NameCensus.

UK surname

Drury

An English occupational surname referring to a servant or a drury, an officer of the king's household.

In the 1881 census there were 4,744 people recorded with the Drury surname, ranking it #935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,129, ranked #937, down from #935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lincoln St Botolph, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and Flintshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Drury is 7,522 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.3%.

1881 census count

4,744

Ranked #935

Modern count

7,129

2016, ranked #937

Peak year

1999

7,522 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Drury had 4,744 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,129 in 2016, ranked #937.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,618 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Drury surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Drury surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Drury 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 2,498 #1,189
1861 historical 2,153 #1,356
1881 historical 4,744 #935
1891 historical 4,581 #1,022
1901 historical 6,074 #917
1911 historical 6,618 #780
1997 modern 7,228 #894
1998 modern 7,432 #908
1999 modern 7,522 #903
2000 modern 7,447 #907
2001 modern 7,306 #902
2002 modern 7,448 #902
2003 modern 7,270 #906
2004 modern 7,255 #907
2005 modern 7,044 #921
2006 modern 7,024 #926
2007 modern 7,058 #926
2008 modern 7,082 #931
2009 modern 7,248 #930
2010 modern 7,425 #927
2011 modern 7,321 #925
2012 modern 7,122 #927
2013 modern 7,193 #937
2014 modern 7,219 #939
2015 modern 7,134 #941
2016 modern 7,129 #937

Geography

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Where Drurys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lincoln St Botolph, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, Flintshire and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 038 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 North Lincolnshire 005 North Lincolnshire
3 Flintshire 019 Flintshire
4 North East Lincolnshire 005 North East Lincolnshire
5 North Lincolnshire 008 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Drury

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Drury

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Drury 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

Drury is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Drury falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Drury

The surname Drury originates from Normandy in France. It is derived from the Old French word 'druerie', meaning a favor or love token. The name came to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Some of the earliest recorded references to the name are in the Domesday Book, which lists various landholders with the surname Drury in counties such as Suffolk and Norfolk.

The Drury family established themselves as prominent landowners and members of the gentry class in England during the medieval period. One of the earliest notable individuals with this surname was Sir Roger Drury (c.1455-1495), who served as Lord Justice of Ireland in the late 15th century. Another prominent figure was Sir William Drury (c.1500-1558), who was a courtier and soldier during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI.

In the 16th century, the Drury family gained further prominence through Sir William Drury (1527-1579), who was a distinguished military commander and served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1576 to 1578. His nephew, Sir Robert Drury (1567-1615), was also a notable soldier and served as a Member of Parliament.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, the Drury family supported the Royalist cause. Sir William Drury (1617-1689) was a prominent Royalist commander and was knighted for his service to King Charles I. Another notable figure from this period was Sir Roger Drury (1609-1679), who was a Member of Parliament and served as Lord Mayor of London in 1670.

In the 18th century, the Drury family continued to play a role in British society. Rev. Thomas Drury (1701-1767) was an Anglican clergyman and headmaster of Harrow School, while his son, Rev. Henry Drury (1737-1812), was also a clergyman and served as the master of Harrow School.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Drury was the 18th-century actor and theatre manager, David Garrick (1717-1779), whose real name was David Garrick Drury. He is considered one of the greatest actors of the English stage and helped establish the reputation of the Drury Lane Theatre in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Drury families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Drury 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. Yorkshire leads with 910 Drurys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.98x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 910 1.98x
Lincolnshire 623 8.40x
Kent 485 3.06x
Middlesex 412 0.89x
Lancashire 307 0.56x
Essex 263 2.87x
Nottinghamshire 172 2.75x
Surrey 164 0.73x
Sussex 143 1.83x
Derbyshire 120 1.65x
Norfolk 119 1.67x
Shropshire 108 2.69x
Staffordshire 90 0.57x
Suffolk 81 1.43x
Cheshire 74 0.72x
Warwickshire 64 0.55x
Worcestershire 59 0.97x
Cambridgeshire 56 1.91x
Durham 53 0.38x
Somerset 48 0.64x
Gloucestershire 41 0.45x
Hertfordshire 36 1.13x
Devon 34 0.35x
Wiltshire 32 0.78x
Oxfordshire 31 1.08x
Lanarkshire 27 0.18x
Hampshire 23 0.24x
Leicestershire 21 0.41x
Flintshire 19 1.52x
Angus 17 0.40x
Huntingdonshire 17 1.85x
Northamptonshire 15 0.34x
Midlothian 12 0.19x
Ayrshire 10 0.29x
Isle of Man 10 1.16x
Bedfordshire 6 0.25x
Berkshire 5 0.14x
Monmouthshire 5 0.15x
Cornwall 4 0.08x
Cumberland 4 0.10x
Denbighshire 4 0.23x
Glamorgan 4 0.05x
Renfrewshire 4 0.11x
Royal Navy 4 0.72x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.11x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.28x
Northumberland 3 0.04x
Rutland 3 0.88x
Dorset 2 0.07x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.16x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.14x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.05x
Fife 1 0.04x
Herefordshire 1 0.05x

