UK surname
Derived from a place name or a nickname for someone who lived near a drainage ditch or channel.
In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Drown surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 93, ranked #31,945, down from #21,334 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Pillaton and Clawton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Drown is 163 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.9%.
1881 census count
87
Ranked #21,334
Modern count
93
2016, ranked #31,945
Peak year
1891
163 bearers
Map years
4
1861 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Drown surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Drown surname density by area, 1911 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 93 | #17,946 |
| 1861 | historical | 145 | #15,715 |
| 1881 | historical | 87 | #21,334 |
| 1891 | historical | 163 | #17,300 |
| 1901 | historical | 132 | #19,469 |
| 1911 | historical | 112 | #21,274 |
| 1997 | modern | 83 | #29,216 |
| 1998 | modern | 84 | #29,537 |
| 1999 | modern | 80 | #30,152 |
| 2000 | modern | 80 | #30,139 |
| 2001 | modern | 79 | #30,065 |
| 2002 | modern | 83 | #30,070 |
| 2003 | modern | 82 | #30,206 |
| 2004 | modern | 87 | #29,897 |
| 2005 | modern | 88 | #29,831 |
| 2006 | modern | 91 | #29,725 |
| 2007 | modern | 89 | #30,383 |
| 2008 | modern | 86 | #31,114 |
| 2009 | modern | 91 | #30,944 |
| 2010 | modern | 88 | #31,875 |
| 2011 | modern | 86 | #32,006 |
| 2012 | modern | 82 | #32,701 |
| 2013 | modern | 89 | #32,248 |
| 2014 | modern | 92 | #32,132 |
| 2015 | modern | 93 | #31,972 |
| 2016 | modern | 93 | #31,945 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Pillaton, Clawton, Heavitree and Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 2 | Pillaton | Cornwall |
| 3 | Clawton | Devon |
| 4 | Heavitree | Devon |
| 5 | Tavistock. Whitechurch, St Peter Tavy | Devon |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Drown surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Drown, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Drown surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Drown household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Drown is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Drown is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Drown, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Drown is of English origin, emerging in the medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dran," which means "to drain" or "to draw off water." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for those involved in draining marshes, digging ditches, or working with water management systems.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Drown can be found in various tax rolls and parish records from Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex counties in England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Roger Drown, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk in 1332.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Dran," "Drayn," and "Drayne," reflecting the regional pronunciation and spelling variations of the time. The Drown spelling became more standardized in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The Drown surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Drown Barn in Cambridgeshire, Drown Farm in Oxfordshire, and Drownmoor in Somerset. These place names likely originated from the occupation or location of early Drown families.
Notable individuals with the surname Drown throughout history include:
1. John Drown (c. 1590-1668), an early settler in Rhode Island, United States, who arrived from England in the 1630s. 2. William Drown (1635-1686), a Quaker leader and landowner in Rhode Island, son of John Drown. 3. Samuel Drown (1772-1846), an American merchant and philanthropist from Boston, Massachusetts. 4. John Drown (1801-1876), an American architect and builder from Providence, Rhode Island, known for designing several notable buildings in the city. 5. Thomas Messenger Drown (1842-1904), an American painter and sculptor from Vermont, known for his works depicting Native American subjects.
While the Drown surname may not be as widely recognized as some others, it has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in the occupational and geographical landscapes of medieval England.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Drown surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cornwall leads with 37 Drowns recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.37x.
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Antony in Cornwall leads with 12 Drowns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1348.31x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Antony | 12 | 1348.31x |
| Clawton | 12 | 10000.00x |
| Maker | 12 | 1411.76x |
| Tavistock | 7 | 364.58x |
| Clewer | 5 | 200.80x |
| Portsea | 5 | 15.38x |
| Auchtermuchty | 4 | 625.00x |
| Pillaton | 4 | 4444.44x |
| Quethiock | 4 | 3076.92x |
| Exeter Heavitree | 3 | 238.10x |
| Hackney London | 3 | 6.61x |
| Milton Abbott | 3 | 1250.00x |
| Charlton Next Woolwich | 2 | 69.44x |
| St Mary Magdalene | 2 | 298.51x |
| Buckland Monachorum | 1 | 277.78x |
| Ladock | 1 | 384.62x |
| Plympton Maurice | 1 | 312.50x |
| St Erme | 1 | 714.29x |
| St Stephens By Saltash | 1 | 256.41x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Drown surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Drown surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Drown households.
FAQ
In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Drown surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 93 in 2016. That gives Drown a modern rank of #31,945.
Derived from a place name or a nickname for someone who lived near a drainage ditch or channel.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Drown bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.