NameCensus.

UK surname

Imber

A habitational surname derived from a place named Imber in England.

In the 1881 census there were 198 people recorded with the Imber surname, ranking it #12,922 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 259, ranked #16,393, down from #12,922 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and Sherrington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redbridge, West Dorset and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Imber is 334 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.8%.

1881 census count

198

Ranked #12,922

Modern count

259

2016, ranked #16,393

Peak year

1911

334 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Imber had 198 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,922 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016, ranked #16,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 334 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Imber surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Imber surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Imber 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 144 #13,277
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 198 #12,922
1891 historical 182 #15,983
1901 historical 283 #12,117
1911 historical 334 #10,608
1997 modern 265 #14,692
1998 modern 299 #13,908
1999 modern 282 #14,545
2000 modern 294 #14,105
2001 modern 283 #14,247
2002 modern 285 #14,483
2003 modern 279 #14,506
2004 modern 280 #14,530
2005 modern 281 #14,411
2006 modern 278 #14,623
2007 modern 273 #14,959
2008 modern 272 #15,152
2009 modern 269 #15,589
2010 modern 267 #16,029
2011 modern 265 #15,980
2012 modern 268 #15,745
2013 modern 263 #16,232
2014 modern 270 #16,020
2015 modern 268 #16,007
2016 modern 259 #16,393

Geography

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Where Imbers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Sherrington, St Marylebone and Shaftesbury St Peter. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redbridge, West Dorset, Cheshire East, North Dorset and Wealden. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Sherrington Wiltshire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Shaftesbury St Peter Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redbridge 007 Redbridge
2 West Dorset 007 West Dorset
3 Cheshire East 029 Cheshire East
4 North Dorset 003 North Dorset
5 Wealden 007 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Imber

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Imber

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Imber 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

Imber is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Imber falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Imber

The surname Imber is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to derive from the Old English word "imb," meaning "edge" or "border," which was likely used as a topographic name for someone living near a field or river's edge.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Imber, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1281. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, referring to John Imber of that county.

The surname Imber is closely associated with the village of Imber in Wiltshire, England. This village's name is derived from the Old English word "imb-burg," meaning "fortified place on the edge." It is possible that some early bearers of the Imber surname may have originated from or resided in this village.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a place called "Imbrie" is mentioned, which is believed to be the modern-day village of Imber. This suggests that the surname Imber may have existed in some form before the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Imber was John Imber, who was born in Somerset, England, in the late 15th century (exact birth year unknown). He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in the county.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Imber (1525-1589), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1585.

In the 17th century, a family by the name of Imber owned a manor in the village of Uffculme, Devon. One member of this family, Richard Imber (1620-1689), was a prominent Puritan clergyman and writer.

During the 18th century, the surname Imber was also found in Scotland, with records showing a James Imber (1705-1778) who was a successful merchant and landowner in Edinburgh.

In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was William Imber (1828-1901), an English poet and journalist who wrote extensively about rural life in Somerset.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Imber families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Imber 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 52 Imbers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.68x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 52 2.68x
Dorset 35 27.47x
Somerset 31 9.92x
Wiltshire 29 16.89x
Surrey 25 2.64x
Hampshire 9 2.26x
Gloucestershire 6 1.58x
Yorkshire 6 0.31x
Derbyshire 2 0.66x
Devon 1 0.25x
Essex 1 0.26x
Northamptonshire 1 0.55x
Sussex 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 34 Imbers recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.32x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 34 40.32x
Sherrington 21 21000.00x
Shaftesbury St Peter 17 2881.36x
Corfe 9 3461.54x
Horsington 9 1800.00x
Shaftesbury Holy Trinity 9 1363.64x
Abbas Temple Coombe 8 5000.00x
Walton On Thames 8 184.33x
Holdenhurst 7 67.05x
Poole St James 7 146.14x
Old Artillery Ground 6 359.28x
Westbury On Trym 6 46.51x
Tooting Graveney 5 190.11x
Castleford 4 57.14x
Lambeth 4 2.36x
Shoreditch London 4 4.75x
Sutton Veney 4 833.33x
Wandsworth 4 21.41x
Bedminster 3 10.22x
Kingston On Thames 3 13.20x
Ferry Fryston 2 266.67x
Semley 2 434.78x
Shaftesbury St James 2 298.51x
St Marylebone London 2 1.93x
Castle Ashby 1 714.29x
Codford St Peter 1 476.19x
Creech St Michael 1 128.21x
Derby St Peter 1 10.33x
Devonport 1 21.55x
Eastbourne 1 6.64x
Hampstead London 1 3.31x
Isleworth 1 11.59x
Islington London 1 0.53x
Kensington London 1 0.93x
Litchurch 1 8.18x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 12.22x
Minstead 1 175.44x
Newington 1 1.39x
Portsea 1 1.28x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.92x
Warminster 1 26.60x
West Thurrock 1 78.74x
Westminster St Margaret 1 10.68x

FAQ

Imber surname: questions and answers

How common was the Imber surname in 1881?

In 1881, 198 people were recorded with the Imber surname. That placed it at #12,922 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Imber surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016. That gives Imber a modern rank of #16,393.

What does the Imber surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place named Imber in England.

What does the Imber map show?

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