NameCensus.

UK surname

Eyre

Derived from a place name meaning "gravel bank" in Old English or from the French word for "heir."

In the 1881 census there were 3,587 people recorded with the Eyre surname, ranking it #1,260 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,102, ranked #1,326, down from #1,260 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Werburgh and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak, Staffordshire Moorlands and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Eyre is 5,566 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.2%.

1881 census count

3,587

Ranked #1,260

Modern count

5,102

2016, ranked #1,326

Peak year

1999

5,566 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Eyre had 3,587 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,260 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,102 in 2016, ranked #1,326.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,990 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Eyre surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Eyre surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Eyre 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 2,389 #1,248
1861 historical 2,374 #1,239
1881 historical 3,587 #1,260
1891 historical 3,935 #1,220
1901 historical 4,578 #1,239
1911 historical 4,990 #1,049
1997 modern 5,408 #1,202
1998 modern 5,564 #1,220
1999 modern 5,566 #1,230
2000 modern 5,503 #1,241
2001 modern 5,334 #1,245
2002 modern 5,446 #1,247
2003 modern 5,334 #1,246
2004 modern 5,299 #1,250
2005 modern 5,220 #1,251
2006 modern 5,177 #1,263
2007 modern 5,152 #1,279
2008 modern 5,145 #1,290
2009 modern 5,259 #1,297
2010 modern 5,354 #1,300
2011 modern 5,245 #1,306
2012 modern 5,098 #1,316
2013 modern 5,198 #1,318
2014 modern 5,228 #1,313
2015 modern 5,142 #1,322
2016 modern 5,102 #1,326

Geography

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Where Eyres are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Werburgh, Sheffield and Heanor. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak, Staffordshire Moorlands, Sheffield and Derbyshire Dales. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Werburgh Derbyshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Heanor Nottinghamshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 013 High Peak
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 011 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Sheffield 039 Sheffield
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 010 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Derbyshire Dales 001 Derbyshire Dales

Forenames

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First names often paired with Eyre

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Eyre

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

Eyre 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

Eyre falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Eyre is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Eyre

The surname EYRE is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the Old French word 'eir' meaning heir. It is believed to have originated in England shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French nobles and their families settled in various parts of the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Eir' and 'Eyr'. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, likely adopted by individuals who were heirs or held land and property.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the surname began to take on various spellings, such as 'Eyre', 'Eyr', 'Eir', and 'Heir'. This was due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time, as well as the influence of regional dialects and scribes' interpretations.

The name was particularly prevalent in Yorkshire, where it is thought to have originated. This is evidenced by the presence of several place names containing the word 'Eyre', such as Eyre Court in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and Eyre Water, a tributary of the River Derwent.

One notable historical figure with the surname EYRE was Sir Robert Eyre (c. 1350-1459), a wealthy landowner and courtier who served as Lord Treasurer of England during the reign of Henry VI. He was also one of the founders of the prestigious Eton College.

Another prominent individual was Sir William Eyre (1499-1572), a successful lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas under Queen Elizabeth I. He is remembered for his fair and impartial judgments, as well as his efforts to reform the legal system.

In the 17th century, the EYRE surname was also associated with the English Civil War. Thomas Eyre (1619-1675) was a Royalist soldier who fought for King Charles I and was later appointed as the Governor of Newark Castle.

A famous literary figure with the surname was Jane Eyre, the fictional protagonist of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name. While the character's name was likely chosen for its symbolic meaning of 'heir', it nonetheless contributed to the recognition of the surname in popular culture.

