NameCensus.

UK surname

Chubb

An English occupational surname referring to a person who sold or made chubbs, a type of river fish.

In the 1881 census there were 1,646 people recorded with the Chubb surname, ranking it #2,606 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,639, ranked #3,799, down from #2,606 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Symondsbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, West Dorset and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chubb is 2,102 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.4%.

1881 census count

1,646

Ranked #2,606

Modern count

1,639

2016, ranked #3,799

Peak year

1911

2,102 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chubb had 1,646 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,606 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,639 in 2016, ranked #3,799.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,102 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Chubb surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chubb surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chubb 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 1,178 #2,404
1861 historical 1,047 #2,680
1881 historical 1,646 #2,606
1891 historical 1,737 #2,619
1901 historical 1,955 #2,707
1911 historical 2,102 #2,384
1997 modern 1,845 #3,261
1998 modern 1,878 #3,339
1999 modern 1,893 #3,332
2000 modern 1,860 #3,360
2001 modern 1,807 #3,383
2002 modern 1,839 #3,396
2003 modern 1,755 #3,475
2004 modern 1,721 #3,539
2005 modern 1,691 #3,555
2006 modern 1,697 #3,550
2007 modern 1,707 #3,561
2008 modern 1,697 #3,606
2009 modern 1,695 #3,682
2010 modern 1,726 #3,697
2011 modern 1,689 #3,727
2012 modern 1,661 #3,722
2013 modern 1,670 #3,762
2014 modern 1,657 #3,816
2015 modern 1,646 #3,791
2016 modern 1,639 #3,799

Geography

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Where Chubbs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Symondsbury, Chardstock, Membury, Yarcombe (Combe St Nicholas, Somerset) and Beaminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset, West Dorset and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Symondsbury Dorset
4 Chardstock, Membury, Yarcombe (Combe St Nicholas, Somerset) Devon
5 Beaminster Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 024 South Somerset
2 West Dorset 007 West Dorset
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 018 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 South Somerset 023 South Somerset
5 West Dorset 009 West Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chubb

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chubb

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Chubb is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Chubb 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

Chubb 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 Chubb 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 Chubb, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Chubb

The surname Chubb is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the late 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cob," which referred to a rounded mass or lump, often used to describe a stout or thick person. It is also possible that the name is related to the Middle English word "chubby," meaning plump or fat.

In the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears as "Richard Chubbe." The surname is also found in various other medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, where it is spelled "Chubby."

The Chubb surname is particularly associated with the county of Somerset in southwest England. The earliest known bearer of the name in this region was John Chubbe, who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327. Over the centuries, the name has been associated with various places in Somerset, including the village of Chubbsleigh and the town of Chubbslea.

One notable early bearer of the Chubb surname was Sir Thomas Chubb, a prominent English judge who lived in the 15th century. He served as a Justice of the Common Pleas from 1454 until his death in 1460. Another early figure was John Chubb, a Puritan clergyman who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and served as the rector of Woodstock, Oxfordshire.

The Chubb surname also has a connection to the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholdings in England shortly after the Norman Conquest. While the name "Chubb" does not appear directly, there are several references to places that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as the village of Cubbel in Staffordshire.

Other notable individuals with the Chubb surname include Thomas Chubb (1679-1747), an English deist and philosophical writer; Percival Chubb (1911-1994), an English lawyer and social reformer; and Sir Ralph Chubb (1892-1960), a British architect and civil engineer who designed several notable structures in London.

Throughout its history, the Chubb surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, including farming, trade, and craftsmanship. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by immigration and the movement of people over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chubb families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chubb 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. Devon leads with 317 Chubbs recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.39x.

