NameCensus.

UK surname

Flaws

An English surname derived from the old word "flaw" meaning a defect or imperfection.

In the 1881 census there were 169 people recorded with the Flaws surname, ranking it #14,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 160, ranked #22,694, down from #14,324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rousay and Egilsay, South Ronaldsay and Burray and Lerwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shetland South, Isles and Lerwick North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flaws is 176 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.3%.

1881 census count

169

Ranked #14,324

Modern count

160

2016, ranked #22,694

Peak year

1901

176 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flaws had 169 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 160 in 2016, ranked #22,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 176 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Flaws surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flaws surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flaws 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 114 #15,716
1861 historical 85 #22,922
1881 historical 169 #14,324
1891 historical 139 #19,311
1901 historical 176 #16,401
1911 historical 42 #28,691
1997 modern 143 #21,761
1998 modern 152 #21,481
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 156 #21,235
2001 modern 155 #21,047
2002 modern 156 #21,348
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 157 #21,168
2005 modern 146 #22,146
2006 modern 158 #21,229
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 157 #21,766
2009 modern 161 #21,879
2010 modern 164 #22,109
2011 modern 159 #22,382
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 159 #22,706
2014 modern 161 #22,728
2015 modern 160 #22,701
2016 modern 160 #22,694

Geography

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Where Flaws' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rousay and Egilsay, South Ronaldsay and Burray, Lerwick, Gateshead and Sandsting and Aithsting. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shetland South, Isles, Lerwick North, Campbeltown and West Mainland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rousay and Egilsay Orkney
2 South Ronaldsay and Burray Orkney
3 Lerwick Shetland
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Sandsting and Aithsting Shetland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shetland South Shetland Islands
2 Isles Orkney Islands
3 Lerwick North Shetland Islands
4 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
5 West Mainland Orkney Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flaws

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flaws

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Flaws is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Flaws is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Flaws 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 Flaws 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 Flaws, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Flaws

The surname FLAWS is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "flawes," which referred to a person who worked as a maker of arrows or a fletcher. The name may have also been an occupational name for someone who worked with flax or linen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1273, which mentions a person named William le Flawe. Similar variations of the spelling, such as Flawe and Flaugh, can be found in various historical records from the 13th to 15th centuries in counties like Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire.

The FLAWS surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Flawborough in Nottinghamshire and Flawith in Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and spread of the surname in those regions.

Notable individuals with the surname FLAWS include:

1. Robert Flaws (c. 1570-1642), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

2. John Flaws (1667-1734), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. George the Martyr.

3. William Flaws (1803-1886), a Scottish shipbuilder and engineer who founded the Flaws shipyard in Dundee, which built several notable vessels during the 19th century.

4. Mary Flaws (1852-1931), a British artist and illustrator known for her watercolor paintings and illustrations in children's books.

5. Edward Flaws (1899-1968), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

While the surname FLAWS may have evolved from occupational roots, it has since become a well-established English surname with a rich history spanning several centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flaws families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flaws 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. Shetland leads with 66 Flaws' recorded in 1881 and an index of 391.92x.

County Total Index
Shetland 66 391.92x
Orkney 58 319.74x
Banffshire 14 40.94x
Aberdeenshire 8 5.24x
Bedfordshire 6 7.03x
Midlothian 5 2.26x
Caithness 4 17.72x
Lancashire 4 0.20x
Middlesex 2 0.12x
Surrey 2 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Ronaldshay in Orkney leads with 32 Flaws' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1702.13x.

Place Total Index
South Ronaldshay 32 1702.13x
Dunrossness 28 1261.26x
Lerwick Gulberwick 20 766.28x
Sandsting Aitsting 18 1176.47x
Rousay Egilshay 13 2063.49x
Fordyce 12 487.80x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 8 28.00x
Bedford St Paul 6 102.56x
Stromness 6 441.18x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 5.63x
Dunnet 3 329.67x
Stronsay Eday 3 252.10x
Kirkwall St Ola 2 73.53x
Liverpool 2 1.68x
Westminster St James 2 11.80x
Alvah 1 129.87x
Banff 1 33.67x
Broughton In Salford 1 5.59x
Caterham 1 28.17x
Lambeth 1 0.70x
Litherland 1 24.45x
Reay 1 80.65x
Sandwick 1 147.06x
St Andrews Deerness 1 105.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 1
Eleanor 1
Janet 1
Margaret 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Gordon 2
John 2
Geoffrey 1
Henry 1
Reynold 1
Robert 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 Flaws households.

FAQ

Flaws surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flaws surname in 1881?

In 1881, 169 people were recorded with the Flaws surname. That placed it at #14,324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flaws surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 160 in 2016. That gives Flaws a modern rank of #22,694.

What does the Flaws surname mean?

An English surname derived from the old word "flaw" meaning a defect or imperfection.

What does the Flaws map show?

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