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 72 Drurys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.60x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 72 1.60x
Halstead 58 54.28x
Leeds 52 2.00x
St Pancras London 52 1.39x
Sible Hedingham 49 160.08x
Biddenden 47 216.89x
Holy Trinity 44 3.98x
Nottingham St Mary 44 2.72x
West Derby 40 2.48x
Barnsley 39 8.22x
Long Melford 39 74.24x
Lambeth 37 0.91x
Sculcoates 36 4.94x
Eckington 33 18.70x
Rotherham 33 12.73x
Ashby 30 129.09x
Hackney London 28 1.08x
Laceby 28 173.37x
Chatham 27 6.20x
Ellesmere 27 39.23x
Hook 27 26.69x
Huddersfield 27 4.03x
Brightside Bierlow 26 2.88x
Deptford St Paul 26 2.13x
Duxford 26 211.55x
Aston 25 0.78x
Paddington London 25 1.47x
St Marylebone London 24 0.97x
Camberwell 23 0.78x
Ecclesall Bierlow 23 2.46x
Folkestone 23 7.49x
Ospringe 22 112.88x
Great Grimsby 21 4.46x
Mile End Old Town London 21 2.13x
St Martin 21 46.84x
West Ham 21 1.04x
Chew Magna 20 76.39x
Everton 20 1.14x
Kirton In Lindsey 20 68.03x
Sheffield 20 1.37x
St Maryle Wigford 20 34.70x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 20 19.16x
Fulham London 19 2.82x
Tonbridge 19 3.33x
Dukinfield 18 3.80x
Handsworth 18 14.81x
Leake 18 52.96x
Liverpool 18 0.54x
Pembury 18 80.21x
Runcorn 18 7.62x
Sheldwich 18 177.69x
Bury 17 2.70x
Charlton Next Woolwich 17 10.30x
Newington 17 0.99x
Staveley 17 13.18x
Westwick 17 584.19x
Worksop 17 9.16x
Canterbury St Dunstan 16 58.57x
Walsall Foreign 16 1.98x
Whixley 16 192.54x
Bethnal Green London 15 0.74x
Boston 15 6.66x
Brighton 15 0.95x
Kensington London 15 0.58x
Liddiard Millicent 15 106.46x
Nether Hallam 15 2.41x
Normanby In 15 12.20x
Prees 15 30.72x
Reedness 15 190.84x
Shoreditch London 15 0.75x
Skelton In Guisbrough 15 12.06x
Southwark St George Martyr 15 1.61x
Toxteth Park 15 0.80x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 14 3.27x
Birmingham 14 0.36x
Chelsea London 14 1.00x
Deal 14 10.37x
Moss Side 14 4.83x
North Meols 14 2.60x
Wombwell 13 9.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 296
Elizabeth 193
Sarah 187
Ann 101
Annie 81
Eliza 81
Jane 76
Ellen 72
Emma 68
Alice 67
Emily 54
Hannah 54
Harriet 42
Fanny 37
Charlotte 36
Ada 34
Catherine 33
Martha 32
Caroline 27
Margaret 27
Louisa 26
Harriett 25
Kate 24
Maria 24
Florence 22
Anne 21
Edith 21
Lucy 20
Rebecca 20
Susan 16
Agnes 15
Frances 15
Rose 15
Clara 14
Elizth. 13
Matilda 12
Minnie 12
Betsy 11
Bridget 11
Eleanor 11
Ethel 9
Henrietta 9
Julia 9
Sophia 9
Anna 7
Helen 7
Isabella 7
Lilly 7
Rachel 7
Selina 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 294
William 277
George 205
Thomas 157
James 127
Charles 125
Henry 75
Robert 67
Arthur 59
Edward 56
Joseph 56
Alfred 50
Albert 43
Samuel 43
Walter 41
Frederick 37
Richard 33
Harry 26
Herbert 25
Tom 22
Frank 20
Benjamin 17
Patrick 16
Ernest 15
Daniel 12
David 12
Francis 12
Fred 12
Edwin 11
Michael 11
Stephen 11
Isaac 8
Mark 8
Thos. 8
Chas. 6
Edmund 6
Jno. 6
Fredrick 5
Owen 5
Percy 5
Sidney 5
Willm. 5
Wm. 5
Anthony 4
Frederic 4
Geo. 4
Horace 4
Hugh 4
Jesse 3
Reginald 3

FAQ

Drury surname: questions and answers

How common was the Drury surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,744 people were recorded with the Drury surname. That placed it at #935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Drury surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,129 in 2016. That gives Drury a modern rank of #937.

What does the Drury surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a servant or a drury, an officer of the king's household.

What does the Drury map show?

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