NameCensus.

UK surname

Drew

An English occupational surname referring to a hunter or a maker of nets for hunting.

In the 1881 census there were 7,882 people recorded with the Drew surname, ranking it #530 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,165, ranked #633, down from #530 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Devon, Forest of Dean and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Drew is 10,638 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.0%.

1881 census count

7,882

Ranked #530

Modern count

10,165

2016, ranked #633

Peak year

1998

10,638 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Drew had 7,882 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #530 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,165 in 2016, ranked #633.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9,926 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Drew surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Drew surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Drew 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 5,216 #527
1861 historical 5,158 #543
1881 historical 7,882 #530
1891 historical 8,329 #528
1901 historical 9,343 #559
1911 historical 9,926 #494
1997 modern 10,260 #600
1998 modern 10,638 #602
1999 modern 10,613 #608
2000 modern 10,559 #611
2001 modern 10,324 #607
2002 modern 10,468 #614
2003 modern 10,198 #617
2004 modern 10,135 #620
2005 modern 9,963 #622
2006 modern 9,875 #632
2007 modern 9,936 #631
2008 modern 9,957 #638
2009 modern 10,197 #635
2010 modern 10,374 #639
2011 modern 10,302 #633
2012 modern 10,139 #631
2013 modern 10,309 #631
2014 modern 10,369 #632
2015 modern 10,278 #630
2016 modern 10,165 #633

Geography

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Where Drews are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Devon, Forest of Dean, Cornwall and Fenland. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Devon 002 West Devon
2 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
3 Cornwall 070 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 068 Cornwall
5 Fenland 003 Fenland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Drew

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Drew

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Drew is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Drew 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

Drew falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Drew

The surname Drew has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "drycraeft," which means "magical power" or "sorcery." The name likely referred to someone who was believed to possess mystical abilities or worked as a practitioner of folk magic.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Drew or similar spellings, such as Dryw or Dreu. These entries indicate that the name was present in various counties, including Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Drew was Roger Drew, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195. Another early bearer of the name was Walter Drew, who lived in the village of Broad Windsor in Dorset during the late 13th century.

The surname Drew has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the most famous was Samuel Drew (1765-1833), an English philosopher, metaphysician, and writer who authored works such as "An Essay on the Immateriality and Immortality of the Soul" and "An Essay on the Identity and General Resurrection of the Human Body."

Another prominent individual with the Drew surname was John Drew (1853-1927), an Irish-American actor and theatre manager who co-founded the celebrated Barrymore family of actors. His son, John Drew Jr. (1878-1912), also had a successful career as an actor on the stage and in silent films.

In the world of literature, Benjamin Drew (1812-1903) was an American abolitionist and writer who published "The Refugee: A North-Side View of Life" in 1856, which chronicled the experiences of fugitive slaves in Canada.

The surname Drew has also been associated with places and landmarks. For example, the village of Drewsteignton in Devon, England, derives its name from the Old English words "drycraeft" and "tun," meaning "the settlement of the practitioners of magic."

