NameCensus.

UK surname

Cue

An occupational surname referring to a medieval performer or coach.

In the 1881 census there were 169 people recorded with the Cue surname, ranking it #14,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 148, ranked #23,958, down from #14,324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Bishopston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Greenwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cue is 236 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.4%.

1881 census count

169

Ranked #14,324

Modern count

148

2016, ranked #23,958

Peak year

1901

236 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cue had 169 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016, ranked #23,958.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 236 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Cue surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cue surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cue 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 166 #11,986
1881 historical 169 #14,324
1891 historical 8 #33,550
1901 historical 236 #13,616
1997 modern 159 #20,339
1998 modern 174 #19,729
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 178 #19,570
2001 modern 172 #19,696
2002 modern 180 #19,533
2003 modern 173 #19,834
2004 modern 175 #19,805
2005 modern 171 #19,985
2006 modern 169 #20,294
2007 modern 169 #20,562
2008 modern 166 #20,966
2009 modern 167 #21,383
2010 modern 173 #21,327
2011 modern 163 #21,983
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 152 #23,438
2014 modern 154 #23,439
2015 modern 149 #23,817
2016 modern 148 #23,958

Geography

Back to top

Where Cues are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Bishopston, Calne, Bowood, Blackland, Calstone Withington and Chatham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Greenwich, South Tyneside and Medway. 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 Bishopston Wiltshire
4 Calne, Bowood, Blackland, Calstone Withington Wiltshire
5 Chatham Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Gloucestershire 015 South Gloucestershire
2 Swindon 009 Swindon
3 Greenwich 022 Greenwich
4 South Tyneside 017 South Tyneside
5 Medway 013 Medway

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cue

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cue

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Cue surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Cue household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cue is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cue is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cue

The surname Cue is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have evolved from the Old English word "cu," meaning "cow," suggesting that the name's earliest bearers may have been involved in cattle farming or worked as cowherd.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a certain Richard le Cue is mentioned. This spelling variation, "le Cue," reflects the Norman-French influence on English surnames during the Middle Ages.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records as "Cowe" and "Kowe," further indicating its connection to the word for cattle. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 lists a John Cowe from Oxfordshire, while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 mention a Walter Kowe.

The Cue surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Cowe in Derbyshire and Cowes on the Isle of Wight. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable historical figures with the surname Cue include Sir Walter Cue (c. 1550-1616), an English courtier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was John Cue (1592-1667), an English clergyman and academic who became the President of Magdalen College, Oxford.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various records as "Cue" and "Kew." The Hearth Tax returns of 1665 list a Thomas Cue from Northamptonshire, while the parish records of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, mention a Mary Kew who was baptized in 1689.

During the 18th century, the surname Cue continued to be recorded in various parts of England. One notable bearer of the name was William Cue (1731-1811), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

In the 19th century, the Cue surname gained more prominence with individuals such as Henry Cue (1818-1893), an English architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cue families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cue 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. Middlesex leads with 43 Cues recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.64x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 43 2.64x
Surrey 38 4.79x
Wiltshire 17 11.80x
Berkshire 11 9.00x
Hampshire 10 3.00x
Yorkshire 8 0.50x
Kent 7 1.26x
Gloucestershire 6 1.88x
Essex 5 1.55x
Somerset 5 1.91x
Staffordshire 5 0.91x
Carmarthenshire 4 5.83x
Lancashire 3 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.94x
Cumberland 1 0.71x
Devon 1 0.29x
Northamptonshire 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rotherhithe in Surrey leads with 35 Cues recorded in 1881 and an index of 173.87x.

Place Total Index
Rotherhithe 35 173.87x
Calne 10 336.70x
St Pancras London 10 7.63x
Leeds 8 8.78x
Bishopstone 7 1014.49x
Whitechapel London 7 43.59x
Chatham 6 39.24x
Holy Rood 6 882.35x
Kensington London 5 5.52x
St George Hanover Square 5 17.42x
Bath St Peter St Paul 4 344.83x
Bethnal Green London 4 5.65x
Bowers Gifford 4 3636.36x
East Challow 4 20000.00x
Hackney London 4 4.38x
Llanelly 4 25.87x
Shoreditch London 4 5.66x
Walsall Borough 4 93.68x
Cumnor 3 535.71x
Islington London 3 1.90x
Newent 3 185.19x
Clifton 2 12.38x
Southampton St Mary 2 9.52x
Whittlesey St Mary St 2 55.56x
Bermondsey 1 2.06x
Binsted 1 78.74x
Blackburn 1 1.94x
Bristol St Michael 1 36.50x
Caldewgate 1 13.02x
Dawlish 1 39.53x
East Ham 1 16.75x
East West Hanney 1 208.33x
Lambeth 1 0.70x
Manchester 1 1.15x
Northfleet 1 20.41x
Peterborough 1 9.02x
Poplar London 1 3.25x
Prestwich 1 20.75x
Reading St Mary 1 10.21x
Shrivenham 1 163.93x
Southampton All Sts 1 17.45x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 3.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.72x
West Hendred 1 500.00x
Weston Super Mare 1 15.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 14
Edward 6
George 6
Charles 5
Walter 5
James 4
Percy 3
Ernest 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Patrick 2
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Hiliary 1
Isaac 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Shillham 1
Simion 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Cue surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cue surname in 1881?

In 1881, 169 people were recorded with the Cue surname. That placed it at #14,324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cue surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016. That gives Cue a modern rank of #23,958.

What does the Cue surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a medieval performer or coach.

What does the Cue map show?

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