipps 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

Chipps is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chipps 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 Chipps is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Chipps, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Chipps

The surname Chipps has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cypp," which means a small chip or piece of wood. This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a woodworker or someone involved in the timber trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a William Chyppe is mentioned. The name also appears in various other historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire (1273) and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield (1348).

In the 14th century, the surname was also found in its variant spellings, such as Chyppe, Chippe, and Chipp. These variations were common during that period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The surname Chipps is closely associated with several place names in England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The village of Chippenham in Wiltshire, for instance, may have contributed to the development of the surname, as it was derived from the Old English words "cyppan" and "ham," meaning "at the market town."

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Chipps throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was Richard Chipps (c. 1290-1347), a landowner and notable figure in the village of Albury, Hertfordshire. Another was John Chipps (c. 1480-1556), a merchant and alderman of the city of London.

In the 17th century, William Chipps (1612-1689) was a prominent clergyman and author, best known for his work "The Lives of the Puritans." Additionally, Edward Chipps (1685-1768) was a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London.

During the 18th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of Thomas Chipps (1720-1795), a successful businessman and landowner in Surrey. His son, also named Thomas Chipps (1752-1828), became a respected member of parliament and played a significant role in the abolition of the slave trade.

These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds associated with the surname Chipps, which has its roots firmly planted in the soil of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chipps families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chipps 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. Buckinghamshire leads with 28 Chipps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.52x.

County Total Index
Buckinghamshire 28 50.52x
Middlesex 23 2.51x
Hertfordshire 11 17.41x
Surrey 6 1.34x
Durham 5 1.83x
Sussex 5 3.24x
Oxfordshire 4 7.07x
Hampshire 3 1.60x
Dorset 2 3.32x
Kent 2 0.64x
Warwickshire 2 0.87x
Essex 1 0.55x
Lancashire 1 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire leads with 13 Chipps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2826.09x.

Place Total Index
Chalfont St Peter 13 2826.09x
Kensington London 6 11.77x
Watford 6 122.45x
Fulmer 5 3846.15x
Horsham 5 166.67x
Monkwearmouth 5 191.57x
St Pancras London 5 6.78x
Camberwell 4 6.83x
Caversham 4 353.98x
Paddington London 4 11.87x
Wycombe 4 96.85x
Chenies 3 2500.00x
Rickmansworth 3 172.41x
St Giles In Fields London 3 66.67x
Aston 2 3.14x
Deptford St Paul 2 8.29x
Ickenham 2 1538.46x
Osmington 2 1666.67x
Portsea 2 5.43x
Alverstoke 1 14.71x
Amersham 1 126.58x
Battersea 1 2.96x
Bingham 1 188.68x
Broxbourne 1 80.00x
Eton 1 79.37x
Hertford St Andrew 1 128.21x
Heston 1 32.89x
Liverpool 1 1.51x
St Marylebone London 1 2.04x
Stoke Poges 1 147.06x
Walthamstow 1 15.36x
Wandsworth 1 11.34x
Westminster St James 1 10.62x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Chipps surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chipps surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Chipps surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chipps surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 113 in 2016. That gives Chipps a modern rank of #28,691.

What does the Chipps surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname Chipps, originating as a nickname for a cheeky or lively person.

What does the Chipps map show?

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