NameCensus.

UK surname

Glover

An occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold gloves.

In the 1881 census there were 12,759 people recorded with the Glover surname, ranking it #323 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17,281, ranked #356, down from #323 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, North East Lincolnshire and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Glover is 17,916 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.4%.

1881 census count

12,759

Ranked #323

Modern count

17,281

2016, ranked #356

Peak year

1999

17,916 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Glover had 12,759 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #323 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 17,281 in 2016, ranked #356.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 16,526 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Glover surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Glover surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Glover 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 8,426 #320
1861 historical 8,310 #332
1881 historical 12,759 #323
1891 historical 13,208 #330
1901 historical 15,705 #327
1911 historical 16,526 #291
1997 modern 17,001 #347
1998 modern 17,723 #348
1999 modern 17,916 #346
2000 modern 17,749 #347
2001 modern 17,307 #350
2002 modern 17,635 #351
2003 modern 17,245 #347
2004 modern 17,213 #347
2005 modern 17,052 #344
2006 modern 17,028 #344
2007 modern 17,113 #346
2008 modern 17,158 #348
2009 modern 17,590 #349
2010 modern 17,892 #349
2011 modern 17,538 #350
2012 modern 17,131 #353
2013 modern 17,492 #357
2014 modern 17,540 #356
2015 modern 17,369 #356
2016 modern 17,281 #356

Geography

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Where Glovers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, North East Lincolnshire, St. Helens and Torridge. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 018 Wigan
2 North East Lincolnshire 001 North East Lincolnshire
3 St. Helens 007 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 012 St. Helens
5 Torridge 004 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Glover

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Glover

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Glover 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

Glover 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

Glover falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Glover

The surname Glover is an occupational name that originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "glof," which means a glove. This name was given to individuals whose primary occupation was making and selling gloves.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Glover can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century. These rolls were administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer. The name also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror.

In the 13th century, the spelling of the name varied, with forms such as "le Glovere," "Glovare," and "Glowere" appearing in various records. These variations reflect the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time. The standardized spelling of "Glover" emerged in the 14th century and has remained relatively consistent since then.

Notable historical figures with the surname Glover include Sir Thomas Glovers (c. 1595-1653), an English merchant and governor of the East India Company's settlement in Surat, India. Another prominent individual was Richard Glover (1712-1785), an English poet and writer best known for his epic poem "Leonidas."

The Glover family has strong ties to the English county of Warwickshire, where they held significant landholdings and influence. The village of Glover's Green in Warwickshire likely derived its name from this family's presence in the area. Additionally, the Glover's Pipe Roll of 1271 contains valuable information about land ownership and taxation in Warwickshire during the medieval period.

Other notable individuals with the surname Glover include:

1. John Glover (1767-1849), an English-born American painter known for his landscapes of the Hudson River Valley. 2. Crispin Glover (born 1964), an American actor and filmmaker known for his roles in films like "Back to the Future" and "Charlie's Angels." 3. Amanda Glover (born 1974), a Canadian actress and singer best known for her role as Francine Rancourt in the TV series "Heartland." 4. Danny Glover (born 1946), an American actor and political activist known for films like "Lethal Weapon" and "The Color Purple." 5. Roger Glover (born 1945), an English bassist and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Deep Purple.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Glover families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Glover 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. Lancashire leads with 2,476 Glovers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.68x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,476 1.68x
Yorkshire 1,417 1.15x
Middlesex 1,160 0.93x
Staffordshire 1,082 2.57x
Surrey 662 1.09x
Warwickshire 636 2.02x
Leicestershire 598 4.33x
Kent 528 1.24x
Nottinghamshire 351 2.09x
Worcestershire 333 2.05x
Devon 310 1.20x
Lincolnshire 292 1.47x
Cheshire 278 1.01x
Derbyshire 239 1.23x
Hampshire 183 0.72x
Somerset 163 0.81x
Durham 158 0.43x
Gloucestershire 156 0.64x
Essex 141 0.57x
Northamptonshire 127 1.08x
Lanarkshire 125 0.31x
Sussex 111 0.53x
Shropshire 94 0.87x
Glamorgan 85 0.39x
Midlothian 82 0.49x
Huntingdonshire 79 3.19x
Norfolk 72 0.38x
Ayrshire 67 0.72x
Cumberland 66 0.62x
Renfrewshire 64 0.66x
Northumberland 59 0.32x
Wiltshire 55 0.50x
Dumfriesshire 51 1.85x
Cambridgeshire 47 0.60x
Kirkcudbrightshire 45 2.50x
Hertfordshire 37 0.43x
Cornwall 34 0.24x
Westmorland 29 1.06x
Rutland 28 3.06x
Suffolk 26 0.17x
Dorset 23 0.28x
Berkshire 22 0.24x
Bedfordshire 19 0.29x
Fife 19 0.26x
Roxburghshire 18 0.80x
Aberdeenshire 13 0.11x
Argyllshire 12 0.35x
Buckinghamshire 12 0.16x
Angus 11 0.10x
Monmouthshire 11 0.12x
Dunbartonshire 9 0.27x
Oxfordshire 8 0.10x
Wigtownshire 8 0.48x
Sutherland 6 0.63x
Royal Navy 5 0.34x
Denbighshire 4 0.09x
Perthshire 4 0.07x
Herefordshire 3 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.08x
Stirlingshire 3 0.07x
Berwickshire 1 0.07x
Brecknockshire 1 0.04x
Buteshire 1 0.13x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.02x
Cardiganshire 1 0.03x
Channel Islands 1 0.03x
East Lothian 1 0.06x
Peeblesshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 215 Glovers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.05x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 215 2.05x
Islington London 189 1.57x
Stoke Upon Trent 164 3.68x
Aston 158 1.83x
Camberwell 135 1.70x
Nottingham St Mary 133 3.06x
Lambeth 132 1.22x
Pudsey 127 19.25x
Windle 121 14.55x
Leeds 106 1.52x
Leicester St Margaret 99 2.94x
West Derby 99 2.29x
Eccleston In Prescot 97 13.07x
West Ham 93 1.71x
St Pancras London 92 0.92x
Leicester St Mary 84 7.53x
Hackney London 83 1.19x
Everton 81 1.72x
Liverpool 76 0.85x
St Marylebone London 75 1.13x
Parr 74 14.00x
West Bromwich 72 2.99x
Shoreditch London 70 1.30x
Walsall Foreign 70 3.22x
Wigan 70 3.39x
Idle 68 11.88x
Wolverhampton 65 2.01x
Bethnal Green London 64 1.18x
Cronton 62 310.78x
Hindley 62 9.84x
Birkenhead 61 2.78x
Clerkenwell London 61 2.08x
Upholland 60 31.68x
Bideford 57 20.53x
Toxteth Park 55 1.10x
Bermondsey 54 1.46x
Newington 54 1.17x
Portsea 52 1.04x
Great Gidding 49 237.98x
Warrington 49 2.80x
Audley 48 11.54x
Barony 48 0.47x
Deptford St Paul 48 1.46x
Widnes 48 4.50x
Rainford 47 29.41x
Little Bolton 43 2.26x
Morley 43 6.70x
Stone 43 8.00x
Tipton 43 3.34x
Atherton 42 7.81x
Bramley In Bramley 42 8.89x
Pemberton 42 7.13x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 41 9.15x
Ashton Under Lyne 39 1.21x
Greenwich 39 1.97x
Mile End Old Town London 39 1.47x
Preston 39 0.99x
Southwark St George Martyr 39 1.56x
Stafford St Mary 39 6.55x
Worcester St Peter 39 12.67x
Kensington London 37 0.53x
St George Hanover Square 37 1.69x
Croydon 36 1.07x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 36 8.17x
Great Grimsby 35 2.77x
Kirkdale 35 1.41x
Fulham London 34 1.88x
Northam 34 18.00x
Hunslet 33 1.71x
Orrell 33 17.96x
Snenton 33 5.00x
Tottenham 33 1.66x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 32 1.39x
Carleton Rode 32 96.74x
Wakefield 32 3.38x
Bulwell 31 8.49x
Clapham 31 1.99x
Coventry St Michael 31 3.07x
Lower Mitton 31 21.63x
Salford 31 0.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 882
Elizabeth 498
Sarah 473
Ann 278
Jane 223
Ellen 213
Alice 203
Annie 189
Eliza 175
Emma 162
Hannah 147
Emily 144
Margaret 135
Martha 95
Florence 88
Harriet 80
Fanny 77
Charlotte 76
Louisa 75
Ada 71
Edith 71
Maria 70
Catherine 66
Clara 66
Caroline 61
Kate 51
Anne 50
Frances 45
Susan 45
Isabella 43
Lucy 43
Esther 40
Agnes 38
Harriett 37
Matilda 32
Amelia 30
Gertrude 30
Rose 30
Eleanor 27
Rebecca 27
Grace 26
Julia 25
Amy 24
Elizth. 21
Ethel 20
Selina 20
Jessie 19
Minnie 19
Susannah 19
Ruth 18

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 778
John 759
Thomas 444
George 425
James 388
Henry 269
Joseph 263
Charles 240
Alfred 142
Robert 132
Edward 128
Samuel 116
Richard 107
Arthur 106
Frederick 92
Walter 85
Albert 80
Herbert 59
Harry 53
Frank 51
Wm. 47
Edwin 42
Ernest 41
Thos. 41
Benjamin 40
Daniel 27
David 27
Fred 25
Geo. 25
Peter 24
Francis 22
Fredrick 22
Tom 22
Hugh 17
Fredk. 16
Isaac 16
Joshua 14
Eli 13
Percy 13
Andrew 12
Stephen 12
Frederic 11
Edmund 10
Horace 10
Philip 10
Alexander 9
Chas. 9
Joe 9
Josiah 9
Phillip 8

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 Glover households.

FAQ

Glover surname: questions and answers

How common was the Glover surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,759 people were recorded with the Glover surname. That placed it at #323 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Glover surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 17,281 in 2016. That gives Glover a modern rank of #356.

What does the Glover surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold gloves.

What does the Glover map show?

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