While the origins of the surname Drew can be traced back to England in the 11th century, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by individuals who emigrated from the British Isles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Drew families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Drew 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 1,073 Drews recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.39x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,073 1.39x
Devon 819 5.10x
Gloucestershire 579 3.83x
Surrey 541 1.44x
Norfolk 472 3.98x
Wiltshire 399 5.85x
Cornwall 366 4.19x
Kent 345 1.31x
Hampshire 255 1.61x
Worcestershire 250 2.48x
Somerset 243 1.96x
Lancashire 234 0.26x
Staffordshire 208 0.80x
Herefordshire 200 6.32x
Warwickshire 199 1.02x
Yorkshire 197 0.26x
Dorset 189 3.73x
Essex 138 0.91x
Glamorgan 125 0.93x
Berkshire 114 1.97x
Monmouthshire 93 1.67x
Durham 75 0.33x
Cambridgeshire 71 1.45x
Lanarkshire 67 0.27x
Suffolk 54 0.57x
Radnorshire 48 7.71x
Cheshire 47 0.28x
Northumberland 44 0.38x
Derbyshire 41 0.34x
Sussex 40 0.31x
Lincolnshire 37 0.30x
Renfrewshire 34 0.57x
Midlothian 31 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 30 0.29x
Brecknockshire 22 1.43x
Hertfordshire 22 0.41x
Bedfordshire 20 0.50x
Buckinghamshire 18 0.39x
Shropshire 18 0.27x
Channel Islands 17 0.74x
Dunbartonshire 17 0.82x
Oxfordshire 15 0.31x
Argyllshire 14 0.65x
Royal Navy 13 1.41x
Perthshire 11 0.32x
Northamptonshire 10 0.14x
Merionethshire 8 0.57x
Stirlingshire 7 0.25x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.08x
Angus 6 0.08x
Banffshire 6 0.37x
Wigtownshire 6 0.59x
West Lothian 4 0.34x
Fife 3 0.07x
Ayrshire 2 0.03x
Isle of Man 2 0.14x
Leicestershire 2 0.02x
Cardiganshire 1 0.05x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.03x
Cumberland 1 0.02x
Rutland 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 185 Drews recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.47x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 185 2.47x
Birmingham 104 1.60x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 99 6.95x
Portsea 99 3.19x
St Pancras London 97 1.56x
Aston 85 1.59x
Hackney London 79 1.83x
Marnhull 77 208.79x
Camberwell 73 1.48x
Newington 68 2.39x
Lambeth 63 0.94x
Tipton 63 7.90x
Kensington London 58 1.35x
Bishops Cannings 54 213.61x
Southwark St George Martyr 54 3.48x
Tiverton 51 18.43x
Okehampton 50 82.55x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 45 12.63x
Madron Penzance 45 14.16x
Paddington London 45 1.59x
Paignton 45 36.82x
Bermondsey 44 1.92x
Westbury On Severn East 42 12.27x
Bethnal Green London 40 1.19x
Elm 39 81.47x
Sandford 39 99.29x
Mile End Old Town London 37 2.25x
Bromley London 35 2.06x
Falmouth 35 11.32x
Ledbury 35 32.20x
Lewisham 34 2.42x
Middleton 34 146.43x
Shoreditch London 34 1.02x
Ross 33 26.22x
West Bromwich 33 2.21x
West Ham 33 0.98x
Crediton 32 21.02x
Calne 31 22.06x
Bedminster 30 2.57x
Govan 30 0.49x
Stoke Damerel 30 2.67x
St Austell 29 9.71x
Swindon 29 5.48x
Abingdon St Helen 28 16.53x
Brixham 28 15.04x
Great Malvern 28 13.32x
Tottenham 28 2.28x
Manchester 27 0.66x
Battersea 26 0.92x
Chatham 26 3.59x
Chelsea London 26 1.12x
St George Hanover Square 26 1.91x
Tormoham 26 3.83x
Bedwellty 25 2.54x
Paul 25 15.75x
Rowde 25 79.39x
St Marylebone London 24 0.58x
Walsall Foreign 24 1.78x
East Rudham 23 109.79x
Exeter St Sidwell 23 6.25x
Liverpool 23 0.41x
Lower Mitton 23 25.90x
Morchard Bishop 23 68.62x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 23 3.35x
Saham Toney 23 71.83x
South Lynn 23 17.18x
St Stephen In Brannel 23 28.86x
Croydon 22 1.05x
Glasgow 22 0.50x
Greenwich 22 1.79x
Merthyr Tydfil 22 1.70x
Plumstead 22 2.51x
Tavistock 22 12.02x
Toxteth Park 22 0.71x
Birkenhead 21 1.55x
Plymouth Charles The 21 2.97x
Clifton 20 2.61x
Grimston 20 66.71x
Kenton 20 39.47x
Worcester St John 20 16.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 523
Elizabeth 311
Sarah 230
Ann 140
Jane 130
Ellen 122
Eliza 116
Emma 116
Emily 111
Alice 103
Annie 96
Martha 72
Charlotte 69
Louisa 68
Susan 67
Florence 62
Caroline 61
Hannah 57
Edith 49
Harriet 45
Fanny 43
Maria 43
Catherine 41
Margaret 41
Clara 38
Kate 38
Ada 36
Anne 32
Agnes 30
Amelia 30
Lucy 28
Matilda 25
Harriett 23
Jessie 23
Laura 23
Helen 22
Bessie 21
Julia 21
Anna 19
Frances 19
Ethel 18
Lydia 17
Gertrude 16
Grace 16
Mabel 16
Rose 16
Elizth. 15
Rosa 15
Eleanor 14
Rebecca 14

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 491
John 351
George 324
James 257
Henry 215
Thomas 203
Charles 142
Edward 127
Robert 98
Frederick 97
Alfred 95
Joseph 89
Richard 79
Arthur 72
Albert 67
Walter 65
Samuel 59
Edwin 40
Frank 36
Ernest 33
Harry 32
Herbert 32
Stephen 30
Francis 26
David 21
Wm. 19
Daniel 17
Mark 14
Fred 13
Fredk. 13
Sidney 13
Tom 13
Benjamin 11
Isaac 10
Edmund 9
Alexander 8
Jonathan 8
Percy 8
Philip 8
Frederic 7
Peter 7
Robt. 7
Allen 6
Cornelius 6
Jacob 6
Nicholas 6
Thos. 6
Christopher 5
Emmanuel 5
Fredrick 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 Drew households.

FAQ

Drew surname: questions and answers

How common was the Drew surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,882 people were recorded with the Drew surname. That placed it at #530 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Drew surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,165 in 2016. That gives Drew a modern rank of #633.

What does the Drew surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a hunter or a maker of nets for hunting.

What does the Drew map show?

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