UK surname
An English surname derived from the given name Humphrey, possibly meaning "peaceful warrior".
In the 1881 census there were 289 people recorded with the Humphery surname, ranking it #9,968 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 72, ranked #33,585, down from #9,968 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Humphery is 895 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 75.1%.
1881 census count
289
Ranked #9,968
Modern count
72
2016, ranked #33,585
Peak year
1861
895 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Humphery surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Humphery surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 356 | #6,636 |
| 1861 | historical | 895 | #3,091 |
| 1881 | historical | 289 | #9,968 |
| 1891 | historical | 581 | #6,569 |
| 1901 | historical | 295 | #11,783 |
| 1911 | historical | 200 | #14,960 |
| 1997 | modern | 72 | #30,415 |
| 1998 | modern | 71 | #30,869 |
| 1999 | modern | 76 | #30,546 |
| 2000 | modern | 67 | #31,473 |
| 2001 | modern | 67 | #31,297 |
| 2002 | modern | 66 | #31,821 |
| 2003 | modern | 62 | #32,258 |
| 2004 | modern | 61 | #32,581 |
| 2005 | modern | 52 | #33,619 |
| 2006 | modern | 51 | #33,992 |
| 2007 | modern | 55 | #33,965 |
| 2008 | modern | 56 | #34,084 |
| 2009 | modern | 60 | #33,989 |
| 2010 | modern | 69 | #33,560 |
| 2011 | modern | 72 | #33,323 |
| 2012 | modern | 71 | #33,573 |
| 2013 | modern | 72 | #33,631 |
| 2014 | modern | 69 | #33,833 |
| 2015 | modern | 70 | #33,717 |
| 2016 | modern | 72 | #33,585 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough, St Pancras, St Marylebone and Romney, New. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 2 | Tunbridge, Bidborough | Kent |
| 3 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 4 | St Marylebone | London (North Districts) |
| 5 | Romney, New | Kent |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Humphery surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Humphery, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Humphery surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Humphery household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Humphery is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Humphery is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Humphery, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Humphery is of English origin, derived from the Medieval personal name Humfrey, itself a Norman-French form of the Old Germanic name Hunfrid, composed of the elements "hun" meaning "bear" and "frid" meaning "peace." The name was introduced to England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where an individual named Humfridus is mentioned as a landholder in Suffolk. Over the centuries, various spellings emerged, including Humphrey, Humfrey, and Humphery, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
A notable early bearer of the name was Gilbert Humphery (c. 1310-1362), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1348 until his death. Another prominent figure was Sir William Humphery (c. 1450-1519), a courtier and diplomat during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII.
In the 16th century, the name Humphery was found in various locations across England, including the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Norfolk, suggesting its dispersal from its initial Norman roots. One example is John Humphery (c. 1550-1620), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset, whose family held estates in the village of Humphery Quintock.
The 17th century saw the rise of several notable Humpherys, including Sir William Humphery (1580-1654), a judge and Member of Parliament during the English Civil War, and Samuel Humphery (1628-1695), a renowned Puritan minister and author from Essex.
In the 18th century, the Humphery name gained prominence in the literary world with the poet and essayist Ozias Humphry (1742-1810), whose works were widely acclaimed during his lifetime. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Humphery (1707-1789), a successful merchant and philanthropist from London, who funded the establishment of several schools and charitable institutions.
Throughout its history, the surname Humphery has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, politicians, authors, and businessmen, reflecting its enduring presence and versatility within English society.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Humphery surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 41 Humpherys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.26x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 41 | 4.26x |
| Middlesex | 29 | 1.03x |
| Sussex | 28 | 5.89x |
| Surrey | 26 | 1.89x |
| Durham | 19 | 2.27x |
| Norfolk | 18 | 4.15x |
| Essex | 17 | 3.05x |
| Yorkshire | 15 | 0.54x |
| Bedfordshire | 13 | 8.91x |
| Lincolnshire | 13 | 2.88x |
| Northamptonshire | 11 | 4.15x |
| Warwickshire | 9 | 1.27x |
| Northumberland | 8 | 1.91x |
| Hertfordshire | 7 | 3.60x |
| Suffolk | 7 | 2.04x |
| Denbighshire | 4 | 3.76x |
| Devon | 4 | 0.68x |
| Hampshire | 4 | 0.69x |
| Nottinghamshire | 4 | 1.05x |
| Aberdeenshire | 2 | 0.77x |
| Caernarfonshire | 2 | 1.75x |
| Angus | 1 | 0.38x |
| Banffshire | 1 | 1.71x |
| Berkshire | 1 | 0.47x |
| Buckinghamshire | 1 | 0.59x |
| Cambridgeshire | 1 | 0.56x |
| Dorset | 1 | 0.54x |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | 0.18x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.03x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Houghton Regis in Bedfordshire leads with 11 Humpherys recorded in 1881 and an index of 472.10x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Humphery surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 13 |
| Elizabeth | 12 |
| Ann | 10 |
| Sarah | 9 |
| Alice | 7 |
| Ellen | 6 |
| Emily | 6 |
| Jane | 5 |
| Catherine | 4 |
| Ada | 3 |
| Annie | 3 |
| Edith | 3 |
| Eliza | 3 |
| Emma | 3 |
| Florence | 3 |
| Hannah | 3 |
| Louisa | 3 |
| Maria | 3 |
| Susan | 3 |
| Caroline | 2 |
| Lucy | 2 |
| Rosetta | 2 |
| Amelia | 1 |
| Christianna | 1 |
| Cicely | 1 |
| Clara | 1 |
| Dorcas | 1 |
| Elizth. | 1 |
| Esther | 1 |
| Frances | 1 |
| Georgina | 1 |
| Grace | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Hester | 1 |
| Isabella | 1 |
| Janet | 1 |
| Jemima | 1 |
| Julia | 1 |
| Kate | 1 |
| Laura | 1 |
| Lily | 1 |
| Lizzie | 1 |
| Loure | 1 |
| Mabel | 1 |
| Margarett | 1 |
| Marion | 1 |
| Matilda | 1 |
| Neville | 1 |
| Octavia | 1 |
| Walter | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Humphery surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| John | 21 |
| William | 15 |
| Thomas | 11 |
| George | 8 |
| Alfred | 6 |
| James | 6 |
| Robert | 5 |
| Charles | 4 |
| Edward | 4 |
| Frederick | 4 |
| Harry | 4 |
| Herbert | 4 |
| Joseph | 4 |
| Richard | 3 |
| Arthur | 2 |
| Austen | 2 |
| Daniel | 2 |
| Edmund | 2 |
| Frank | 2 |
| Albert | 1 |
| Andrew | 1 |
| Benjamin | 1 |
| Clarence | 1 |
| Cyril | 1 |
| Dan | 1 |
| David | 1 |
| Dick | 1 |
| Eric | 1 |
| Ernest | 1 |
| Fred | 1 |
| Harvey | 1 |
| Henry | 1 |
| Jabez | 1 |
| Jonothan | 1 |
| Micheal | 1 |
| Millicent | 1 |
| Morgan | 1 |
| Morley | 1 |
| Reginald | 1 |
| Samuel | 1 |
| Simon | 1 |
| Stephen | 1 |
| Walter | 1 |
| Wilfred | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 289 people were recorded with the Humphery surname. That placed it at #9,968 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 72 in 2016. That gives Humphery a modern rank of #33,585.
An English surname derived from the given name Humphrey, possibly meaning "peaceful warrior".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Humphery bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.