NameCensus.

UK surname

Eggar

An archaic habitational surname derived from the village of Eggar in Gloucestershire.

In the 1881 census there were 143 people recorded with the Eggar surname, ranking it #15,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 182, ranked #20,890, down from #15,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bentley, Odiham and Crondall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Plymouth, Dacorum and South Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Eggar is 196 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.3%.

1881 census count

143

Ranked #15,955

Modern count

182

2016, ranked #20,890

Peak year

2010

196 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Eggar had 143 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016, ranked #20,890.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 177 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Eggar surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Eggar surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Eggar 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 78 #19,840
1861 historical 101 #20,955
1881 historical 143 #15,955
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 133 #19,372
1911 historical 177 #16,129
1997 modern 171 #19,438
1998 modern 167 #20,258
1999 modern 170 #20,153
2000 modern 188 #18,916
2001 modern 180 #19,161
2002 modern 172 #20,108
2003 modern 158 #20,952
2004 modern 162 #20,756
2005 modern 161 #20,799
2006 modern 170 #20,214
2007 modern 173 #20,243
2008 modern 178 #20,094
2009 modern 181 #20,277
2010 modern 196 #19,698
2011 modern 195 #19,610
2012 modern 188 #20,018
2013 modern 185 #20,575
2014 modern 181 #21,033
2015 modern 181 #20,934
2016 modern 182 #20,890

Geography

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Where Eggars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bentley, Odiham, Crondall, London parishes and St Philip and Jacob. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Plymouth, Dacorum, South Oxfordshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Lambeth. 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 Bentley Hampshire
2 Odiham Hampshire
3 Crondall Hampshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Plymouth 013 Plymouth
2 Dacorum 012 Dacorum
3 South Oxfordshire 018 South Oxfordshire
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 017 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 Lambeth 003 Lambeth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Eggar

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Eggar

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Eggar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Eggar household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Eggar is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Eggar is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Eggar falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Eggar

The surname Eggar has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "eggar," which means "ploughman" or "farmer." The name was likely first adopted by individuals who worked as farmers or were involved in agricultural activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eggar can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical document mentions several individuals with the surname Eggar, indicating that the name was already established in various parts of England during that time.

During the Middle Ages, the name Eggar was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Dorset, and Devon. Some variations of the spelling included Egar, Egger, and Eggar, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic variations common in those times.

One notable individual bearing the surname Eggar was John Eggar, a wealthy merchant who lived in Taunton, Somerset, in the late 15th century. Records show that he was involved in the wool trade and owned significant properties in the area.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Eggar, a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the early 17th century. He played an active role in local politics and was known for his advocacy of religious reforms during the tumultuous period of the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the Eggar family had a strong presence in the village of Chard, Somerset. One of the most notable members was William Eggar (1706-1782), a successful farmer and landowner who left a lasting impact on the local community through his philanthropic efforts.

The surname Eggar was also found in other parts of England, such as Wiltshire and Hampshire. In the 19th century, Thomas Eggar (1798-1869), a prominent lawyer and judge, was born in Hampshire and later became a respected figure in the legal profession.

Throughout history, the surname Eggar has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, law, and public service. While not a widely distributed name, it has maintained a presence in various regions of England over the centuries, contributing to the rich tapestry of British surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Eggar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Eggar 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. Hampshire leads with 75 Eggars recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.24x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 75 26.24x
Surrey 28 4.12x
Gloucestershire 11 4.02x
Berkshire 9 8.60x
Sussex 6 2.55x
Kent 5 1.05x
Lanarkshire 2 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.13x
Cheshire 1 0.32x
Dorset 1 1.09x
Essex 1 0.36x
Lancashire 1 0.06x
Middlesex 1 0.07x
Wiltshire 1 0.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crondall in Hampshire leads with 18 Eggars recorded in 1881 and an index of 1168.83x.

Place Total Index
Crondall 18 1168.83x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 42.72x
Bentley 10 2941.18x
Odiham 9 720.00x
Reading St Giles 9 87.63x
Woking 9 219.51x
Hawley 8 1481.48x
Dogmersfield 6 4285.71x
Hove 6 58.14x
Basing 5 943.40x
Hartley Wintney 5 581.40x
Cliffe 4 373.83x
Egham 4 95.92x
Farnham 4 75.76x
Battersea 3 5.85x
Headley 3 384.62x
Basingstoke 2 60.79x
Glasgow 2 2.50x
Godalming 2 46.73x
Herriard 2 1052.63x
Millbrook 2 27.78x
Seale 2 454.55x
Aldershot 1 10.44x
Chester St Mary On Hill 1 37.88x
Chesterton 1 36.76x
East Molesey 1 63.29x
Guildford St Mary 1 119.05x
Leyton 1 21.10x
Linton 1 238.10x
Lytham 1 39.53x
Portland 1 20.33x
Putney 1 15.72x
Soberton 1 188.68x
St Marylebone London 1 1.34x
St Michael Winchester 1 172.41x
Stoke 1 31.15x
Weston Patrick Weston 1 1250.00x
Winchfield 1 588.24x
Wroughton 1 93.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 9
James 8
John 8
William 8
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Maurice 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Tapley 1

FAQ

Eggar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Eggar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 143 people were recorded with the Eggar surname. That placed it at #15,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Eggar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 182 in 2016. That gives Eggar a modern rank of #20,890.

What does the Eggar surname mean?

An archaic habitational surname derived from the village of Eggar in Gloucestershire.

What does the Eggar map show?

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