NameCensus.

UK surname

Highmore

In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Highmore surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 131, ranked #26,004, down from #18,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Combe St Nicholas, Yeovil and Richmond. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carlisle, Wiltshire and North Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Highmore is 173 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.1%.

1881 census count

110

Ranked #18,695

Modern count

131

2016, ranked #26,004

Peak year

1911

173 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Highmore had 110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016, ranked #26,004.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 173 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Highmore surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Highmore surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Highmore 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 110 #18,695
1891 historical 129 #20,285
1901 historical 155 #17,704
1911 historical 173 #16,361
1997 modern 130 #23,021
1998 modern 118 #25,041
1999 modern 126 #24,239
2000 modern 123 #24,585
2001 modern 130 #23,457
2002 modern 141 #22,794
2003 modern 134 #23,260
2004 modern 144 #22,379
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 136 #23,378
2007 modern 146 #22,596
2008 modern 148 #22,627
2009 modern 143 #23,686
2010 modern 146 #23,921
2011 modern 144 #23,962
2012 modern 131 #25,439
2013 modern 137 #25,149
2014 modern 136 #25,452
2015 modern 137 #25,226
2016 modern 131 #26,004

Geography

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Where Highmores are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Combe St Nicholas, Yeovil, Richmond, Sherborne 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 Carlisle, Wiltshire, North Somerset, Warrington and Eastleigh. 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 Combe St Nicholas Somerset
2 Yeovil Somerset
3 Richmond Surrey
4 Sherborne Dorset
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carlisle 001 Carlisle
2 Wiltshire 010 Wiltshire
3 North Somerset 023 North Somerset
4 Warrington 025 Warrington
5 Eastleigh 013 Eastleigh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Highmore

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Highmore

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Highmore surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Highmore household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Highmore 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

Highmore is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Highmore falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Highmore families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Highmore 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 16 Highmores recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.26x.

County Total Index
Somerset 16 9.26x
Middlesex 15 1.40x
Cumberland 14 15.15x
Surrey 14 2.68x
Dorset 13 18.46x
Lancashire 10 0.79x
Devon 7 3.13x
Hampshire 6 2.73x
Wiltshire 5 5.27x
Yorkshire 4 0.38x
Pembrokeshire 2 5.87x
Kent 1 0.27x
Lincolnshire 1 0.58x
Northamptonshire 1 0.99x
Staffordshire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sebergham in Cumberland leads with 8 Highmores recorded in 1881 and an index of 4000.00x.

Place Total Index
Sebergham 8 4000.00x
Sherborne 8 386.47x
Flimby 6 769.23x
Lambeth 6 6.41x
Millbrook 6 108.30x
Richmond 6 81.86x
West Derby 6 16.11x
Whatley 5 3125.00x
Yeovil 5 142.45x
Bethnal Green London 4 8.58x
Bradford On Avon 4 131.58x
Combe St Nicholas 4 952.38x
Brixham 3 115.83x
Oldham 3 7.30x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 17.43x
Skipton 3 89.55x
St George In East London 3 29.73x
Winterborne Came 3 6000.00x
Hampton London 2 113.64x
Mile End Old Town London 2 8.76x
Tenby St Mary In 2 114.94x
Walcot 2 21.74x
Camberwell 1 1.46x
Chelsea London 1 3.09x
Corsham 1 72.46x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 1 175.44x
Hammersmith London 1 3.78x
Kensington London 1 1.68x
Longburton 1 714.29x
Maidstone 1 9.17x
Newton 1 10.19x
Northampton St Giles 1 26.04x
Penge 1 14.60x
Scawby 1 175.44x
Sculcoates 1 5.93x
St Ann Blackfriars London 1 500.00x
Stone 1 21.60x
Upottery 1 370.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 11
John 7
George 5
Joseph 5
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Nathaniel 2
Albert 1
Fredk.John 1
Geo. 1
James 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Highmore surname: questions and answers

How common was the Highmore surname in 1881?

In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Highmore surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Highmore surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016. That gives Highmore a modern rank of #26,004.

What does the Highmore map show?

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