NameCensus.

UK surname

Filer

An occupational surname for a person who spins thread or makes and sells yarn, from the Old French "filer."

In the 1881 census there were 617 people recorded with the Filer surname, ranking it #5,702 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 863, ranked #6,496, down from #5,702 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster and Dundry, Winford, Nempnett Thrubwell, Blagdon, Butcombe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bath and North East Somerset, Northumberland and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Filer is 962 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.9%.

1881 census count

617

Ranked #5,702

Modern count

863

2016, ranked #6,496

Peak year

1998

962 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Filer had 617 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,702 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 863 in 2016, ranked #6,496.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 878 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Filer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Filer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Filer 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 354 #6,678
1861 historical 375 #6,817
1881 historical 617 #5,702
1891 historical 626 #6,177
1901 historical 769 #5,824
1911 historical 878 #5,072
1997 modern 902 #5,953
1998 modern 962 #5,850
1999 modern 955 #5,924
2000 modern 951 #5,918
2001 modern 923 #5,967
2002 modern 937 #6,003
2003 modern 897 #6,107
2004 modern 915 #6,006
2005 modern 879 #6,129
2006 modern 875 #6,169
2007 modern 888 #6,146
2008 modern 881 #6,236
2009 modern 897 #6,285
2010 modern 902 #6,374
2011 modern 896 #6,342
2012 modern 862 #6,456
2013 modern 881 #6,454
2014 modern 880 #6,484
2015 modern 865 #6,512
2016 modern 863 #6,496

Geography

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Where Filers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster, Dundry, Winford, Nempnett Thrubwell, Blagdon, Butcombe, London parishes and Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bath and North East Somerset, Northumberland and Bristol. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Bedminster Somerset
3 Dundry, Winford, Nempnett Thrubwell, Blagdon, Butcombe Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bath and North East Somerset 021 Bath and North East Somerset
2 Bath and North East Somerset 023 Bath and North East Somerset
3 Bath and North East Somerset 020 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
5 Bristol 049 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Filer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Filer

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Filer is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Filer is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Filer falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Filer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Filer

The surname Filer originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'filere', which means 'file maker' or 'file polisher'. The name likely referred to someone who manufactured or worked with files, which were tools used for smoothing or shaping metal or wood.

Filer is believed to have first appeared in England in the late 12th century, with early recordings of the name found in various tax rolls and census records. One of the earliest known mentions of the surname is in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1196, which lists a Robert le Filere.

The Filer surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire, where many early bearers of the name lived and worked as file makers or metalworkers. Variations in spelling were common, with early forms including Filere, Filour, and Fylour.

Notable historical figures with the surname Filer include John Filer, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who lived in the 15th century. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1449 and was a prominent figure in the city's trade and commerce.

Another notable Filer was Thomas Filer, a 16th-century English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton from 1563 to 1578. He played a significant role in the religious reforms of the Church of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Filer surname appeared in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America. Thomas Filer, born in England in 1609, was among the early Puritan settlers who arrived in the colony in 1635.

John Filer, born in 1676 in Gloucestershire, England, was a notable figure in the early history of Pennsylvania. He emigrated to the colony in 1701 and became a prominent land surveyor and mapmaker, contributing to the development of the region.

In the 19th century, William Filer, born in 1819 in Somerset, England, was a renowned horticulturist and botanist. He introduced several new plant species to Britain and was a Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Filer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Filer 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. Somerset leads with 263 Filers recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.06x.

County Total Index
Somerset 263 27.06x
Gloucestershire 68 5.74x
Surrey 51 1.73x
Monmouthshire 37 8.48x
Middlesex 36 0.60x
Kent 29 1.41x
Glamorgan 24 2.28x
Lancashire 15 0.21x
Lincolnshire 14 1.45x
Essex 12 1.01x
Suffolk 12 1.63x
Durham 9 0.50x
Sussex 8 0.79x
Yorkshire 8 0.13x
Staffordshire 7 0.34x
Bedfordshire 6 1.92x
Merionethshire 6 5.43x
Warwickshire 3 0.20x
Berkshire 2 0.44x
Devon 2 0.16x
Wiltshire 2 0.37x
Brecknockshire 1 0.83x
Dorset 1 0.25x
Hampshire 1 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 1.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Paulton in Somerset leads with 47 Filers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1056.18x.