Finally, it is worth mentioning Sir James Eyre (1734-1799), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia and later as Governor of Grenada. His legacy includes the establishment of several educational institutions and the promotion of free trade policies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Eyre families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Eyre 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 1,048 Eyres recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.02x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,048 3.02x
Derbyshire 770 14.04x
Lancashire 372 0.90x
Middlesex 241 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 224 4.75x
Surrey 144 0.84x
Lincolnshire 135 2.41x
Staffordshire 116 0.98x
Warwickshire 55 0.62x
Northamptonshire 46 1.40x
Cheshire 44 0.57x
Leicestershire 35 0.90x
Hampshire 33 0.46x
Essex 29 0.42x
Kent 28 0.23x
Lanarkshire 26 0.23x
Gloucestershire 23 0.33x
Norfolk 23 0.43x
Cornwall 18 0.45x
Oxfordshire 17 0.79x
Sussex 16 0.27x
Berkshire 15 0.57x
Devon 15 0.21x
Somerset 15 0.27x
Suffolk 13 0.30x
Glamorgan 12 0.20x
Durham 11 0.11x
Wiltshire 8 0.26x
Huntingdonshire 7 1.01x
Midlothian 6 0.13x
Shropshire 6 0.20x
Worcestershire 6 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.23x
Renfrewshire 5 0.18x
Channel Islands 4 0.39x
Cumberland 4 0.13x
Northumberland 3 0.06x
Royal Navy 3 0.72x
Bedfordshire 1 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.08x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Flintshire 1 0.11x
Hertfordshire 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.15x
Merionethshire 1 0.16x
Monmouthshire 1 0.04x
Rutland 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 169 Eyres recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.30x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 169 15.30x
Brightside Bierlow 102 14.99x
Castleton 70 898.59x
Nether Hallam 70 14.91x
Chesterfield 57 27.73x
Ecclesall Bierlow 55 7.79x
Nottingham St Mary 53 4.34x
Heanor 44 53.67x
Holy Trinity 41 4.91x
Ecclesfield 37 14.54x
Gorton 35 8.96x
Ilkeston 33 21.47x
Lambeth 31 1.02x
Manchester 31 1.66x
Aston 30 1.23x
Bradfield 29 21.68x
Codnor Loscoe 28 64.49x
Kensington London 28 1.44x
Derby St Alkmund 25 15.22x
Shoreditch London 25 1.65x
Glossop Dale 24 9.35x
Rotherham 24 12.27x
Salford 24 1.96x
Camberwell 23 1.03x
Kimberworth 23 11.94x
Hunslet 22 4.07x
St Pancras London 22 0.78x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 21 6.50x
Caistor 21 94.25x
Derby St Werburgh 21 6.63x
Doncaster 21 8.28x
Kirkby In Ashfield 21 41.59x
Derby St Peter 20 11.45x
West Derby 20 1.65x
Ashton Under Lyne 19 2.09x
Chelsea London 19 1.80x
Handsworth 19 20.71x
Islington London 19 0.56x
North Wingfield 19 77.55x
Snenton 19 10.24x
Stoke Upon Trent 19 1.52x
Crowle 18 52.82x
Fairfield 18 49.09x
Mickleover 18 106.26x
Chorlton On Medlock 17 2.58x
Hulme 17 1.96x
Mansfield 17 10.41x
Newbold Dunston 17 32.62x
Leeds 16 0.82x
Leicester St Margaret 16 1.69x
St Marylebone London 16 0.86x
Alfreton 15 9.01x
Battersea 15 1.16x
Birmingham 15 0.51x
Edale 15 373.13x
Owston 15 94.34x
Hook 14 18.34x
Toxteth Park 14 0.99x
Worksop 14 10.00x
Croydon 13 1.37x
Duffield 13 30.09x
Great Longstone With 13 222.22x
Newton 13 4.06x
Northampton St Sepulchre 13 7.76x
Walpole St Andrew 13 154.76x
West Ham 13 0.85x
Crigglestone 12 35.91x
Denton 12 13.03x
Hackney London 12 0.61x
Hathersage 12 78.07x
Newton Solney 12 212.39x
Southcoates 12 6.23x
Staveley 12 12.33x
Everton 11 0.83x
Glasgow 11 0.55x
Hope Woodlands 11 413.53x
Hoyland Nether 11 12.92x
Saddleworth 11 4.11x
Selston 11 20.86x
Wakefield 11 4.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 287
Elizabeth 141
Sarah 138
Ann 92
Eliza 57
Hannah 54
Annie 51
Jane 50
Emma 48
Ellen 47
Alice 46
Martha 43
Harriet 34
Emily 33
Edith 30
Lucy 25
Florence 22
Margaret 21
Ada 20
Fanny 20
Maria 20
Charlotte 19
Kate 18
Clara 17
Catherine 16
Louisa 16
Gertrude 15
Harriett 15
Anne 14
Agnes 12
Elizth. 12
Caroline 11
Frances 11
Matilda 10
Isabella 9
Julia 9
Selina 9
Bertha 8
Mabel 8
Minnie 8
Amy 6
Beatrice 6
Betsey 6
Lydia 6
Sophia 6
Amelia 5
Betsy 5
Laura 5
Ruth 5
Susan 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 222
William 192
George 175
Thomas 100
James 76
Charles 68
Joseph 64
Henry 60
Samuel 57
Edward 38
Robert 36
Arthur 34
Frederick 26
Albert 25
Harry 24
Walter 24
Alfred 21
Francis 18
Frank 18
Richard 17
Isaac 16
Herbert 15
Benjamin 14
Tom 12
Wm. 12
Ernest 11
Vincent 11
Edwin 10
David 9
Fred 9
Thos. 9
Jacob 8
Timothy 8
Edmund 6
Fredrick 6
Jonathan 6
Andrew 5
Daniel 5
Ellis 5
Fredk. 5
Joshua 5
Percy 5
Abel 4
Harold 4
Michael 4
Reginald 4
Stephen 4
Sydney 4
Willie 4
Cornelius 3

FAQ

Eyre surname: questions and answers

How common was the Eyre surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,587 people were recorded with the Eyre surname. That placed it at #1,260 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Eyre surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,102 in 2016. That gives Eyre a modern rank of #1,326.

What does the Eyre surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "gravel bank" in Old English or from the French word for "heir."

What does the Eyre map show?

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