NameCensus.

UK surname

Imray

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Imray surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 236, ranked #17,470, down from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Banchory-Ternan, Edinburgh and St John Hackney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool, Sunderland and Horsham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Imray is 261 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.6%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

236

2016, ranked #17,470

Peak year

2000

261 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Imray had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 236 in 2016, ranked #17,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 198 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Imray surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Imray surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Imray 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 141 #13,507
1861 historical 119 #18,393
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 186 #15,740
1901 historical 198 #15,213
1911 historical 91 #23,684
1997 modern 260 #14,880
1998 modern 255 #15,470
1999 modern 258 #15,467
2000 modern 261 #15,314
2001 modern 256 #15,273
2002 modern 247 #15,941
2003 modern 242 #15,960
2004 modern 236 #16,335
2005 modern 231 #16,529
2006 modern 237 #16,334
2007 modern 249 #15,943
2008 modern 246 #16,247
2009 modern 250 #16,421
2010 modern 258 #16,432
2011 modern 250 #16,637
2012 modern 238 #17,092
2013 modern 242 #17,158
2014 modern 231 #17,813
2015 modern 230 #17,795
2016 modern 236 #17,470

Geography

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Where Imrays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Banchory-Ternan, Edinburgh, St John Hackney, Beckenham 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 Hartlepool, Sunderland, Horsham, Hawick North and Surrey Heath. 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 Banchory-Ternan Kincardine
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
4 Beckenham Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 012 Hartlepool
2 Sunderland 026 Sunderland
3 Horsham 013 Horsham
4 Hawick North Scottish Borders
5 Surrey Heath 008 Surrey Heath

Forenames

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First names often paired with Imray

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Imray

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Imray surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Imray household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Imray 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

Imray is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Imray 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 Imray is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Imray families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Imray 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 82 Imrays recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.16x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 82 52.16x
Middlesex 13 0.77x
Surrey 11 1.33x
Angus 10 6.36x
Kent 9 1.55x
Kincardineshire 9 43.54x
Essex 7 2.09x
Inverness-shire 7 13.81x
Lancashire 7 0.35x
Northumberland 7 2.77x
Suffolk 4 1.93x
Morayshire 3 11.38x
Yorkshire 2 0.12x
Durham 1 0.20x
Hampshire 1 0.29x
Sussex 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 34 Imrays recorded in 1881 and an index of 103.60x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 34 103.60x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 24 81.60x
Beckenham 9 118.89x
Dundee 8 13.63x
Finchley 7 107.53x
Litherland 7 166.27x
Longbenton 7 65.42x
Oyne 7 1250.00x
West Ham 7 9.46x
Boleskine Abertarff 6 714.29x
Newhills 5 155.28x
Banchory Ternan 4 223.46x
Lambeth 4 2.70x
Newmarket St Mary 4 251.57x
Sutton 4 66.89x
Cromdale 3 141.51x
Dunnottar 3 206.90x
Inverurie 3 168.54x
Peterculter 3 270.27x
Aboyne 2 240.96x
Camberwell 2 1.84x
Drumoak 2 370.37x
Fetteresso 2 61.73x
Hackney London 2 2.10x
Halifax 2 8.10x
Lintrathen 2 540.54x
Brighton 1 1.73x
Christchurch 1 13.26x
Gateshead 1 2.64x
Inverness 1 7.84x
Kensington London 1 1.06x
Longside 1 53.19x
Peterhead 1 12.03x
St Giles In Fields London 1 12.00x
St Marylebone London 1 1.10x
Streatham 1 7.94x
Willesden 1 6.25x

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Imray households.

FAQ

Imray surname: questions and answers

How common was the Imray surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Imray surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Imray surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 236 in 2016. That gives Imray a modern rank of #17,470.

What does the Imray map show?

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