County Total Index
Devon 317 9.39x
Dorset 221 20.76x
Middlesex 183 1.13x
Cornwall 134 7.30x
Somerset 125 4.79x
Surrey 121 1.53x
Hampshire 112 3.37x
Kent 72 1.30x
Wiltshire 54 3.76x
Gloucestershire 45 1.41x
Glamorgan 43 1.52x
Lancashire 34 0.18x
Shropshire 22 1.57x
Northumberland 16 0.66x
Durham 14 0.29x
Monmouthshire 14 1.19x
Essex 12 0.37x
Northamptonshire 12 0.79x
Sussex 12 0.44x
Warwickshire 12 0.29x
Radnorshire 9 6.88x
Royal Navy 9 4.66x
Staffordshire 9 0.16x
Yorkshire 9 0.06x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.37x
Bedfordshire 7 0.83x
Berkshire 6 0.49x
Channel Islands 6 1.25x
Derbyshire 4 0.16x
Oxfordshire 4 0.40x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.46x
Hertfordshire 3 0.27x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.19x
Midlothian 2 0.09x
Suffolk 2 0.10x
Isle of Man 1 0.33x
Leicestershire 1 0.06x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Renfrewshire 1 0.08x
Worcestershire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 50 Chubbs recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.22x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 50 19.22x
Plymouth Charles The 46 30.92x
Stoke Damerel 37 15.66x
Lambeth 36 2.55x
Chardstock 35 474.90x
Beaminster 33 278.95x
Battersea 32 5.36x
Symondsbury 29 427.73x
Portsea 27 4.14x
Camberwell 26 2.51x
Chard 21 66.39x
Saltash 20 140.45x
Liskeard 19 61.83x
Fordingbridge 18 99.56x
Llantrisant 18 25.28x
Plympton St Mary 18 92.21x
Evershot 17 611.51x
North Hill 17 288.62x
Chislehurst 16 53.91x
St Pancras London 16 1.23x
Greenwich 15 5.81x
Hackney London 15 1.65x
Allington 14 147.37x
Bridport 14 63.87x
Islington London 14 0.89x
St Stephens By Saltash 14 176.99x
Broadwinsor 13 186.51x
Shrewton 13 345.74x
Paddington London 12 2.01x
Tormoham 12 8.40x
Calstock 11 30.54x
Kensington London 11 1.22x
Madeley 11 21.40x
Shoreditch London 11 1.56x
West Ham 11 1.56x
West Monkton 11 191.30x
Antony 10 56.37x
Bristol St James St Paul 10 9.43x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 10 3.34x
Charlton Next Woolwich 10 17.33x
Linkinhorne 10 78.19x
Liverpool 10 0.86x
Sherborne 10 31.89x
Skilgate 10 819.67x
Southampton St Mary 10 4.78x
Tavistock 10 25.99x
Walcot 10 7.19x
Wellingborough 10 13.03x
Werrington 10 273.97x
Westbury On Trym 10 9.28x
Clerkenwell London 9 2.35x
Horton In Bradford 9 3.59x
Jesmond 9 26.50x
Melcombe Regis 9 20.40x
Minster 9 360.00x
New Radnor 9 342.21x
Royal Navy 9 5.45x
St Marylebone London 9 1.04x
Bourton 8 171.67x
Grately 8 563.38x
Mile End Old Town London 8 2.32x
Nottingham St Mary 8 1.41x
Penton Grafton 8 311.28x
Solihull 8 27.20x
St George Hanover Square 8 2.80x
Stoke Under Hambdon 8 93.35x
Street 8 56.62x
Teffont Magna 8 496.89x
Whitchurch 8 29.41x
Whitchurch 8 134.68x
Bishopsteignton 7 109.55x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 4.58x
Brighton 7 1.27x
Cardiff St Mary 7 4.50x
Lamerton 7 109.03x
Lewisham 7 2.37x
Milford 7 91.03x
Stoke Newington London 7 5.54x
Taunton St James 7 18.38x
Ugborough 7 85.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 112
Elizabeth 72
Sarah 47
Jane 38
Ellen 29
Emily 27
Ann 26
Emma 26
Eliza 20
Alice 18
Annie 16
Susan 15
Bessie 14
Florence 14
Kate 14
Fanny 12
Edith 11
Maria 11
Caroline 10
Clara 10
Jessie 10
Louisa 10
Hannah 9
Harriet 9
Martha 9
Catherine 8
Lucy 8
Harriett 7
Agnes 6
Anna 6
Rebecca 6
Amelia 5
Anne 5
Charlotte 5
Frances 5
Gertrude 5
Mabel 5
Matilda 5
Ada 4
Agness 4
Julia 4
Letitia 4
Margaret 4
Maud 4
Minnie 4
Rose 4
Selina 4
Bertha 3
Isabella 3
Lavinia 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 118
John 90
George 62
Thomas 52
Henry 38
Charles 37
James 28
Alfred 25
Frederick 17
Richard 17
Joseph 15
Ernest 14
Harry 14
Robert 14
Samuel 13
Arthur 12
Edward 11
Francis 11
Frank 11
Walter 11
Albert 9
Tom 7
Fred 6
Edwin 5
Isaac 5
Joshua 5
Josiah 4
Philip 4
Sidney 4
David 3
Herbert 3
Luke 3
Mathew 3
Maurice 3
Nicholas 3
Stephen 3
Sydney 3
Thos. 3
Bertram 2
Edgar 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Gilbert 2
Jacob 2
Jethro 2
Martin 2
Montague 2
Noah 2
Saml. 2

FAQ

Chubb surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chubb surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,646 people were recorded with the Chubb surname. That placed it at #2,606 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chubb surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,639 in 2016. That gives Chubb a modern rank of #3,799.

What does the Chubb surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who sold or made chubbs, a type of river fish.

What does the Chubb map show?

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