NameCensus.

UK surname

Flesher

An occupational surname referring to a butcher or one who prepares meat.

In the 1881 census there were 144 people recorded with the Flesher surname, ranking it #15,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 307, ranked #14,508, up from #15,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leeds, Bradford and Otley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Epping Forest and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flesher is 317 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 113.2%.

1881 census count

144

Ranked #15,891

Modern count

307

2016, ranked #14,508

Peak year

2014

317 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flesher had 144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 307 in 2016, ranked #14,508.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 229 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Flesher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flesher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flesher 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 117 #15,456
1861 historical 156 #14,813
1881 historical 144 #15,891
1891 historical 213 #14,269
1901 historical 224 #14,091
1911 historical 229 #13,712
1997 modern 278 #14,210
1998 modern 286 #14,318
1999 modern 290 #14,281
2000 modern 287 #14,345
2001 modern 278 #14,444
2002 modern 279 #14,693
2003 modern 273 #14,715
2004 modern 268 #14,995
2005 modern 272 #14,742
2006 modern 275 #14,732
2007 modern 270 #15,080
2008 modern 280 #14,823
2009 modern 278 #15,230
2010 modern 286 #15,231
2011 modern 289 #14,974
2012 modern 294 #14,705
2013 modern 304 #14,614
2014 modern 317 #14,269
2015 modern 313 #14,313
2016 modern 307 #14,508

Geography

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Where Fleshers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leeds, Bradford, Otley and Guiseley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Epping Forest, Calderdale and Leeds. 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 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Otley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Guiseley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 001 Bradford
2 Epping Forest 004 Epping Forest
3 Calderdale 003 Calderdale
4 Leeds 090 Leeds
5 Bradford 040 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flesher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flesher

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Flesher 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

Flesher 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

Flesher falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Flesher

The surname Flesher is of English origin, derived from the occupational term "flesher," which referred to a butcher or a dealer in meat. The name can be traced back to the early 13th century, with its earliest recorded use found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where it appears as "le Flesshewere."

This surname was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, especially in Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Durham, where the meat trade was a thriving industry. The name likely originated from the Old English word "flæsc," meaning flesh or meat, and the Old French word "flescher," meaning butcher.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to individuals with occupations related to the meat trade, such as "carnifex" (butcher) and "carnifex regis" (the king's butcher). However, the specific surname Flesher is not mentioned in this ancient record.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Flesher can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Flesshewer is listed. Another early example is William Flescher, who was mentioned in the Durham Chancery Records in 1471.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Flesher:

1. Sir John Flesher (1545-1615), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1608. 2. Thomas Flesher (1612-1663), an English printer and publisher based in London during the 17th century. 3. John Flesher (1707-1776), a British mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the calculation of the Earth's orbit. 4. Margaret Flesher (1829-1892), an American educator and abolitionist who founded the Flesher School for Colored Girls in Virginia. 5. William Flesher (1838-1917), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including the Wakefield Town Hall.

While the surname Flesher has its roots in the occupation of butchery, it has evolved over time and is now widely dispersed across various regions and communities, transcending its original occupational association.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flesher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flesher 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 119 Fleshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.67x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 119 8.67x
Kent 8 1.69x
Essex 6 2.19x
Sussex 4 1.71x
Middlesex 3 0.22x
Lanarkshire 2 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bramley In Bramley in Yorkshire leads with 17 Fleshers recorded in 1881 and an index of 323.81x.

Place Total Index
Bramley In Bramley 17 323.81x
Armley 15 247.93x
Yeadon 15 483.87x
Burley In Wharfdale 14 1157.02x
Otley 10 300.30x
Guiseley 9 511.36x
Lydd 8 792.08x
Shipley 8 112.36x
Grays Thurrock 6 236.22x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 5 102.04x
Cuckfield 4 169.49x
Ilkley 4 178.57x
Leeds 4 5.16x
Little Timble 4 40000.00x
Batley 3 23.01x
Govan 2 1.81x
Hampton London 2 87.72x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 22.65x
Hunslet 2 9.35x
Keighley 2 13.67x
Doncaster 1 9.97x
Farnley In Bramley 1 58.48x
Horton In Bradford 1 4.67x
Kildwick 1 80.00x
Thornton In Craven 1 90.91x
Westminster St James 1 7.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 7
Ann 6
Martha 4
Alice 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Ada 2
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Harriett 2
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Betsey 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Emiley 1
Janet 1
Lettey 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
Miriam 1
Mirinda 1
Nelly 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
George 6
Thomas 5
William 5
James 4
Christopher 3
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Charles 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Wm. 2
(Mr) 1
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Clement 1
Freddy 1
Henry 1
Hubert 1
Hy. 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Ned 1
Robert 1
Sim 1
Thos. 1
Thos.C. 1

FAQ

Flesher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flesher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 144 people were recorded with the Flesher surname. That placed it at #15,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flesher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 307 in 2016. That gives Flesher a modern rank of #14,508.

What does the Flesher surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a butcher or one who prepares meat.

What does the Flesher map show?

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