NameCensus.

UK surname

Flower

An occupational surname for someone who gathered or sold flowers, or lived near a meadow or prominent flowering plant.

In the 1881 census there were 2,918 people recorded with the Flower surname, ranking it #1,536 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,683, ranked #1,851, down from #1,536 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Bedminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, Blaenau Gwent and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flower is 4,164 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.2%.

1881 census count

2,918

Ranked #1,536

Modern count

3,683

2016, ranked #1,851

Peak year

1911

4,164 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flower had 2,918 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,536 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,683 in 2016, ranked #1,851.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,164 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Flower surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flower surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flower 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 2,542 #1,166
1861 historical 2,404 #1,219
1881 historical 2,918 #1,536
1891 historical 3,074 #1,531
1901 historical 3,551 #1,573
1911 historical 4,164 #1,245
1997 modern 3,910 #1,665
1998 modern 4,009 #1,685
1999 modern 4,016 #1,694
2000 modern 4,003 #1,688
2001 modern 3,887 #1,704
2002 modern 3,905 #1,736
2003 modern 3,846 #1,728
2004 modern 3,826 #1,736
2005 modern 3,768 #1,740
2006 modern 3,730 #1,759
2007 modern 3,706 #1,781
2008 modern 3,729 #1,779
2009 modern 3,802 #1,787
2010 modern 3,831 #1,814
2011 modern 3,793 #1,809
2012 modern 3,687 #1,829
2013 modern 3,790 #1,809
2014 modern 3,804 #1,809
2015 modern 3,725 #1,831
2016 modern 3,683 #1,851

Geography

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Where Flowers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster 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 Derbyshire Dales, Blaenau Gwent, Cornwall, Chichester and Point. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Bedminster Somerset
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 008 Derbyshire Dales
2 Blaenau Gwent 005 Blaenau Gwent
3 Cornwall 003 Cornwall
4 Chichester 013 Chichester
5 Point Na h-Eileanan Siar

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flower

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flower

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Flower is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Flower is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Flower

The surname Flower has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "floure" or the Anglo-Norman French word "flour," both of which refer to a blossom or flower. The surname likely emerged as a descriptive name, initially given to individuals who lived near a garden or meadow, or perhaps had a connection to the cultivation of flowers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Flower surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a 13th-century census document. This record mentions a William Flowere, suggesting the presence of the surname in the region during that time period. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166 list a Richard Flur, which could be an early variant spelling.

In the 14th century, the Flower surname appeared in various historical records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Floure was mentioned in 1345. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 also referenced a Ralph Flowere.

Notable individuals with the Flower surname throughout history include William Flower (c. 1498-1588), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as a chaplain to King Edward VI. Another prominent figure was Benjamin Flower (1755-1829), a British political writer and radical publisher known for his advocacy of parliamentary reform.

In the realm of literature, Roswell Pitkin Flower (1835-1899) was an American author and journalist, best known for his works on the history of the State of Wisconsin. The surname also has associations with military service, as exemplified by Sir Walter Nugent Flower (1873-1964), a British Army officer who fought in the Second Boer War and World War I.

Across the Atlantic, one notable bearer of the Flower surname was Peniston Flower (1592-1670), an early settler in Virginia who served as a member of the House of Burgesses and played a role in the establishment of the Virginia Colony.

While the Flower surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name contributing to diverse fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flower families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flower 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 515 Flowers recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.21x.

County Total Index
Somerset 515 11.21x
Middlesex 429 1.50x
Yorkshire 397 1.40x
Wiltshire 176 6.97x
Surrey 174 1.25x
Lancashire 123 0.36x
Staffordshire 109 1.13x
Gloucestershire 99 1.77x
Nottinghamshire 90 2.34x
Hampshire 79 1.35x
Monmouthshire 78 3.78x
Warwickshire 74 1.03x
Dorset 68 3.63x
Kent 57 0.59x
Essex 50 0.89x
Derbyshire 48 1.07x
Lincolnshire 43 0.94x
Glamorgan 37 0.74x
Suffolk 35 1.01x
Leicestershire 31 0.98x
Durham 28 0.33x
Devon 27 0.45x
Sussex 26 0.54x
Norfolk 20 0.46x
Berkshire 17 0.79x
Hertfordshire 11 0.56x
Cheshire 9 0.14x
Clackmannanshire 9 3.82x
Bedfordshire 8 0.54x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.46x
Northamptonshire 8 0.30x
Herefordshire 7 0.60x
Royal Navy 5 1.47x
Kincardineshire 4 1.15x
Oxfordshire 4 0.23x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.25x
Cornwall 3 0.09x
Lanarkshire 3 0.03x
Northumberland 3 0.07x
Worcestershire 3 0.08x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.22x
Channel Islands 1 0.12x
Flintshire 1 0.13x
Roxburghshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedminster in Somerset leads with 79 Flowers recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.30x.

