NameCensus.

UK surname

Ebenezer

A biblical surname derived from the Hebrew term meaning "stone of help".

In the 1881 census there were 23 people recorded with the Ebenezer surname, ranking it #30,339 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 177, ranked #21,230, up from #30,339 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ceredigion and Ealing.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ebenezer is 201 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 669.6%.

1881 census count

23

Ranked #30,339

Modern count

177

2016, ranked #21,230

Peak year

2010

201 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ebenezer had 23 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,339 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016, ranked #21,230.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 55 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Ebenezer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ebenezer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ebenezer 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 13 #30,970
1861 historical 25 #30,804
1881 historical 23 #30,339
1891 historical 48 #30,447
1901 historical 46 #29,047
1911 historical 55 #27,313
1997 modern 147 #21,393
1998 modern 147 #21,935
1999 modern 151 #21,740
2000 modern 146 #22,170
2001 modern 146 #21,857
2002 modern 157 #21,261
2003 modern 157 #21,026
2004 modern 175 #19,805
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 173 #19,995
2007 modern 179 #19,811
2008 modern 191 #19,195
2009 modern 200 #19,028
2010 modern 201 #19,387
2011 modern 196 #19,538
2012 modern 181 #20,531
2013 modern 177 #21,170
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 171 #21,729
2016 modern 177 #21,230

Geography

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Where Ebenezers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ceredigion and Ealing. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ceredigion 011 Ceredigion
2 Ealing 034 Ealing
3 Ceredigion 008 Ceredigion
4 Ceredigion 001 Ceredigion
5 Ceredigion 003 Ceredigion

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ebenezer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ebenezer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ebenezer, 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 Ebenezer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Ebenezer 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Ebenezer is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ebenezer is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ebenezer falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ebenezer

The surname "Ebenezer" originates from the Hebrew language and is derived from the biblical phrase "Eben ha'ezer," which translates to "stone of help." This name is rooted in the Old Testament, specifically in the book of 1 Samuel, where the Israelite leader Samuel erects a stone monument and names it "Ebenezer" to commemorate God's assistance in defeating the Philistines.

The name first appeared in England during the 16th century, when the Protestant Reformation led to an increased interest in using biblical names among Puritan families. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in parish records from the counties of Yorkshire and Staffordshire, with variations in spelling such as "Ebenezar" and "Ebenezzer."

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "Ebenezer" was Ebenezer Brewer, a Puritan minister who lived in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in the mid-17th century. He was born in 1637 and played a significant role in the early religious life of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Another notable figure was Ebenezer Erskine (1680-1754), a Scottish minister and one of the founders of the Secession Church in Scotland. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Associate Presbytery, which later became the United Presbyterian Church.

In the realm of literature, Ebenezer Scrooge is perhaps the most famous fictional character with this surname. Introduced in Charles Dickens' classic novel "A Christmas Carol" (1843), Scrooge's name is a nod to his miserly and unhappy nature, contrasting with the biblical meaning of "stone of help."

Moving into the 19th century, Ebenezer Bryce (1830-1913) was an influential English Baptist minister and author who served as the president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1886.

Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928), an English urban planner and founder of the garden city movement, is also noteworthy. His ideas inspired the development of new towns such as Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City, which aimed to combine the benefits of urban and rural living.

While the surname "Ebenezer" is not as common as some other biblical names, it has left a lasting mark on history through its religious and literary connections, as well as the contributions of individuals who have borne this name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ebenezer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ebenezer 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. Cardiganshire leads with 23 Ebenezers recorded in 1881 and an index of 402.80x.

County Total Index
Cardiganshire 23 402.80x
Middlesex 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llangeitho in Cardiganshire leads with 7 Ebenezers recorded in 1881 and an index of 14000.00x.

Place Total Index
Llangeitho 7 14000.00x
Gwnnws Upper 4 8000.00x
Lledrod Upper 4 10000.00x
Lledrod Lower 3 6000.00x
Blaenpenal 1 2500.00x
Llancynfelin 1 1428.57x
Llanfihangel Y Croyddyn 1 500.00x
Llangwyryfon 1 2500.00x
Llanilar 1 1428.57x
St George Martyr London 1 212.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Ellen 1
Hannah 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Daniel 3
David 2
J. 1
Jenkin 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Morgan 1
Richard 1
Thomas 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 Ebenezer households.

FAQ

Ebenezer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ebenezer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 23 people were recorded with the Ebenezer surname. That placed it at #30,339 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ebenezer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016. That gives Ebenezer a modern rank of #21,230.

What does the Ebenezer surname mean?

A biblical surname derived from the Hebrew term meaning "stone of help".

What does the Ebenezer map show?

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