Place Total Index
Paulton 47 1056.18x
Chew Magna 34 997.07x
Bedminster 30 32.85x
Blagdon 28 1365.85x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 21 18.83x
Compton Martin 16 1860.47x
Newington 14 6.28x
Bristol St George 12 21.91x
Dunkerton 12 568.72x
Weston Super Mare 12 48.90x
Lambeth 11 2.09x
Woolwich 11 14.45x
Gainsborough 10 43.94x
Henbury 10 173.01x
Mile End Old Town London 10 7.78x
Mynyddyslwyn 10 58.07x
Esh 9 68.86x
Stanton Drew 9 947.37x
Trevethin 9 21.83x
Roath 8 16.75x
West Ham 8 3.04x
Bathwick 7 65.06x
Burton Upon Trent 7 14.68x
Cardiff St John 7 20.38x
Cheddar 7 143.15x
Hinderwell 7 136.99x
Islington London 7 1.20x
Southwark Christchurch 7 24.74x
Sudbury St Gregory 7 118.85x
Yatton 7 185.19x
Ystradyfodwg 7 7.59x
Bedwellty 6 7.79x
Brighton 6 2.92x
Bristol St Paul In 6 19.02x
Deptford St Paul 6 3.78x
Festiniog 6 25.74x
Sevenoaks 6 35.93x
Walcot 6 11.59x
Westbury On Trym 6 14.96x
Axbridge 5 531.91x
Beswick 5 27.29x
Clifton 5 8.35x
Congresbury 5 203.25x
Kearsley 5 33.16x
Llanwenarth Ultra 5 156.74x
Minster In Sheppey 5 14.65x
Shepton Mallet 5 45.87x
Wrington 5 153.37x
Ashwick 4 254.78x
Bedford St Peter 4 49.26x
Brislington 4 220.99x
Burrington 4 425.53x
Llanfoist 4 132.45x
Southwark St Saviour 4 12.89x
St Pancras London 4 0.82x
Stapleton 4 17.80x
Aberystruth 3 7.80x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.14x
Birmingham 3 0.59x
Camberwell 3 0.78x
Camerton 3 106.01x
Clapham 3 3.97x
Croydon 3 1.84x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 2.47x
St George Hanover Square 3 2.82x
Sudbury St Peter 3 74.44x
Westminster St John 3 4.08x
Barrow In Furness 2 2.05x
Box 2 43.96x
Clapham 2 158.73x
East Ham 2 9.04x
Egham 2 11.07x
Hartfield 2 62.11x
Lyncombe Widcombe 2 7.86x
New Sleaford 2 32.31x
North Petherton 2 25.51x
Paddington London 2 0.90x
Reading St Giles 2 4.50x
Toxteth Park 2 0.82x
Walthamstow 2 4.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 43
Elizabeth 29
Sarah 21
Jane 13
Alice 12
Emily 12
Ann 11
Annie 10
Ellen 10
Florence 10
Lucy 8
Hannah 7
Harriet 7
Louisa 6
Amelia 5
Edith 5
Eliza 5
Emma 5
Frances 5
Julia 5
Maria 5
Rose 5
Charlotte 4
Kate 4
Ada 3
Caroline 3
Elizth. 3
Harriett 3
Martha 3
Selina 3
Sophia 3
Susan 3
Agnes 2
Bessie 2
Fanny 2
Lilly 2
Minnie 2
Rosa 2
Rosina 2
Amy 1
Blanche 1
Charlott 1
Gertrude 1
Kezia 1
Leah 1
Lililian 1
Lillian 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Zilla 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 35
James 19
George 18
Charles 17
John 15
Samuel 15
Henry 14
Joseph 11
Thomas 11
Walter 10
Albert 9
Alfred 7
Edward 7
Francis 7
Frederick 7
Arthur 6
Frank 5
Herbert 5
Richard 5
Fred 4
Harry 4
Fred. 3
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Enoch 2
Ernest 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Jonah 2
Sydenham 2
Tom 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Austin 1
Daniel 1
Digby 1
Elisha 1
Fredh. 1
Geo.Jas. 1
Jane 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Jos. 1
Joshua 1
Mark 1
Oscar 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Wm.Geo. 1

FAQ

Filer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Filer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 617 people were recorded with the Filer surname. That placed it at #5,702 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Filer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 863 in 2016. That gives Filer a modern rank of #6,496.

What does the Filer surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who spins thread or makes and sells yarn, from the Old French "filer."

What does the Filer map show?

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