NameCensus.

UK surname

Eaves

An English occupational surname referring to a person who lived near or worked on the eaves of houses.

In the 1881 census there were 1,633 people recorded with the Eaves surname, ranking it #2,622 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,135, ranked #3,028, down from #2,622 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Poulton, Lytham and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fylde, Blackpool and Wyre.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Eaves is 2,372 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.7%.

1881 census count

1,633

Ranked #2,622

Modern count

2,135

2016, ranked #3,028

Peak year

1999

2,372 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Eaves had 1,633 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,622 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,135 in 2016, ranked #3,028.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,176 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Eaves surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Eaves surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Eaves 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 972 #2,870
1861 historical 848 #3,260
1881 historical 1,633 #2,622
1891 historical 1,637 #2,735
1901 historical 1,968 #2,692
1911 historical 2,176 #2,313
1997 modern 2,263 #2,743
1998 modern 2,322 #2,780
1999 modern 2,372 #2,755
2000 modern 2,309 #2,794
2001 modern 2,284 #2,766
2002 modern 2,293 #2,821
2003 modern 2,245 #2,809
2004 modern 2,257 #2,793
2005 modern 2,254 #2,765
2006 modern 2,242 #2,785
2007 modern 2,245 #2,804
2008 modern 2,250 #2,823
2009 modern 2,282 #2,858
2010 modern 2,313 #2,881
2011 modern 2,279 #2,879
2012 modern 2,171 #2,948
2013 modern 2,222 #2,937
2014 modern 2,202 #2,980
2015 modern 2,154 #3,014
2016 modern 2,135 #3,028

Geography

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Where Eaves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Poulton, Lytham, Preston, Bispham and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fylde, Blackpool, Wyre, Suffolk Coastal and Wigan. 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 Poulton Lancashire
2 Lytham Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Bispham Lancashire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fylde 008 Fylde
2 Blackpool 018 Blackpool
3 Wyre 010 Wyre
4 Suffolk Coastal 007 Suffolk Coastal
5 Wigan 036 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Eaves

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Eaves

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Eaves surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Eaves household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Eaves 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

Eaves is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Eaves falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Eaves is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Eaves, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Eaves

The surname Eaves is of English origin, originating in the northern counties of England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "efes," which means "projecting edge of a roof" or "eaves."

The Eaves surname likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near or adjacent to the eaves or overhanging edge of a roof. It may have also been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a prominent or noticeable brow ridge or eyebrow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Eaves name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mentions a person named Richard de Eaves. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also list an Adam de Eves in Cambridgeshire.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are references to places with names similar to Eaves, such as Evesham in Worcestershire and Evedon in Lincolnshire, which may have been the origin of some Eaves surnames.

Notable individuals with the Eaves surname throughout history include:

1. Richard Eaves (1634-1686), an English Quaker and early settler in Pennsylvania. 2. John Eaves (1770-1839), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire during the early days of the sport. 3. Thomas Eaves (1785-1859), a British architect and surveyor who designed several churches and buildings in Liverpool. 4. Jane Eaves (1840-1898), a British novelist and children's author known for her book "The Brownies and Other Tales." 5. Walter Eaves (1892-1982), an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for several clubs, including Manchester United and Blackpool.

The Eaves surname has been found in various place names and locations across England, such as Eaves Green in Shropshire, Eaves Brook in Lancashire, and Eaves Ash in Staffordshire, further reflecting the geographic and topographic origins of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Eaves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Eaves 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 740 Eaves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.92x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 740 3.92x
Warwickshire 247 6.16x
Middlesex 79 0.50x
Suffolk 64 3.30x
Surrey 52 0.67x
Essex 51 1.62x
Gloucestershire 51 1.64x
Yorkshire 42 0.27x
Worcestershire 37 1.78x
Staffordshire 36 0.67x
Kent 27 0.50x
Cheshire 20 0.57x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.79x
Fife 16 1.70x
Somerset 16 0.63x
Norfolk 15 0.61x
Oxfordshire 15 1.53x
Lincolnshire 14 0.55x
Northamptonshire 14 0.94x
Durham 13 0.27x
Shropshire 13 0.95x
Hampshire 10 0.31x
Midlothian 8 0.38x
Anglesey 4 1.42x
Bedfordshire 4 0.49x
Derbyshire 4 0.16x
Lanarkshire 4 0.08x
Herefordshire 3 0.46x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.20x
Cumberland 2 0.15x
Devon 2 0.06x
Dorset 2 0.19x
Sussex 2 0.07x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.07x
Angus 1 0.07x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Wiltshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 84 Eaves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.64x.

