NameCensus.

UK surname

Humphries

From the Old French personal name Humfrey, meaning "peaceful warrior" or "home peace."

In the 1881 census there were 6,748 people recorded with the Humphries surname, ranking it #627 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 11,686, ranked #558, up from #627 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Kidderminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Liverpool and North Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Humphries is 12,252 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.2%.

1881 census count

6,748

Ranked #627

Modern count

11,686

2016, ranked #558

Peak year

1999

12,252 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Humphries had 6,748 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #627 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 11,686 in 2016, ranked #558.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9,556 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Humphries surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Humphries surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Humphries 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 3,061 #944
1861 historical 2,907 #991
1881 historical 6,748 #627
1891 historical 6,544 #697
1901 historical 8,884 #593
1911 historical 9,556 #516
1997 modern 11,623 #525
1998 modern 12,197 #522
1999 modern 12,252 #523
2000 modern 12,191 #523
2001 modern 11,963 #522
2002 modern 12,208 #523
2003 modern 11,793 #530
2004 modern 11,716 #535
2005 modern 11,433 #537
2006 modern 11,342 #545
2007 modern 11,384 #547
2008 modern 11,410 #549
2009 modern 11,691 #551
2010 modern 11,888 #558
2011 modern 11,785 #556
2012 modern 11,708 #551
2013 modern 11,956 #549
2014 modern 11,980 #554
2015 modern 11,810 #556
2016 modern 11,686 #558

Geography

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Where Humphries' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Kidderminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Liverpool, North Dorset, South Staffordshire 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Kidderminster Worcestershire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 035 Shropshire
2 Liverpool 059 Liverpool
3 North Dorset 003 North Dorset
4 South Staffordshire 005 South Staffordshire
5 Sandwell 035 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Humphries

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Humphries

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Humphries 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

Humphries is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Humphries 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 Humphries 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 Humphries, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Humphries

The surname HUMPHRIES is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Humphrey. This name is thought to have originated from the Old German name Hunfrid, meaning "peaceful traveler" or "home ruler."

The earliest recorded use of the surname HUMPHRIES dates back to the 12th century, with references found in various historical documents and records from counties like Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset in England. It is believed that the name may have been initially adopted by individuals who were the sons or descendants of someone named Humphrey.

One of the earliest known bearers of the HUMPHRIES surname was Sir Humphrey de Bohun, a prominent English nobleman and military commander who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He played a significant role in the Barons' War against King John and was present at the sealing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

Another notable HUMPHRIES was John Humphries, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Bristol, England, who lived in the 15th century. He is recorded as having donated substantial sums of money towards the construction of several churches and public buildings in the city.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the HUMPHRIES surname was well-established in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. Several variations in spelling, such as Humfries, Humfryes, and Humphryes, were also found in historical records.

One of the earliest known literary references to the HUMPHRIES surname can be found in the works of William Shakespeare. In his play "Henry IV, Part 1," there is a character named Humphrey, who is referred to as "Humphries" in some editions of the text.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, several individuals with the HUMPHRIES surname achieved notable accomplishments. These include Samuel Humphries (1766-1838), an English engraver and painter, and Richard Humphries (1786-1860), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the HUMPHRIES surname continued to be widely distributed across England, as well as in other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. Notable bearers of the name during this period include Ozias Humphry (1742-1810), an English painter, and Alexander Humphries (1783-1859), a Scottish-born Canadian explorer and fur trader.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Humphries families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Humphries 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 722 Humphries' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.10x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 722 1.10x
Staffordshire 673 3.03x
Warwickshire 532 3.21x
Lancashire 437 0.56x
Gloucestershire 410 3.18x
Wiltshire 406 6.98x
Worcestershire 391 4.55x
Somerset 376 3.55x
Surrey 332 1.04x
Shropshire 307 5.40x
Yorkshire 227 0.35x
Essex 187 1.44x
Berkshire 183 3.70x
Kent 167 0.74x
Northamptonshire 143 2.31x
Hampshire 112 0.83x
Oxfordshire 103 2.53x
Glamorgan 96 0.84x
Devon 85 0.62x
Monmouthshire 77 1.62x
Herefordshire 65 2.41x
Cheshire 57 0.39x
Durham 55 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 47 0.53x
Flintshire 46 2.60x
Bedfordshire 45 1.32x
Cornwall 44 0.59x
Buckinghamshire 41 1.03x
Dorset 39 0.90x
Derbyshire 38 0.37x
Lanarkshire 36 0.17x
Leicestershire 36 0.49x
Lincolnshire 33 0.31x
Sussex 32 0.29x
Hertfordshire 26 0.57x
Montgomeryshire 21 1.39x
Denbighshire 20 0.80x
Pembrokeshire 14 0.67x
Norfolk 13 0.13x
Royal Navy 13 1.66x
Suffolk 11 0.14x
Huntingdonshire 10 0.77x
Midlothian 6 0.07x
Angus 5 0.08x
Brecknockshire 5 0.38x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.12x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.15x
Northumberland 4 0.04x
Anglesey 2 0.17x
Cumberland 2 0.04x
Radnorshire 2 0.38x
Renfrewshire 2 0.04x
Rutland 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 216 Humphries' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.73x.

