NameCensus.

UK surname

Draper

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of cloth or clothing.

In the 1881 census there were 7,044 people recorded with the Draper surname, ranking it #606 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,720, ranked #661, down from #606 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and East and West Lavington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lancashire, Amber Valley and Erewash.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Draper is 10,310 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.0%.

1881 census count

7,044

Ranked #606

Modern count

9,720

2016, ranked #661

Peak year

1999

10,310 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Draper had 7,044 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #606 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,720 in 2016, ranked #661.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9,507 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Draper surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Draper surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Draper 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 4,556 #621
1861 historical 4,927 #572
1881 historical 7,044 #606
1891 historical 7,736 #574
1901 historical 8,833 #595
1911 historical 9,507 #517
1997 modern 9,901 #630
1998 modern 10,183 #635
1999 modern 10,310 #631
2000 modern 10,242 #630
2001 modern 10,040 #630
2002 modern 10,291 #627
2003 modern 9,990 #633
2004 modern 10,025 #631
2005 modern 9,833 #634
2006 modern 9,758 #643
2007 modern 9,730 #647
2008 modern 9,783 #651
2009 modern 10,011 #649
2010 modern 10,161 #650
2011 modern 9,998 #653
2012 modern 9,702 #657
2013 modern 9,812 #663
2014 modern 9,898 #661
2015 modern 9,768 #661
2016 modern 9,720 #661

Geography

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Where Drapers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, East and West Lavington and Ormskirk. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lancashire, Amber Valley, Erewash, Blaenau Gwent and North Devon. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 East and West Lavington Wiltshire
5 Ormskirk Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lancashire 004 West Lancashire
2 Amber Valley 012 Amber Valley
3 Erewash 003 Erewash
4 Blaenau Gwent 006 Blaenau Gwent
5 North Devon 001 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Draper

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Draper

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

Draper 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

Draper falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Draper

The surname Draper is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "drapier," which referred to someone who made or sold cloth, particularly wool. The first known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "drapario" in Essex.

In medieval times, the Draper surname was closely associated with the cloth and textile trade, which was a major industry in England. Many Drapers were members of the prestigious Drapers' Company, a livery company in the City of London that controlled the wool and cloth trade. The company can trace its roots back to the 12th century and was officially incorporated in 1364.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Draper was William Draper, who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1560. Another notable figure was Sir Christopher Draper (1579-1646), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. In the 17th century, the Draper family established themselves as landowners in Worcestershire, with Sir Erasmus Draper (1590-1674) being a prominent member of the gentry.

The Draper surname also has connections to various place names in England. For instance, there is a village called Draper's Field in Buckinghamshire, which likely derived its name from a person with the surname Draper. Additionally, there are records of variations in the spelling of the surname, such as Draper, Drapere, and Drapour, reflecting the evolution of the English language over time.

Some other notable individuals with the surname Draper include the following:

1. William Draper (1721-1787), a British military officer who served in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. 2. John William Draper (1811-1882), an American scientist, philosopher, and pioneer in the field of photochemistry. 3. Henry Draper (1837-1882), an American physician and astronomer who made significant contributions to astronomical photography. 4. Ruth Draper (1884-1956), an American actress and monologuist known for her character sketches. 5. Theodore Draper (1912-2006), an American historian and political writer who specialized in the study of the Cold War and American communism.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Draper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Draper 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. Lancashire leads with 1,023 Drapers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.25x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,023 1.25x
Middlesex 930 1.35x
Surrey 457 1.36x
Yorkshire 363 0.53x
Warwickshire 355 2.05x
Hampshire 354 2.51x
Hertfordshire 350 7.38x
Kent 256 1.09x
Derbyshire 238 2.21x
Lincolnshire 232 2.11x
Wiltshire 228 3.75x
Nottinghamshire 207 2.23x
Northamptonshire 199 3.07x
Staffordshire 187 0.81x
Leicestershire 176 2.31x
Norfolk 128 1.21x
Bedfordshire 112 3.14x
Worcestershire 111 1.24x
Oxfordshire 110 2.59x
Essex 99 0.73x
Sussex 96 0.83x
Gloucestershire 92 0.68x
Glamorgan 89 0.74x
Durham 81 0.40x
Cheshire 71 0.47x
Suffolk 62 0.74x
Devon 61 0.43x
Berkshire 50 0.97x
Lanarkshire 47 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 41 0.99x
Somerset 40 0.36x
Shropshire 34 0.57x
Northumberland 30 0.29x
Dorset 29 0.64x
Herefordshire 18 0.64x
Ayrshire 16 0.31x
Stirlingshire 13 0.51x
Cornwall 12 0.15x
Channel Islands 11 0.54x
Huntingdonshire 10 0.73x
Monmouthshire 9 0.18x
Renfrewshire 7 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.09x
Morayshire 4 0.37x
Rutland 4 0.79x
Angus 2 0.03x
Brecknockshire 2 0.15x
Royal Navy 2 0.24x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.06x

