NameCensus.

UK surname

Collyer

An occupational surname referring to a person who collected taxes or tolls.

In the 1881 census there were 1,852 people recorded with the Collyer surname, ranking it #2,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,130, ranked #3,034, down from #2,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Woking and Battersea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Woking and Rugby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Collyer is 2,474 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.0%.

1881 census count

1,852

Ranked #2,357

Modern count

2,130

2016, ranked #3,034

Peak year

1911

2,474 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Collyer had 1,852 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,130 in 2016, ranked #3,034.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,474 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Collyer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Collyer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Collyer 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 1,260 #2,263
1861 historical 1,224 #2,328
1881 historical 1,852 #2,357
1891 historical 1,970 #2,343
1901 historical 2,355 #2,303
1911 historical 2,474 #2,076
1997 modern 2,288 #2,718
1998 modern 2,358 #2,748
1999 modern 2,340 #2,784
2000 modern 2,300 #2,805
2001 modern 2,239 #2,815
2002 modern 2,315 #2,789
2003 modern 2,221 #2,844
2004 modern 2,216 #2,850
2005 modern 2,172 #2,868
2006 modern 2,149 #2,890
2007 modern 2,149 #2,913
2008 modern 2,146 #2,949
2009 modern 2,174 #2,986
2010 modern 2,179 #3,047
2011 modern 2,136 #3,059
2012 modern 2,089 #3,066
2013 modern 2,156 #3,023
2014 modern 2,166 #3,030
2015 modern 2,127 #3,055
2016 modern 2,130 #3,034

Geography

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Where Collyers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Woking, Battersea and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Woking and Rugby. 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 Woking Surrey
3 London parishes London 3
4 Battersea London (South Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 013 Waveney
2 Woking 005 Woking
3 Woking 011 Woking
4 Rugby 002 Rugby
5 Woking 007 Woking

Forenames

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First names often paired with Collyer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Collyer

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

Collyer is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Collyer

The surname Collyer is believed to have originated in England, possibly in the counties of Kent or Sussex, during the medieval period. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old French word "colier," meaning "neckcloth maker" or "collar maker." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who made or sold collars or neckwear.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1230, where a person named William Coliere is mentioned. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, with the spelling "Colyer." These historical records indicate that the name was present in the southeast of England during the 13th and 14th centuries.

No direct references to the name Collyer have been found in the Domesday Book, a famous 11th-century manuscript that recorded landholdings and populations in England. However, the name's presence in later records suggests that it may have originated from a similar occupational name or place name that existed during the time of the Domesday survey.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Collyer, who was born in Sussex around 1450. Another notable figure was Robert Collyer, a renowned English-born American Unitarian minister and abolitionist, who lived from 1823 to 1912.

Other historical individuals with the surname Collyer include:

1. William Collyer (1675-1732), an English mathematician and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. 2. Mary Collyer (1716-1762), an English writer and compiler of books for children. 3. Joseph Collyer (1743-1827), an English dissenting minister and theological writer. 4. Robert Collyer Jr. (1823-1889), an English-born American lawyer and politician who served as the 29th United States Attorney General. 5. Samuel Collyer (1883-1965), an English professional cricketer who played for Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

While the surname Collyer is not among the most common surnames in English-speaking countries, it has a long history dating back to medieval times, with various individuals bearing the name making notable contributions in fields such as mathematics, literature, religion, law, and sports.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Collyer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Collyer 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. Surrey leads with 604 Collyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.86x.

County Total Index
Surrey 604 6.86x
Middlesex 342 1.89x
Kent 166 2.69x
Buckinghamshire 77 7.05x
Berkshire 59 4.35x
Derbyshire 58 2.05x
Hertfordshire 58 4.66x
Hampshire 55 1.48x
Northamptonshire 49 2.88x
Essex 44 1.23x
Staffordshire 37 0.61x
Sussex 35 1.15x
Warwickshire 34 0.75x
Leicestershire 31 1.55x
Nottinghamshire 31 1.27x
Suffolk 31 1.41x
Somerset 22 0.76x
Durham 21 0.39x
Bedfordshire 18 1.92x
Norfolk 18 0.65x
Yorkshire 13 0.07x
Cheshire 6 0.15x
Glamorgan 6 0.19x
Gloucestershire 6 0.17x
Huntingdonshire 6 1.67x
Lancashire 5 0.02x
Shropshire 5 0.32x
Wiltshire 3 0.19x
Devon 2 0.05x
Monmouthshire 2 0.15x
Oxfordshire 2 0.18x
Worcestershire 2 0.08x
Brecknockshire 1 0.28x
Dorset 1 0.08x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 0.46x
Westmorland 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Woking in Surrey leads with 90 Collyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 169.56x.