Place Total Index
Aston 216 4.73x
Birmingham 138 2.50x
Islington London 86 1.35x
St Pancras London 66 1.25x
Kidderminster Borough 65 12.92x
Kingswinford 62 7.69x
West Ham 60 2.09x
Wolverhampton 59 3.45x
Toxteth Park 58 2.19x
Sedgley 55 6.67x
Rowley Regis 52 8.40x
Lambeth 51 0.89x
Camberwell 49 1.17x
Newington 49 2.02x
Wednesbury 49 8.83x
Bedminster 48 4.82x
Southwark St George Martyr 43 3.25x
Walsall Foreign 43 3.75x
Stoke Upon Trent 41 1.74x
Madeley 39 18.71x
Liverpool 38 0.80x
St Marylebone London 38 1.08x
Bethnal Green London 37 1.29x
Bilston 36 8.36x
Cheltenham 36 3.62x
Kensington London 36 0.98x
Bristol St George 33 5.53x
Hackney London 33 0.89x
Tipton 33 4.85x
Chelsea London 31 1.56x
Portsea 31 1.17x
Warrington 31 3.35x
Bromley London 30 2.07x
Isleworth 30 10.25x
Redditch 30 17.22x
Harborne 29 4.07x
Walcot 29 5.14x
Hammersmith London 28 1.73x
Horton In Bradford 28 2.75x
Swindon 28 6.20x
West Bromwich 28 2.20x
West Derby 28 1.23x
Wootton Bassett 28 55.31x
Bathwick 27 23.03x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 27 2.22x
Broseley 27 26.72x
Coventry St Michael 27 5.06x
Oldbury 27 6.39x
Paul 27 19.95x
Kirkdale 26 1.98x
Lewisham 26 2.17x
Lyncombe Widcombe 26 9.37x
Chippenham 25 20.48x
Barrow In Furness 24 2.26x
Kidderminster Foreign 24 19.75x
Northill 24 75.31x
Willenhall 24 5.77x
Clerkenwell London 23 1.48x
Walthamstow 23 4.92x
Warminster 23 18.04x
Cannock 22 5.68x
Ealing 22 3.74x
Oswestry Town 22 12.08x
St George Hanover Square 22 1.90x
Abingdon St Helen 21 14.54x
Fulham London 21 2.20x
Greenwich 21 2.00x
Hulme 21 1.29x
Worthenbury 21 208.96x
Bradford On Avon 20 10.73x
Everton 20 0.80x
Merthyr Tydfil 20 1.82x
Brackley St Peter 19 44.75x
Littleham 19 18.97x
Coventry Holy Trinity 18 3.63x
Eydon 18 178.04x
Greatworth 18 461.54x
Melksham 18 17.81x
York St Denis In 18 62.96x
Wellingborough 17 5.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 428
Elizabeth 256
Sarah 255
Jane 158
Eliza 131
Ann 125
Emma 112
Alice 103
Ellen 102
Annie 93
Emily 79
Louisa 66
Hannah 59
Martha 59
Harriet 57
Fanny 46
Ada 43
Maria 41
Florence 38
Clara 37
Susan 37
Margaret 36
Edith 35
Charlotte 33
Kate 33
Caroline 29
Agnes 27
Lucy 27
Anne 24
Elizth. 23
Catherine 22
Esther 21
Harriett 21
Rose 21
Amelia 19
Frances 19
Rebecca 18
Julia 17
Grace 16
Lydia 15
Eleanor 13
Minnie 13
Susannah 13
Jessie 12
Rosa 12
Beatrice 11
Phoebe 11
Selina 11
Matilda 10
Ruth 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 420
John 378
George 257
Thomas 207
James 200
Henry 184
Charles 156
Joseph 102
Edward 97
Alfred 84
Richard 79
Arthur 65
Albert 63
Walter 58
Frederick 57
Samuel 51
Robert 46
Edwin 40
Frank 37
Harry 35
David 34
Thos. 24
Herbert 21
Ernest 20
Francis 20
Wm. 19
Benjamin 17
Isaac 15
Geo. 14
Abraham 11
Sidney 11
Humphrey 10
Evan 9
Tom 9
Willm. 9
Fredrick 8
Jacob 8
Peter 8
Chas. 7
Mark 7
Robt. 7
Daniel 6
Edmund 6
Fredk. 6
Harold 6
Job 6
Josiah 6
Fred 5
Griffith 5
Levi 5

FAQ

Humphries surname: questions and answers

How common was the Humphries surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,748 people were recorded with the Humphries surname. That placed it at #627 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Humphries surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 11,686 in 2016. That gives Humphries a modern rank of #558.

What does the Humphries surname mean?

From the Old French personal name Humfrey, meaning "peaceful warrior" or "home peace."

What does the Humphries map show?

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