Place Total Index
Bedminster 79 18.30x
Islington London 48 1.74x
Bethnal Green London 45 3.63x
Lambeth 41 1.65x
Paulton 39 185.45x
Aberystruth 36 19.80x
St Pancras London 36 1.57x
Chelsea London 34 3.95x
Brightside Bierlow 31 5.59x
Publow 31 591.60x
Farmborough 30 363.20x
St Marylebone London 30 1.97x
Twerton 30 63.34x
Stone 29 23.54x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 28 5.31x
Timsbury 28 201.15x
Gillingham 27 83.90x
Newington 27 2.56x
Portsea 27 2.36x
Walcot 25 10.22x
Shoreditch London 23 1.86x
Leicester St Margaret 22 2.85x
Bedwellty 21 5.77x
Sheffield 21 2.33x
Birmingham 20 0.83x
Camberwell 20 1.10x
Mile End Old Town London 19 3.13x
Nether Hallam 19 4.97x
Wakefield 19 8.75x
Westbury 19 32.26x
Nottingham St Mary 18 1.81x
Frome 17 15.48x
Hampstead London 17 3.83x
Melksham 17 38.80x
Poplar London 17 3.16x
Rothwell 17 29.77x
Southampton St Mary 16 4.35x
Derby St Alkmund 15 11.20x
Great Yarmouth 15 4.13x
Laycock 15 131.12x
Bathwick 14 27.54x
Cheetham 14 5.54x
East Knoyle 14 163.17x
Ecclesall Bierlow 14 2.43x
Hackney London 14 0.88x
Kensington London 14 0.88x
Yeovil 14 15.00x
Battersea 13 1.24x
Epping 13 56.82x
Guisbrough 13 21.04x
Holy Trinity 13 1.91x
Pensford St Thomas 13 501.93x
Stranton 13 4.55x
Trevethin 13 6.67x
Whepstead 13 217.03x
Aston 12 0.61x
Binegar 12 459.77x
Cannock 12 7.14x
Castleford 12 11.66x
Cherry Burton 12 267.86x
Clerkenwell London 12 1.78x
Everton 12 1.11x
Llantrisant 12 9.58x
Old Stratford 12 29.46x
Toxteth Park 12 1.05x
Wellow 12 88.82x
Chapel Allerton 11 26.00x
Compton Dando 11 343.75x
Corsham 11 29.88x
Heaton Norris 11 5.71x
Spotland 11 2.92x
St George Hanover Square 11 2.19x
Whitwell 11 61.90x
Bedale 10 97.18x
Croydon 10 1.30x
Derby St Werburgh 10 3.88x
Ecclesfield 10 4.82x
Ryde 10 7.96x
St Lawrence 10 14.94x
West Knoyle 10 515.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 181
Elizabeth 110
Sarah 86
Ann 57
Emma 57
Eliza 48
Ellen 48
Emily 48
Jane 46
Annie 38
Alice 35
Louisa 31
Ada 26
Harriet 25
Edith 24
Hannah 21
Anne 20
Martha 20
Kate 19
Rose 19
Charlotte 16
Florence 16
Clara 14
Margaret 13
Maria 13
Frances 12
Agnes 11
Amelia 10
Caroline 10
Susan 10
Esther 9
Isabella 9
Julia 9
Matilda 9
Catherine 8
Ethel 8
Fanny 8
Henrietta 8
Jessie 8
Lucy 8
Sophia 8
Harriett 7
Lydia 7
Beatrice 6
Gertrude 6
Grace 6
Lilian 6
May 6
Minnie 6
Rebecca 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 161
John 150
George 120
Henry 89
Thomas 81
Charles 69
James 68
Joseph 40
Arthur 36
Edward 33
Walter 30
Albert 29
Alfred 27
Frederick 27
Robert 27
Frank 25
Edwin 21
Harry 18
Ernest 17
Richard 16
Herbert 15
Samuel 15
Francis 11
Tom 11
Farnham 10
David 9
Isaac 8
Fred 7
Benjamin 6
Percy 6
Alexander 5
Cornelius 5
Daniel 5
Edwd. 4
Simon 4
Victor 4
Chas. 3
Clarence 3
Clement 3
Earnest 3
Edgar 3
Fred. 3
Fredk. 3
Geo. 3
Jesse 3
Jonas 3
Lamorock 3
Oliver 3
Stephen 3
Sydney 3

FAQ

Flower surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flower surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,918 people were recorded with the Flower surname. That placed it at #1,536 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flower surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,683 in 2016. That gives Flower a modern rank of #1,851.

What does the Flower surname mean?

An occupational surname for someone who gathered or sold flowers, or lived near a meadow or prominent flowering plant.

What does the Flower map show?

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