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 131 Drapers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.27x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 131 2.27x
Islington London 115 1.72x
Lathom 100 101.42x
Little Bolton 79 7.53x
Newington 75 2.95x
Lambeth 73 1.22x
Aston 70 1.46x
Hackney London 69 1.79x
St Marylebone London 65 1.77x
Windlesham 65 103.08x
St Mary Extra 61 53.74x
Liverpool 59 1.19x
St Pancras London 59 1.07x
Camberwell 58 1.32x
Kensington London 56 1.46x
Mile End Old Town London 51 3.48x
Manchester 49 1.33x
Great Bolton 46 4.25x
Market Lavington 42 127.54x
St Luke London 41 3.71x
Tonbridge 41 4.84x
Nottingham St Mary 40 1.67x
Brightside Bierlow 37 2.77x
Paddington London 37 1.46x
Wigan 37 3.24x
Leicester St Margaret 35 1.88x
East Grinstead 33 20.10x
Burton Upon Trent 32 5.89x
Hampstead London 32 2.99x
Luton 32 5.19x
Northampton St Sepulchre 32 9.72x
Rushden 31 487.42x
Ormskirk 30 19.20x
Greasley 28 13.38x
Sheffield 28 1.29x
St George Hanover Square 28 2.31x
Wolverhampton 28 1.57x
Bermondsey 27 1.32x
Bethnal Green London 27 0.90x
Cubbington 27 116.73x
East Dereham 27 20.20x
Everton 27 1.04x
Southampton St Mary 27 3.04x
Stafford St Mary 27 8.21x
Toxteth Park 27 0.98x
West Derby 27 1.13x
Shoreditch London 26 0.87x
Ecclesall Bierlow 25 1.80x
Edmonton 24 4.33x
Kettering 24 9.17x
Long Whatton 24 145.10x
Codnor Loscoe 23 26.96x
Halstead 23 14.52x
Ince In Makerfield 23 6.05x
Pewsey 23 51.40x
Stevenage 23 31.28x
Watton 23 118.80x
Blackburn 22 1.01x
Chiswick 22 5.85x
Combmartin 22 70.76x
Deptford St Paul 22 1.21x
Kidderminster Borough 22 4.18x
Llandaff 22 5.52x
Rawmarsh 22 9.13x
Redbourn 22 42.45x
Sculcoates 22 2.04x
Skelmersdale 22 16.17x
Govan 21 0.38x
Arreton 20 44.23x
Croydon 20 1.07x
Ealing 20 3.25x
Harborne 20 2.69x
Higham Ferrers 20 56.87x
Portsea 20 0.72x
Swansea Town 20 2.04x
West Ham 20 0.67x
Wilden 20 191.75x
Aughton 19 23.50x
Bromley 19 5.31x
Hammersmith London 19 1.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 448
Elizabeth 294
Sarah 256
Ann 149
Eliza 141
Ellen 130
Alice 118
Jane 118
Emily 101
Emma 101
Annie 98
Hannah 62
Margaret 61
Charlotte 53
Martha 53
Harriet 51
Florence 47
Edith 44
Catherine 42
Louisa 40
Lucy 40
Maria 38
Fanny 36
Anne 35
Agnes 32
Ada 31
Caroline 31
Kate 31
Clara 30
Minnie 22
Susan 22
Frances 21
Amy 20
Elizth. 20
Ethel 19
Lydia 18
Rebecca 18
Rose 18
Susannah 18
Harriett 17
Matilda 17
Betsy 16
Esther 16
Isabella 16
Selina 15
Sophia 15
Amelia 14
Lizzie 14
Julia 12
Rachel 11

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 441
John 392
George 275
Thomas 259
James 216
Henry 190
Charles 128
Joseph 125
Edward 95
Richard 77
Alfred 74
Robert 69
Arthur 64
Frederick 56
Walter 54
Samuel 52
Albert 42
Benjamin 37
Harry 35
Frank 26
Herbert 26
Ernest 24
David 21
Wm. 21
Edwin 20
Daniel 18
Francis 18
Edmund 13
Thos. 12
Fred 11
Tom 10
Frederic 9
Peter 9
Willie 9
Chas. 8
Elijah 8
Abraham 7
Fredk. 7
Isaac 7
Robt. 7
Edwd. 6
Geo. 6
Josiah 6
Matthew 6
Michael 6
Moses 6
Sidney 6
Jesse 5
Mark 5
Philip 5

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Draper households.

FAQ

Draper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Draper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,044 people were recorded with the Draper surname. That placed it at #606 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Draper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,720 in 2016. That gives Draper a modern rank of #661.

What does the Draper surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of cloth or clothing.

What does the Draper map show?

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