NameCensus.

UK surname

Homer

An occupational surname for a homing pigeon keeper or a maker of homing pigeons' cages.

In the 1881 census there were 2,274 people recorded with the Homer surname, ranking it #1,965 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,892, ranked #1,384, up from #1,965 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dudley, Rowley Regis and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley and Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Homer is 5,225 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 115.1%.

1881 census count

2,274

Ranked #1,965

Modern count

4,892

2016, ranked #1,384

Peak year

1999

5,225 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Homer had 2,274 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,965 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,892 in 2016, ranked #1,384.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,858 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Homer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Homer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Homer 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 1,718 #1,680
1861 historical 1,818 #1,595
1881 historical 2,274 #1,965
1891 historical 3,132 #1,508
1901 historical 4,085 #1,380
1911 historical 4,858 #1,071
1997 modern 4,989 #1,314
1998 modern 5,189 #1,308
1999 modern 5,225 #1,310
2000 modern 5,083 #1,344
2001 modern 5,009 #1,325
2002 modern 5,103 #1,326
2003 modern 4,968 #1,327
2004 modern 4,962 #1,325
2005 modern 4,854 #1,342
2006 modern 4,797 #1,363
2007 modern 4,777 #1,382
2008 modern 4,809 #1,382
2009 modern 4,905 #1,388
2010 modern 4,990 #1,394
2011 modern 4,985 #1,374
2012 modern 4,853 #1,382
2013 modern 4,947 #1,383
2014 modern 4,981 #1,380
2015 modern 4,946 #1,375
2016 modern 4,892 #1,384

Geography

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Where Homers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dudley, Rowley Regis, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire), Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley and Sandwell. 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 Dudley Staffordshire
2 Rowley Regis Staffordshire
3 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 025 Dudley
2 Sandwell 035 Sandwell
3 Dudley 033 Dudley
4 Dudley 027 Dudley
5 Dudley 032 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Homer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Homer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Homer, 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 Homer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Homer 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Homer is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Homer is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Homer falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Homer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Homer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Homer

The surname Homer originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "hom," which means a homestead or a dwelling place. This name was likely given to someone who lived in a remote or isolated area, or perhaps to someone who owned a homestead.

The earliest recorded instances of the Homer surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book lists several individuals with the surname Homer or similar spellings, such as Homere or Homere.

During the Middle Ages, the Homer surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. Some early examples of place names associated with the surname include Homer's Hill in Lincolnshire and Homer's Green in Norfolk.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Homer surname was John Homer, a merchant who lived in London during the 14th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Homer, a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Homer surname gained prominence with the rise of the poet John Homer (1585-1639), who is considered one of the leading figures of the English Renaissance. His most famous work is the epic poem "The Iliad," which tells the story of the Trojan War.

Another famous bearer of the Homer surname was Winslow Homer (1836-1910), an American landscape painter and printmaker who is widely regarded as one of the greatest American artists of the 19th century. His works often depicted scenes of rural life and coastal landscapes in New England.

Other notable individuals with the Homer surname include the English cricketer Jack Homer (1895-1952), who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century, and the American actor Buddy Homer (1928-2006), who appeared in numerous television shows and films throughout his career.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Homer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Homer 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. Staffordshire leads with 768 Homers recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.23x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 768 10.23x
Worcestershire 425 14.64x
Warwickshire 424 7.56x
Middlesex 101 0.45x
Yorkshire 90 0.41x
Lancashire 67 0.25x
Surrey 57 0.53x
Sussex 57 1.52x
Dorset 43 2.95x
Derbyshire 29 0.83x
Kent 24 0.32x
Durham 20 0.30x
Gloucestershire 16 0.37x
Cheshire 15 0.31x
Hampshire 15 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 13 0.43x
Leicestershire 11 0.45x
Lincolnshire 11 0.31x
Northumberland 10 0.30x
Essex 9 0.21x
Somerset 9 0.25x
Flintshire 8 1.34x
Monmouthshire 7 0.44x
Norfolk 6 0.18x
Lanarkshire 5 0.07x
Northamptonshire 5 0.24x
Berkshire 4 0.24x
Cardiganshire 4 0.74x
Herefordshire 4 0.44x
Renfrewshire 4 0.23x
Shropshire 4 0.21x
Royal Navy 3 1.13x
Wiltshire 3 0.15x
Channel Islands 2 0.30x
Devon 2 0.04x
Oxfordshire 2 0.15x
Radnorshire 1 0.56x
Wigtownshire 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rowley Regis in Staffordshire leads with 237 Homers recorded in 1881 and an index of 113.33x.

