NameCensus.

UK surname

Eyres

A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the region of Eyres.

In the 1881 census there were 914 people recorded with the Eyres surname, ranking it #4,200 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,145, ranked #5,152, down from #4,200 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Amesbury and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Dorset, Salford and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Eyres is 1,234 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.3%.

1881 census count

914

Ranked #4,200

Modern count

1,145

2016, ranked #5,152

Peak year

1999

1,234 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Eyres had 914 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,200 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,145 in 2016, ranked #5,152.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,211 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Eyres surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Eyres surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Eyres 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 622 #4,153
1861 historical 625 #4,282
1881 historical 914 #4,200
1891 historical 1,038 #4,024
1901 historical 1,209 #4,078
1911 historical 1,211 #3,895
1997 modern 1,206 #4,686
1998 modern 1,230 #4,778
1999 modern 1,234 #4,802
2000 modern 1,227 #4,798
2001 modern 1,193 #4,817
2002 modern 1,216 #4,851
2003 modern 1,194 #4,826
2004 modern 1,189 #4,848
2005 modern 1,147 #4,957
2006 modern 1,151 #4,931
2007 modern 1,167 #4,928
2008 modern 1,141 #5,058
2009 modern 1,159 #5,099
2010 modern 1,164 #5,182
2011 modern 1,139 #5,222
2012 modern 1,121 #5,203
2013 modern 1,159 #5,148
2014 modern 1,160 #5,164
2015 modern 1,137 #5,205
2016 modern 1,145 #5,152

Geography

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Where Eyres' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Amesbury and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Dorset, Salford, Cheshire West and Chester, Warrington and Cheshire East. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Amesbury Wiltshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Dorset 006 North Dorset
2 Salford 006 Salford
3 Cheshire West and Chester 020 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Warrington 011 Warrington
5 Cheshire East 025 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Eyres

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Eyres

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

Eyres 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

Eyres falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Eyres

The surname Eyres is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "eyr" or "eir," meaning heir or son. This name was likely given as a descriptive name to the eldest son and heir of a family.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Eyres dates back to 1196 in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. It appears as "Richard Eyr," indicating that the surname was already in use by that time. Another early record is found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions "John le Eyr."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the name is not explicitly mentioned, but there are references to places that may have contributed to the formation of the surname. For example, the village of Eyr in Derbyshire and the town of Aire in Yorkshire could have influenced the name's development.

During the Middle Ages, the name Eyres was most prevalent in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire. Some notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Sir Gervase Eyres (c. 1520 - 1594), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. 2. Sir John Eyre (1634 - 1685), an English judge who presided over the notorious Bloody Assizes in 1685. 3. Robert Eyres (1702 - 1786), an English Quaker and philanthropist known for his work in the education of poor children. 4. Vincent Eyre (1811 - 1881), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in Birmingham, including the Town Hall and Council House. 5. Wilfred Eyre Esq. (1825 - 1899), a British landowner and Justice of the Peace in Yorkshire.

