NameCensus.

UK surname

Glenister

A Scottish habitational name derived from a glen or valley of some significance.

In the 1881 census there were 509 people recorded with the Glenister surname, ranking it #6,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,069, ranked #5,471, up from #6,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and Watford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Carmarthenshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Glenister is 1,163 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 110.0%.

1881 census count

509

Ranked #6,690

Modern count

1,069

2016, ranked #5,471

Peak year

1999

1,163 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Glenister had 509 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,069 in 2016, ranked #5,471.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 956 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Glenister surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Glenister surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Glenister 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 319 #7,273
1861 historical 281 #8,921
1881 historical 509 #6,690
1891 historical 628 #6,158
1901 historical 813 #5,549
1911 historical 956 #4,713
1997 modern 1,115 #5,008
1998 modern 1,142 #5,097
1999 modern 1,163 #5,059
2000 modern 1,143 #5,096
2001 modern 1,110 #5,129
2002 modern 1,130 #5,169
2003 modern 1,089 #5,222
2004 modern 1,095 #5,205
2005 modern 1,062 #5,287
2006 modern 1,051 #5,337
2007 modern 1,059 #5,346
2008 modern 1,046 #5,443
2009 modern 1,065 #5,474
2010 modern 1,085 #5,502
2011 modern 1,053 #5,575
2012 modern 1,052 #5,484
2013 modern 1,072 #5,496
2014 modern 1,079 #5,501
2015 modern 1,058 #5,543
2016 modern 1,069 #5,471

Geography

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Where Glenisters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Watford and Hemel Hempstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Carmarthenshire, Wycombe and Southend-on-Sea. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Watford Hertfordshire
5 Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 018 Central Bedfordshire
2 Windsor and Maidenhead 002 Windsor and Maidenhead
3 Carmarthenshire 025 Carmarthenshire
4 Wycombe 024 Wycombe
5 Southend-on-Sea 001 Southend-on-Sea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Glenister

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Glenister

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Glenister is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Glenister is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Glenister falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Glenister

The surname Glenister is of English origin, derived from a place name in the county of Cumberland, now part of Cumbria. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th century, formed from the Old English words "glene" (meaning a valley or glen) and "ster" (a variant of the word "stor," meaning a dwelling or place).

The earliest known recorded instance of the name Glenister can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Cumberland from the year 1195, which mention a person named Edulphus de Glenistre. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Glenyster, Glenystre, and Glenestre, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common during that era. The Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland from 1332 list several individuals with the surname, including Johannes de Glenystre and Robertus de Glenestre.

During the 16th century, the name Glenister began to spread beyond its original geographic confines. One notable bearer was Sir John Glenister (1512-1582), a Member of Parliament for Westmorland and a prominent figure in the English Reformation.

In the 17th century, the surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Parish Registers of Kendal, where a marriage between Thomas Glenister and Anne Curwen was recorded in 1642.

The 18th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals bearing the Glenister name. Among them was William Glenister (1717-1790), a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London.

In the 19th century, the Glenister family continued to make its mark. One prominent figure was Sir Robert Glenister (1828-1902), a successful industrialist and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Birmingham.

Another notable Glenister was Edward Glenister (1865-1943), a renowned sculptor and medal designer who created numerous public monuments and works of art throughout the United Kingdom.

As the centuries passed, the Glenister surname spread across various regions of England and beyond, with bearers of the name making notable contributions in various fields, including politics, business, architecture, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Glenister families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Glenister 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. Middlesex leads with 157 Glenisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.16x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 157 3.16x
Hertfordshire 123 35.87x
Buckinghamshire 86 28.59x
Bedfordshire 50 19.41x
Surrey 35 1.44x
Sussex 19 2.27x
Lancashire 10 0.17x
Oxfordshire 7 2.28x
Durham 4 0.27x
Lincolnshire 4 0.50x
Staffordshire 4 0.24x
Suffolk 3 0.50x
Hampshire 2 0.20x
Somerset 2 0.25x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.32x
Essex 1 0.10x
Flintshire 1 0.75x
Gloucestershire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Luton in Bedfordshire leads with 35 Glenisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.49x.

Place Total Index
Luton 35 78.49x
Hemel Hempstead 32 207.12x
Lambeth 26 5.99x
Northchurch 26 710.38x
Islington London 25 5.18x
Wycombe 24 107.05x
St Pancras London 22 5.49x
Aylesbury 18 135.03x
St Marylebone London 18 6.78x
Watford 17 63.93x
Amersham 15 352.11x
Paddington London 14 7.65x
Chesham 13 117.33x
Hampstead London 12 15.49x
Hackney London 11 3.94x
Hastings St Mary In The 10 55.90x
Bovingdon 9 500.00x
Bushey 9 110.29x
Abbots Langley 8 157.17x
Clapham 8 12.86x
East Barnet 8 117.65x
Aston Cote 7 578.51x
Caddington 7 185.68x
Harrow On The Hill 7 70.42x
Bromley London 6 5.48x
Clerkenwell London 6 5.11x
Hastings Holy Trinity 6 97.09x
Shoreditch London 6 2.78x
Uxbridge 5 88.03x
West Derby 5 2.90x
Castle Church 4 39.64x
Castleton 4 6.79x
Chalfont St Peter 4 161.29x
Kings Langley 4 160.00x
Somerby In Grantham 4 198.02x
Stockton On Tees 4 5.61x
Wendover 4 123.46x
Bedford St Mary 3 45.25x
Berkhampstead 3 38.91x
Brighton 3 1.77x
Edgware 3 215.83x
Hillingdon 3 18.92x
Kensington London 3 1.08x
Newmarket St Mary 3 64.52x
Norton Folgate London 3 184.05x
St George Bloomsbury 3 10.51x
Stoke Mandeville 3 352.94x
Wootton 3 135.14x
Aldbury 2 129.03x
Ashford 2 50.89x
Bedminster 2 2.66x
Chelsea London 2 1.33x
Finchley 2 10.49x
Harpenden 2 38.24x
Holdenhurst 2 7.48x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.28x
Studham 2 140.85x
Wooburn 2 48.31x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 0.78x
Aston Clinton 1 39.22x
Battersea 1 0.55x
Chelmsford 1 5.93x
Fulham London 1 1.39x
Gloucester Longford St 1 75.76x
Great Missenden 1 26.95x
Hawarden 1 9.51x
Hedgerley Dean 1 285.71x
Little Gaddesden 1 156.25x
Newmarket All Sts 1 43.10x
Sarratt 1 84.03x
Westminster St John 1 1.65x
Wheathampstead 1 25.25x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Glenister surname: questions and answers

How common was the Glenister surname in 1881?

In 1881, 509 people were recorded with the Glenister surname. That placed it at #6,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Glenister surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,069 in 2016. That gives Glenister a modern rank of #5,471.

What does the Glenister surname mean?

A Scottish habitational name derived from a glen or valley of some significance.

What does the Glenister map show?

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