NameCensus.

UK surname

Commander

A surname derived from a military rank or occupation involving command.

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Commander surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 345, ranked #13,321, up from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stapenhill, Kidderminster and St Anne Limehouse. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nottingham, Sheffield and East Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Commander is 363 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 122.6%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

345

2016, ranked #13,321

Peak year

2014

363 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Commander had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 345 in 2016, ranked #13,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 257 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Commander surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Commander surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Commander 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 73 #20,581
1861 historical 75 #24,238
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 169 #16,885
1901 historical 212 #14,611
1911 historical 257 #12,658
1997 modern 357 #11,998
1998 modern 340 #12,784
1999 modern 342 #12,829
2000 modern 346 #12,670
2001 modern 336 #12,721
2002 modern 334 #13,045
2003 modern 336 #12,786
2004 modern 330 #12,994
2005 modern 326 #13,045
2006 modern 324 #13,183
2007 modern 322 #13,382
2008 modern 332 #13,207
2009 modern 348 #13,020
2010 modern 355 #13,099
2011 modern 358 #12,883
2012 modern 349 #12,993
2013 modern 357 #12,984
2014 modern 363 #12,908
2015 modern 353 #13,086
2016 modern 345 #13,321

Geography

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Where Commanders are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stapenhill, Kidderminster, St Anne Limehouse, Oldswinford and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nottingham, Sheffield, East Devon and Birmingham. 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 Stapenhill Staffordshire
2 Kidderminster Worcestershire
3 St Anne Limehouse London (East Districts)
4 Oldswinford Worcestershire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nottingham 035 Nottingham
2 Sheffield 011 Sheffield
3 East Devon 014 East Devon
4 Sheffield 013 Sheffield
5 Birmingham 125 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Commander

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Commander

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Commander, 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 Commander surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Commander household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Commander 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

Commander is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Commander 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 Commander is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Commander

The surname COMMANDER originated in England during the 12th century. It derives from the Old French word "comander" which means "to command or order". The name was often given to individuals who held positions of authority or leadership, such as military commanders or local officials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname COMMANDER can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from the year 1176, which mentions a certain William le Commander. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, there is a reference to a John le Commander, indicating the spread of the name across different regions of England by the 13th century. The surname was sometimes spelled as "Commaunder" or "Cumander" in these early records.

The COMMANDER surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. Sir Lionel COMMANDER (1515-1585) was an English soldier and naval commander who served under King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Another prominent figure was Sir William COMMANDER (1630-1698), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1677. He was involved in the establishment of the Bank of England and was knighted by King William III.

In the 18th century, Captain John COMMANDER (1718-1795) was a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He was known for his bravery and leadership skills.

The COMMANDER surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Commander's Court in Somerset and Commander's Farm in Oxfordshire, reflecting the historical presence of families bearing this name in those regions.

Throughout its history, the surname COMMANDER has been associated with positions of authority, military leadership, and civic responsibility, reflecting its origins and the roles that many individuals with this name have played in shaping the course of events.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Commander families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Commander 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. Warwickshire leads with 47 Commanders recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.33x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 47 12.33x
Worcestershire 29 14.69x
Middlesex 27 1.79x
Yorkshire 21 1.40x
Cheshire 9 2.70x
Derbyshire 9 3.80x
Staffordshire 7 1.37x
Essex 2 0.67x
Kent 2 0.39x
Lincolnshire 2 0.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 15 Commanders recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.80x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 15 11.80x
Wollaston 15 1200.00x
Kidderminster Borough 11 95.24x
Aston 10 9.53x
Stapenhill 9 255.68x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 8 57.31x
Bishops Tachbrook 7 2258.06x
Colwich 6 495.87x
Hillingdon 6 124.48x
Warwick St Mary 6 181.27x
Mile End New Town London 5 167.22x
Congleton 4 69.32x
Hackney London 4 4.72x
Holy Trinity St Mary 4 175.44x
Limehouse London 4 24.10x
Sutton 4 233.92x
Coventry St Michael 3 24.49x
Edgbaston 3 25.38x
Holy Trinity 3 8.33x
Islington London 3 2.05x
Birkenhead 2 7.52x
Bow London 2 10.39x
Clerkenwell London 2 5.60x
Deptford St Paul 2 5.03x
Leyton 2 38.91x
Southcoates 2 24.04x
Welton Le Wold 2 1176.47x
Yeardsley Cum Whaley 2 303.03x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.52x
Great Malvern 1 24.27x
Kidderminster Foreign 1 35.84x
Leamington Priors 1 10.66x
Marple 1 43.67x
Walsall Foreign 1 3.79x
Warwick St Nicholas 1 35.71x
Whitnash 1 454.55x
Worcester St Peter 1 26.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Sarah 9
Ann 6
Elizabeth 6
Eliza 5
Harriet 3
Jane 3
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Henrietta 2
Lucy 2
Phoebe 2
(Mrs) 1
Ada 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Elvina 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
F.Elizabeth 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Jemima 1
Laura 1
Lizzie 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Rosamund 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Susanna 1
Verona 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 12
William 11
Edward 7
John 7
Alfred 4
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Daniel 2
Frank 2
Henry 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Hy. 1
Jabus 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
S. 1
Tom 1
W.Henry 1
Will 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Commander surname: questions and answers

How common was the Commander surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Commander surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Commander surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 345 in 2016. That gives Commander a modern rank of #13,321.

What does the Commander surname mean?

A surname derived from a military rank or occupation involving command.

What does the Commander map show?

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