NameCensus.

UK surname

Flicker

A descriptive surname relating to someone with a quick, flickering motion.

In the 1881 census there were 118 people recorded with the Flicker surname, ranking it #17,935 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 136, ranked #25,377, down from #17,935 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Erith, Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) and Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flicker is 176 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.3%.

1881 census count

118

Ranked #17,935

Modern count

136

2016, ranked #25,377

Peak year

1891

176 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flicker had 118 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,935 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016, ranked #25,377.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 176 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Flicker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flicker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flicker 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 85 #18,940
1861 historical 105 #20,298
1881 historical 118 #17,935
1891 historical 176 #16,404
1901 historical 99 #22,999
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 145 #21,571
1998 modern 153 #21,387
1999 modern 147 #22,110
2000 modern 146 #22,170
2001 modern 147 #21,756
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 147 #22,094
2005 modern 152 #21,572
2006 modern 155 #21,477
2007 modern 155 #21,726
2008 modern 153 #22,132
2009 modern 154 #22,536
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 148 #23,520
2012 modern 144 #23,902
2013 modern 139 #24,912
2014 modern 133 #25,851
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 136 #25,377

Geography

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Where Flickers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Erith, Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Radstock and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and East Devon. 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 Erith Kent
2 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
3 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
4 Radstock Somerset
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 019 Caerphilly
2 Bristol 041 Bristol, City of
3 South Gloucestershire 020 South Gloucestershire
4 East Devon 008 East Devon
5 Caerphilly 022 Caerphilly

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flicker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flicker

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Flicker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Flicker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Flicker 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

Flicker is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Flicker

The surname Flicker is believed to have originated in England, deriving from the Old English word 'flicor' or 'flicere,' which means 'one who flickers or flutters.' This name was likely given as a nickname to someone who moved or behaved in a fluttering or flickering manner.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct mentions of the surname Flicker. However, the surname is thought to have emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Flicker can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Thomas Flicker is listed. The name also appears in other early records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which mentions a Johannes Flicker.

The surname Flicker has been associated with various place names throughout history. For instance, the village of Flicker Green in Hertfordshire was once known as 'Flikkeres Green,' suggesting a connection to the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Flicker include John Flicker, an English clergyman born in 1592 who served as the Rector of Stratton St Michael in Norfolk. Another figure is William Flicker, a 17th-century landowner from Gloucestershire, whose name appears in various property records from the 1650s.

In the realm of literature, Robert Flicker was an English poet and playwright born in 1625. His works, though not widely known today, were popular during his lifetime in the mid-17th century.

Moving into the 19th century, James Flicker (1818-1892) was a prominent industrialist from Lancashire, England, who made significant contributions to the development of textile manufacturing processes.

Lastly, one cannot overlook Sir Alfred Flicker (1860-1935), a British politician and member of parliament who played an influential role in shaping educational policies during the early 20th century.

While the surname Flicker may not be among the most common today, its origins can be traced back to the heart of medieval England, where it likely arose as a descriptive nickname for an individual's distinctive mannerisms or behavior.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flicker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flicker 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. Kent leads with 25 Flickers recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.26x.

County Total Index
Kent 25 6.26x
Middlesex 22 1.88x
Somerset 18 9.56x
Gloucestershire 9 3.92x
Staffordshire 9 2.28x
Berkshire 7 7.97x
Glamorgan 6 2.94x
Surrey 6 1.05x
Hampshire 4 1.67x
Lanarkshire 3 0.79x
Durham 2 0.57x
Monmouthshire 2 2.36x
Royal Navy 2 14.34x
Essex 1 0.43x
Herefordshire 1 2.08x
Sussex 1 0.51x
Warwickshire 1 0.34x
Wiltshire 1 0.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol Temple in Gloucestershire leads with 9 Flickers recorded in 1881 and an index of 596.03x.

Place Total Index
Bristol Temple 9 596.03x
Darlaston 9 164.84x
Fulham London 8 47.14x
Erith 7 178.12x
Newbury 7 249.11x
Tottenham 6 32.19x
Ystradyfodwg 6 33.56x
Cheriton 5 306.75x
Wincanton 5 515.46x
Alverstoke 4 46.08x
Bedminster 4 22.60x
Bexley 4 113.31x
Radstock 4 322.58x
Barony 3 3.13x
Kilmington 3 1578.95x
Lewisham 3 14.09x
Plumstead 3 22.54x
Ratcliffe London 3 46.44x
Aberystruth 2 26.81x
Bermondsey 2 5.74x
Crayford 2 114.94x
Croydon 2 6.32x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 13.26x
Hendon 2 47.51x
Royal Navy 2 16.78x
South Mimms 2 125.00x
Wookey 2 476.19x
Birmingham 1 1.02x
Camberwell 1 1.34x
Chirton 1 714.29x
Clapham 1 6.84x
Lugwardine 1 333.33x
Rumbolds Wyke 1 277.78x
West Ham 1 1.96x
Westminster St Margaret 1 17.70x
Woolwich 1 6.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 8
Ann 4
Elizabeth 4
Alice 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
Matilda 2
Agness 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Jemima 1
Kzia 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
May 1
Mellesa 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 7
Thomas 7
William 6
Edward 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
James 2
John 2
Willm. 2
Alfred 1
Antony 1
Arthur 1
Augustus 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Jhon 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Maurice 1
Nelson 1
Samuel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Flicker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flicker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 118 people were recorded with the Flicker surname. That placed it at #17,935 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flicker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 136 in 2016. That gives Flicker a modern rank of #25,377.

What does the Flicker surname mean?

A descriptive surname relating to someone with a quick, flickering motion.

What does the Flicker map show?

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