Place Total Index
Woking 90 169.56x
Lambeth 51 3.24x
Chobham 45 289.39x
Camberwell 40 3.46x
Battersea 35 5.26x
Melbourne 34 175.80x
Mile End Old Town London 33 8.58x
St Pancras London 29 1.99x
Croydon 27 5.52x
Poplar London 23 6.74x
Chertsey 22 38.66x
Lewisham 20 6.08x
Wokingham 20 64.58x
Great Horwood 19 430.84x
Horsell 19 341.73x
Mursley 19 539.77x
Send Ripley 19 165.51x
Windlesham 19 114.73x
Paddington London 18 2.71x
St Marylebone London 18 1.87x
Aldbury 17 301.42x
Ash Normandy 17 142.02x
Nottingham St Mary 17 2.70x
Abbots Bromley 16 176.80x
St Giles In Fields London 16 18.04x
Wandsworth 16 9.20x
Tring 15 45.10x
Enfield 14 11.80x
St George In East London 14 8.23x
Burnham 13 58.61x
Deal 13 24.71x
Hackney London 13 1.28x
Liss 13 172.64x
Pirbright 13 290.83x
Egham 12 22.19x
Repton 12 112.15x
Southwark St George Martyr 12 3.30x
Brighton 11 1.79x
Farnham 11 16.06x
Guildford Holy Trinity 11 65.52x
Hampstead London 11 3.91x
Ilketshall St Margaret 11 621.47x
Newington 11 1.65x
Shoreditch London 11 1.40x
St George Hanover Square 11 3.45x
Burton Latimer 10 97.37x
Calverton 10 129.70x
Godalming 10 18.03x
Leicester St Margaret 10 2.05x
North Kilworth 10 359.71x
Stoke 10 24.06x
Barkham 9 661.76x
Bromley London 9 2.26x
Hothfield 9 450.00x
Northfleet 9 16.57x
Ramsgate 9 8.94x
Ratcliffe London 9 9.02x
Tonbridge 9 4.05x
Berkhampstead 8 28.56x
Chiswick 8 8.10x
Greenwich 8 2.78x
Handsworth 8 5.32x
Hurst 8 45.05x
Kingston On Thames 8 3.78x
Newchurch 8 398.01x
Paglesham 8 251.57x
Pitstone 8 273.97x
Shipley 8 115.77x
West Horsley 8 215.63x
Aston 7 0.56x
Binfield 7 67.24x
Birmingham 7 0.46x
Brigstock 7 108.53x
Dymchurch 7 204.68x
Epsom 7 16.31x
Frimley 7 27.90x
Isleworth 7 8.71x
Ivinghoe 7 81.97x
Northampton Priory St 7 6.86x
Thatcham 7 33.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 119
George 78
John 77
Charles 59
James 56
Thomas 50
Henry 46
Joseph 28
Edward 25
Alfred 23
Arthur 22
Frederick 22
Walter 17
Herbert 16
Richard 13
Edwin 12
Ernest 11
Frank 11
Samuel 11
Albert 10
Harry 9
Jesse 9
David 8
Stephen 7
Robert 6
Francis 5
Fredk. 5
Jas. 5
Daniel 4
Geo. 4
Michael 4
Nathaniel 4
Percy 4
Wm. 4
Andrew 3
Benjamin 3
Edmund 3
Fred 3
Josiah 3
Chas. 2
Eli 2
Elijah 2
Fredrick 2
Lewis 2
Matthew 2
Roger 2
Thos. 2
Cuthbert 1
Cyril 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Collyer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Collyer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,852 people were recorded with the Collyer surname. That placed it at #2,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Collyer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,130 in 2016. That gives Collyer a modern rank of #3,034.

What does the Collyer surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who collected taxes or tolls.

What does the Collyer map show?

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