Place Total Index
Rowley Regis 237 113.33x
Kingswinford 229 84.05x
Dudley 209 59.22x
Aston 185 11.98x
Birmingham 165 8.83x
West Bromwich 65 15.13x
Walsall Foreign 48 12.38x
Lye 45 93.13x
Tipton 44 19.15x
Cradley 30 114.29x
Wolverhampton 27 4.68x
Amblecote 23 107.53x
Gradley 21 149.68x
St Pancras London 19 1.06x
Lambeth 18 0.93x
Everton 17 2.02x
Kings Norton 17 6.53x
Sedgley 17 6.10x
Selsey 17 246.38x
Halesowen 15 58.85x
Handsworth 15 8.11x
Sidlesham 15 208.04x
Hasbury 14 73.72x
Nether Hallam 14 4.70x
The Hill 14 75.11x
Wollescote 14 59.85x
Brightside Bierlow 13 3.01x
Hackney London 13 1.04x
Belper 12 17.78x
Bishopwearmouth 12 2.11x
Islington London 12 0.56x
Oldbury 12 8.40x
Bilston 10 6.88x
Toxteth Park 10 1.12x
Willenhall 10 7.11x
Kingston On Thames 9 3.46x
Mile End Old Town London 9 1.90x
Newington 9 1.10x
Westminster St James 9 3.94x
Bickenhill 8 206.19x
Brewood 8 36.99x
Hampton In Arden 8 161.94x
Harborne 8 3.33x
Hawarden Saltney 8 95.69x
Leamington Priors 8 5.80x
Wellington 8 16.49x
Wimborne 8 45.33x
Wolstanton 8 3.51x
Allesley 7 94.98x
Bedworth 7 17.11x
Bromsgrove 7 7.16x
Coventry Holy Trinity 7 4.18x
Exhall 7 82.35x
Leeds 7 0.56x
Monks Coppenhall 7 3.78x
Pagham 7 105.74x
South Bersted 7 21.96x
Stapenhill 7 13.51x
Whitwood 7 22.37x
Wollaston 7 38.00x
Wortley In Bramley 7 4.01x
Clifton 6 2.72x
Deptford St Paul 6 1.03x
Ecclesfield 6 3.71x
Edgbaston 6 3.45x
Hinckley 6 10.26x
Louth 6 7.37x
Owermoigne 6 186.34x
Portsea 6 0.67x
Salford 6 0.77x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 0.75x
Streatham 6 3.64x
Tarrant Crawford 6 1304.35x
Aberystruth 5 3.53x
Barton Upon Irwell 5 2.52x
Cannock 5 3.82x
Greenwich 5 1.41x
Holdenhurst 5 4.18x
Normanton 5 7.55x
North Walsham 5 20.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 119
Sarah 106
Elizabeth 79
Ann 53
Emma 47
Jane 37
Alice 36
Eliza 34
Ellen 27
Hannah 27
Annie 24
Emily 22
Martha 21
Caroline 17
Clara 17
Florence 17
Harriet 17
Louisa 17
Ada 14
Edith 12
Maria 12
Matilda 12
Lucy 11
Anne 10
Fanny 10
Phoebe 10
Charlotte 9
Amy 8
Frances 8
Catherine 7
Esther 7
Amelia 6
Harriett 6
Kate 6
Margaret 6
Selina 6
Sophia 6
Agnes 5
Julia 5
Nancy 5
Rebecca 5
Ruth 5
Henrietta 4
Laura 4
Pheobe 4
Rachel 4
Isabella 3
Judith 3
Leah 3
Mira 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 141
John 108
Joseph 72
James 68
Thomas 68
George 51
Henry 48
Charles 45
Benjamin 40
Samuel 32
Alfred 31
Harry 23
Edward 22
Albert 20
Arthur 20
Walter 20
Frederick 19
Richard 17
Ernest 15
Daniel 13
Edwin 10
David 9
Robert 9
Caleb 6
Isaac 6
Mark 6
Frank 5
Jesse 5
Andrew 4
Cornelius 4
Enoch 4
Ezra 4
Herbert 4
Job 4
Percy 4
Stephen 4
Willm. 4
Eli 3
Fredk. 3
Jabez 3
Nehemiah 3
Neri 3
Paul 3
Roland 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Adam 2
Levi 2
Noah 2
Obedia 2

FAQ

Homer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Homer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,274 people were recorded with the Homer surname. That placed it at #1,965 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Homer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,892 in 2016. That gives Homer a modern rank of #1,384.

What does the Homer surname mean?

An occupational surname for a homing pigeon keeper or a maker of homing pigeons' cages.

What does the Homer map show?

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