Place Total Index
Preston 84 16.64x
Layton With Warbreck 76 109.76x
Coventry St Michael 54 41.92x
Aston 52 4.71x
Birmingham 45 3.37x
Lytham 42 145.83x
Blackburn 39 7.77x
Liverpool 37 3.23x
Thornton In Fylde 34 82.36x
Coventry Holy Trinity 27 22.55x
Bures St Mary 22 466.10x
Toxteth Park 22 3.44x
Marton 21 167.33x
Eccleston In Prescot 20 21.11x
Bulmer 19 501.32x
Billinge Chapel End 18 169.97x
Everton 18 2.99x
Kings Norton 18 9.67x
Finchley 16 26.25x
Ashton Under Lyne 15 3.64x
Islington London 15 0.97x
Sedgley 15 7.52x
Bispham With Norbreck 14 353.54x
Kingsbury Episcopi 14 168.88x
Bickerstaffe 13 105.26x
Penwortham 13 145.41x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 12 4.09x
Great Bolton 12 4.80x
Oldham 12 1.97x
Ipswich St Margaret 11 16.74x
Shevington 11 127.46x
Yoxford 11 190.64x
Ince In Makerfield 10 11.39x
Sale 10 23.22x
Spotland 10 4.77x
St Luke London 10 3.92x
Stratford On Avon 10 44.96x
Aldingham 9 142.86x
Bermondsey 9 1.90x
Burslem 9 5.85x
Chelsea London 9 1.88x
Curdworth 9 245.23x
Dudley 9 3.57x
Hackney London 9 1.01x
Newington 9 1.53x
Ormesby 9 21.26x
Rixton With Glazebrook 9 187.50x
Sutton Coldfield 9 21.35x
Wandsworth 9 5.88x
West Derby 9 1.63x
Woodplumpton 9 133.53x
Camberwell 8 0.79x
Coleshill 8 62.21x
Frampton Cotterell 8 73.06x
Great Mollington 8 620.16x
Newton In Makerfield 8 13.85x
Polesworth 8 42.02x
Scoonie 8 39.25x
Shrewsbury St Chad 8 16.59x
South Leith 8 3.34x
Ulverston 8 14.56x
Ardwick 7 4.11x
Barrow In Furness 7 2.73x
Birkdale 7 14.66x
Burton Latimer 7 77.43x
Bury 7 3.25x
Coundon 7 463.58x
Knowsley 7 102.79x
Lancaster 7 6.24x
Scarborough 7 4.89x
Shimpling 7 262.17x
Walton Le Dale 7 13.81x
Warrington 7 3.13x
West Ham 7 1.01x
Winterbourne 7 40.63x
Gateshead 6 1.69x
Hammersmith London 6 1.53x
Lowton 6 46.77x
Northampton All Sts 6 11.82x
Walsall Foreign 6 2.16x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 119
John 84
Thomas 65
James 55
George 51
Charles 39
Henry 36
Richard 33
Edward 30
Joseph 24
Robert 24
Arthur 15
David 12
Walter 12
Wm. 12
Albert 11
Frederick 11
Alfred 9
Samuel 8
Harry 7
Alexander 6
Herbert 6
Francis 5
Peter 5
Frank 4
Isaac 4
Jas. 4
Moore 4
Daniel 3
Ernest 3
Harold 3
Luke 3
Richd. 3
Abraham 2
Archibald 2
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Christopher 2
Fred 2
Hy. 2
Jonathan 2
Leonard 2
Randolph 2
Roger 2
Silas 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Timothy 2
Ethelbert 1
Ethilbert 1

FAQ

Eaves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Eaves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,633 people were recorded with the Eaves surname. That placed it at #2,622 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Eaves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,135 in 2016. That gives Eaves a modern rank of #3,028.

What does the Eaves surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who lived near or worked on the eaves of houses.

What does the Eaves map show?

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