NameCensus.

UK surname

Instance

In the 1881 census there were 76 people recorded with the Instance surname, ranking it #22,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 112, ranked #28,844, down from #22,745 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Osyth, Illogan and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barrow-in-Furness, Cornwall and Poole.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Instance is 132 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.4%.

1881 census count

76

Ranked #22,745

Modern count

112

2016, ranked #28,844

Peak year

1911

132 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Instance had 76 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,745 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 112 in 2016, ranked #28,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 132 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Instance surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Instance surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Instance 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 75 #20,268
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 76 #22,745
1891 historical 100 #24,045
1901 historical 105 #22,179
1911 historical 132 #19,313
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 107 #26,555
1999 modern 101 #27,617
2000 modern 101 #27,555
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 98 #28,243
2003 modern 110 #26,220
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 103 #27,785
2007 modern 100 #28,669
2008 modern 97 #29,527
2009 modern 101 #29,445
2010 modern 107 #29,153
2011 modern 110 #28,478
2012 modern 106 #29,187
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 114 #28,478
2016 modern 112 #28,844

Geography

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Where Instances are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Osyth, Illogan, London parishes, Southampton St Mary and Mylor. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barrow-in-Furness, Cornwall, Poole and Shepway. 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 Osyth Essex
2 Illogan Cornwall
3 London parishes London 3
4 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
5 Mylor Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barrow-in-Furness 004 Barrow-in-Furness
2 Cornwall 047 Cornwall
3 Poole 018 Poole
4 Shepway 011 Shepway
5 Cornwall 062 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Instance

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Instance

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Instance surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Instance household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Instance is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Instance 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

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

1881 census detail

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Instance families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Instance 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. Essex leads with 27 Instances recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.46x.

County Total Index
Essex 27 18.46x
Cornwall 14 16.68x
Hampshire 11 7.24x
Glamorgan 7 5.42x
Middlesex 6 0.81x
Devon 4 2.59x
Staffordshire 4 1.60x
Gloucestershire 1 0.69x
Ross-shire 1 4.91x
Suffolk 1 1.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Illogan in Cornwall leads with 10 Instances recorded in 1881 and an index of 450.45x.

Place Total Index
Illogan 10 450.45x
Southampton St Mary 10 104.71x
Bradwell 9 3600.00x
Ystradyfodwg 7 61.84x
Islington London 6 8.35x
Great Clacton 5 1000.00x
St Osyth 5 1388.89x
Kingswinford 4 44.05x
Mylor 4 714.29x
Stoke Damerel 4 37.04x
Ballingdon Cum Brundon 3 1578.95x
Colchester St Botolph 2 161.29x
Peldon 2 1666.67x
Cheltenham 1 8.92x
Colchester St Peter 1 169.49x
Orford 1 344.83x
Southampton 1 833.33x
Stornoway 1 37.74x

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 Instance households.

FAQ

Instance surname: questions and answers

How common was the Instance surname in 1881?

In 1881, 76 people were recorded with the Instance surname. That placed it at #22,745 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Instance surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 112 in 2016. That gives Instance a modern rank of #28,844.

What does the Instance map show?

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