NameCensus.

UK surname

Drever

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "drobhair," meaning "drover" or "cattle drover."

In the 1881 census there were 514 people recorded with the Drever surname, ranking it #6,635 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 660, ranked #8,078, down from #6,635 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkwall and St.Ola, Edinburgh and Shapinsay. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Kirkwall, Isles and East Mainland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Drever is 660 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.4%.

1881 census count

514

Ranked #6,635

Modern count

660

2016, ranked #8,078

Peak year

2016

660 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Drever had 514 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,635 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 660 in 2016, ranked #8,078.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 653 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Drever surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Drever surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Drever 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 512 #4,886
1861 historical 462 #5,621
1881 historical 514 #6,635
1891 historical 653 #5,944
1901 historical 595 #7,117
1911 historical 105 #22,064
1997 modern 577 #8,371
1998 modern 585 #8,533
1999 modern 590 #8,540
2000 modern 619 #8,249
2001 modern 591 #8,377
2002 modern 606 #8,401
2003 modern 587 #8,461
2004 modern 600 #8,346
2005 modern 617 #8,093
2006 modern 616 #8,117
2007 modern 621 #8,140
2008 modern 623 #8,175
2009 modern 642 #8,148
2010 modern 651 #8,233
2011 modern 637 #8,290
2012 modern 621 #8,359
2013 modern 644 #8,275
2014 modern 650 #8,255
2015 modern 653 #8,165
2016 modern 660 #8,078

Geography

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Where Drevers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkwall and St.Ola, Edinburgh, Shapinsay, Westray and Papa Westray and Cross and Burness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Kirkwall, Isles, East Mainland, East Kirkwall and West Mainland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Shapinsay Orkney
4 Westray and Papa Westray Orkney
5 Cross and Burness Orkney

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands
2 Isles Orkney Islands
3 East Mainland Orkney Islands
4 East Kirkwall Orkney Islands
5 West Mainland Orkney Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Drever

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Drever

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Drever surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Drever household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Drever 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

Drever is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Drever

The surname DREVER originated in Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "drabhair," meaning "traveler" or "wanderer." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who frequently traveled or had a nomadic lifestyle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DREVER can be found in the Registry of the Great Seal of Scotland from 1598, where a certain John Drever is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction. The name also appears in various parish records and court documents from the 17th and 18th centuries, primarily in the Scottish Highlands and Islands regions.

In the 17th century, the DREVER surname was particularly prevalent in the Orkney Islands, where it is thought to have originated. The name is closely associated with the island of Westray, and it is believed that many members of the DREVER family were involved in maritime activities, such as fishing and seafaring.

One notable individual bearing the DREVER surname was James Drever (1718-1795), a merchant and landowner from the Orkney Islands. He was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a baillie (a municipal officer) for the town of Kirkwall.

Another historical figure was David Drever (1792-1865), a Scottish minister and poet from the Orkney Islands. He published several collections of poetry, including "Poems and Songs" in 1847, which celebrated the beauty of the Orkney landscape and the lives of its people.

In the 19th century, the DREVER surname began to spread beyond Scotland, with some families emigrating to other parts of the British Empire, including Canada and Australia. One such individual was John Drever (1827-1903), a Scottish-born farmer who settled in Ontario, Canada, and became a prominent member of the local community.

Another notable DREVER was William Drever (1857-1932), a Scottish-born architect who worked in Melbourne, Australia. He designed several notable buildings in the city, including the Melbourne Athenaeum and the Scots' Church.

While the DREVER surname has its roots in Scotland, particularly in the Orkney Islands, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with descendants bearing this name found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Drever families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Drever 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. Orkney leads with 426 Drevers recorded in 1881 and an index of 775.25x.

County Total Index
Orkney 426 775.25x
Midlothian 25 3.74x
Dunbartonshire 15 11.18x
Lanarkshire 15 0.93x
Middlesex 7 0.14x
Fife 4 1.35x
Northumberland 4 0.54x
Renfrewshire 3 0.78x
Yorkshire 3 0.06x
Stirlingshire 2 1.09x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.22x
Berwickshire 1 1.65x
Caithness 1 1.46x
Durham 1 0.07x
Inverness-shire 1 0.67x
Kent 1 0.06x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Roxburghshire 1 1.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westray Papa Westray in Orkney leads with 211 Drevers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4839.45x.

Place Total Index
Westray Papa Westray 211 4839.45x
Lady 50 3067.48x
Kirkwall St Ola 49 595.38x
Stronsay Eday 37 1030.64x
Shapinshay 35 2095.81x
St Andrews Deerness 21 726.64x
Bonhill 15 69.64x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 4.46x
Cross Burness N 11 383.28x
Govan 10 2.50x
North Leith 8 25.84x
Stromness 7 169.90x
Byker 4 10.89x
Dysart 4 20.09x
Limehouse London 4 7.30x
South Leith 4 5.31x
Glasgow 3 1.05x
Kimberworth 3 10.92x
Paisley Middle Church 3 13.32x
Birsay Harray 2 50.13x
Islington London 2 0.41x
Stirling 2 8.61x
Ardersier 1 27.93x
Barony 1 0.24x
Dunse 1 17.42x
Edinburgh Trinity 1 46.51x
Firth Stenness 1 42.37x
Gateshead 1 0.90x
Holm Paplay 1 5000.00x
Kelso 1 11.10x
Latheron 1 8.74x
Logie Buchan 1 75.76x
Rousay Egilshay 1 52.08x
Rutherglen 1 4.22x
Tenterden 1 16.64x
West Derby 1 0.58x
Whitechapel London 1 2.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Isabella 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 2
Tho. 2
Thomas 2
Geo. 1
Harold 1
William 1

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 Drever households.

FAQ

Drever surname: questions and answers

How common was the Drever surname in 1881?

In 1881, 514 people were recorded with the Drever surname. That placed it at #6,635 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Drever surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 660 in 2016. That gives Drever a modern rank of #8,078.

What does the Drever surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "drobhair," meaning "drover" or "cattle drover."

What does the Drever map show?

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