The name Eyres has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, Eyre Street in Sheffield and Eyre Court in London were likely named after individuals bearing this surname. Additionally, the surname has undergone slight variations in spelling over time, such as Eyre, Eyers, and Airs.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Eyres families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Eyres 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 201 Eyres' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.90x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 201 1.90x
Wiltshire 122 15.47x
Cheshire 88 4.47x
Middlesex 87 0.98x
Surrey 57 1.31x
Somerset 47 3.27x
Hampshire 41 2.24x
Yorkshire 31 0.35x
Dorset 27 4.61x
Norfolk 25 1.82x
Warwickshire 19 0.85x
Leicestershire 17 1.72x
Northamptonshire 17 2.03x
Derbyshire 14 1.00x
Devon 14 0.75x
Kent 14 0.46x
Cornwall 13 1.29x
Durham 13 0.49x
Gloucestershire 13 0.74x
Lincolnshire 11 0.77x
Berkshire 8 1.20x
Essex 8 0.45x
Cambridgeshire 7 1.24x
Sussex 5 0.33x
Oxfordshire 3 0.54x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.37x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.17x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.71x
Staffordshire 2 0.07x
Flintshire 1 0.42x
Glamorgan 1 0.06x
Suffolk 1 0.09x
Worcestershire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 46 Eyres' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.67x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 46 9.67x
Salford 38 12.21x
Amesbury 28 813.95x
Camberwell 21 3.69x
Droylsden 19 55.06x
Bradford 16 32.31x
Feltwell 16 601.50x
Leeds 15 3.01x
Westbury 15 81.52x
Islington London 14 1.62x
Lambeth 14 1.80x
Macclesfield 13 14.86x
Battersea 12 3.66x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 12 68.49x
Ashley 11 940.17x
Hackney London 11 2.20x
Paddington London 11 3.36x
Stockport 11 10.86x
Stranton 11 12.32x
Alderbury 10 270.27x
Idmiston 10 568.18x
Yatton 10 179.21x
Aston 9 1.45x
Fugglestone St Peter 9 288.46x
Netheravon 9 505.62x
Toxteth Park 9 2.51x
Hurstbourne Priors 8 640.00x
Leicester Newarke 8 155.34x
Liverpool 8 1.25x
Lostwithel 8 279.72x
Rudheath 8 516.13x
Bristol St James St Paul 7 12.00x
Caundle Bishop 7 686.27x
Chesterton 7 40.21x
Hammersmith London 7 3.19x
Hayfield 7 81.78x
Kislingbury 7 330.19x
Plymouth Charles The 7 8.56x
Portsea 7 1.95x
Romsey Infra 7 113.09x
Wainfleet St Mary 7 324.07x
West Derby 7 2.26x
Beswick 6 22.17x
Brockenhurst 6 189.87x
Dukinfield 6 6.60x
Ecclesall Bierlow 6 3.34x
Feltwell Feltwell Anchor 6 240.00x
Heaton Norris 6 9.96x
Hulme 6 2.72x
Leyton 6 19.80x
Lostock Gralam 6 253.16x
Lyncombe Widcombe 6 15.97x
North Wingfield 6 96.15x
Poole St James 6 27.29x
St George Hanover Square 6 3.82x
Stayley 6 26.67x
Swanage 6 83.10x
Upavon 6 405.41x
Ardwick 5 5.24x
Bedminster 5 3.71x
Chelsea London 5 1.86x
Clapham 5 4.49x
Corsley 5 160.77x
Great Bolton 5 3.57x
Leicester St Mary 5 6.26x
St Luke London 5 3.50x
Wraxall 5 182.48x
Christchurch 4 10.09x
Everton 4 1.19x
Frome 4 11.66x
Hampstead London 4 2.88x
Lamberhurst 4 105.54x
Leicester St Margaret 4 1.66x
Little Chalfield 4 3076.92x
Long Buckby 4 51.61x
Openshaw 4 8.07x
Reading St Giles 4 6.09x
Southfleet 4 141.84x
Warwick St Nicholas 4 24.26x
Westminster St John 4 3.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 71
William 38
George 33
James 31
Thomas 28
Henry 18
Edward 17
Robert 14
Alfred 12
Frank 12
Arthur 10
Charles 10
Samuel 9
Walter 8
Edwin 6
Ernest 6
Herbert 6
Joseph 6
Albert 5
Frederick 5
Benjamin 4
Francis 4
Christopher 3
Harry 3
Reginald 3
Richard 3
Wm. 3
David 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Jacob 2
Joshua 2
Martin 2
Philip 2
Phillip 2
Sidney 2
Simon 2
Thos. 2
Austin 1
Claude 1
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Fd. 1
Fredeickr 1
Geoge 1
Jonah 1
Jonas 1
Josiah 1
Julius 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Eyres surname: questions and answers

How common was the Eyres surname in 1881?

In 1881, 914 people were recorded with the Eyres surname. That placed it at #4,200 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Eyres surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,145 in 2016. That gives Eyres a modern rank of #5,152.

What does the Eyres surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the region of Eyres.

What does the Eyres map show?

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