NameCensus.

UK surname

Colliver

A surname derived from an old French term for a maker or seller of collars or cloaks.

In the 1881 census there were 130 people recorded with the Colliver surname, ranking it #16,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 224, ranked #18,164, down from #16,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Columb Major, Perran Arworthal and Feock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, Havant and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colliver is 229 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.3%.

1881 census count

130

Ranked #16,911

Modern count

224

2016, ranked #18,164

Peak year

2004

229 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colliver had 130 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 224 in 2016, ranked #18,164.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 197 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Colliver surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colliver surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colliver 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 157 #12,504
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 130 #16,911
1891 historical 158 #17,705
1901 historical 178 #16,284
1911 historical 197 #15,101
1997 modern 212 #16,996
1998 modern 218 #17,159
1999 modern 220 #17,160
2000 modern 222 #17,032
2001 modern 219 #16,967
2002 modern 223 #17,099
2003 modern 214 #17,343
2004 modern 229 #16,684
2005 modern 212 #17,473
2006 modern 210 #17,718
2007 modern 213 #17,744
2008 modern 207 #18,243
2009 modern 217 #18,070
2010 modern 226 #17,942
2011 modern 213 #18,502
2012 modern 203 #19,025
2013 modern 219 #18,385
2014 modern 226 #18,088
2015 modern 222 #18,225
2016 modern 224 #18,164

Geography

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Where Collivers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Columb Major, Perran Arworthal, Feock, London parishes and Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield, Havant, Cornwall, East Lindsey and Wealden. 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 St Columb Major Cornwall
2 Perran Arworthal Cornwall
3 Feock Cornwall
4 London parishes London 3
5 Modbury, Bigbury, Ermington, Kingston Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 052 Sheffield
2 Havant 015 Havant
3 Cornwall 042 Cornwall
4 East Lindsey 010 East Lindsey
5 Wealden 003 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colliver

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colliver

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Colliver surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Colliver household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Colliver is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Colliver is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Colliver falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Colliver

The surname Colliver is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "col" meaning coal and "hyrde" meaning herdsman or keeper, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in coal mining or related occupations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Colliver can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a certain Richard Colliover is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Collyver, Coliver, and Colyver, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common in that era. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a John Coliuere is listed as residing in Oxfordshire.

The Colliver surname is also connected to several place names in England, such as Colliver Bridge in Devon and Colliver's Down in Dorset, further reinforcing its geographical origins.

Among the notable individuals bearing the Colliver surname throughout history are:

1. John Colliver (c. 1485 - 1550), an English landowner and member of Parliament for Bridgwater during the reign of Henry VIII.

2. William Colliver (1590 - 1670), a renowned Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Nailsworth in Gloucestershire.

3. Elizabeth Colliver (1647 - 1718), a wealthy landowner and benefactor who donated funds for the construction of a school and almshouses in the village of Chittlehampton, Devon.

4. Richard Colliver (1745 - 1821), a prominent merchant and shipowner based in Falmouth, Cornwall, who played a significant role in the town's maritime trade.

5. James Colliver (1823 - 1897), a British engineer and inventor who patented several innovative designs for agricultural machinery and steam engines.

While the Colliver surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration, with notable bearers of the name found in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Colliver families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colliver 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. Cornwall leads with 52 Collivers recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.23x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 52 36.23x
Middlesex 34 2.68x
Devon 6 2.27x
Kent 6 1.39x
Norfolk 6 3.08x
Gloucestershire 5 2.01x
Carmarthenshire 4 7.49x
Caernarfonshire 3 5.85x
Staffordshire 3 0.70x
Surrey 3 0.49x
Buckinghamshire 2 2.61x
Lancashire 2 0.13x
Somerset 2 0.98x
Sussex 2 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 14 Collivers recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.39x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 14 11.39x
St Columb Major 7 588.24x
Feock 6 666.67x
Kenwyn 6 160.00x
Sevenoaks 6 170.94x
Terrington St Clement 6 681.82x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 5 109.89x
Lanteglos 5 757.58x
St George Hanover Square 5 22.38x
Westminster St John 5 32.38x
Falmouth 4 78.74x
Fulham London 4 21.75x
Hackney London 4 5.63x
Llanelly 4 33.22x
Liskeard 3 125.00x
Llanberis 3 227.27x
Perranarworthal 3 625.00x
Plymouth Charles The 3 25.80x
St Ewe 3 697.67x
Aylesbury 2 58.82x
Bedminster 2 10.43x
Brighton 2 4.64x
Fowey 2 303.03x
Harborne 2 14.58x
Kea 2 186.92x
Madron Penzance 2 38.31x
Michaelstow 2 2000.00x
North Meols 2 13.58x
St Clement 2 133.33x
Totnes 2 129.87x
West Looe 2 526.32x
Battersea 1 2.14x
Hammersmith London 1 3.20x
Lanlivery 1 166.67x
Limehouse London 1 7.18x
Mortlake 1 36.36x
Newington 1 2.13x
Newton Ferrers 1 322.58x
Poughill 1 588.24x
Probus 1 169.49x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 2.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 11
George 6
Henry 5
Thomas 4
Charles 2
Frederick 2
James 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Barrington 1
Brice 1
Bridger 1
Carus 1
Edward 1
Edwd. 1
Frank 1
G.V. 1
Harrie 1
Harry 1
Howard 1
Jas.Jos. 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robert 1

FAQ

Colliver surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colliver surname in 1881?

In 1881, 130 people were recorded with the Colliver surname. That placed it at #16,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colliver surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 224 in 2016. That gives Colliver a modern rank of #18,164.

What does the Colliver surname mean?

A surname derived from an old French term for a maker or seller of collars or cloaks.

What does the Colliver map show?

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