NameCensus.

UK surname

Isgar

A habitational name derived from a place named Isgar.

In the 1881 census there were 140 people recorded with the Isgar surname, ranking it #16,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 124, ranked #26,975, down from #16,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Wrexham and Mark, Chapel Allerton, Weare, East Brent, South Brent. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Wiltshire and South Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Isgar is 199 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 11.4%.

1881 census count

140

Ranked #16,151

Modern count

124

2016, ranked #26,975

Peak year

1911

199 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Isgar had 140 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016, ranked #26,975.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 199 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Isgar surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Isgar surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Isgar 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 98 #21,388
1881 historical 140 #16,151
1891 historical 157 #17,778
1901 historical 178 #16,284
1911 historical 199 #15,016
1997 modern 128 #23,238
1998 modern 137 #22,922
1999 modern 128 #24,017
2000 modern 125 #24,351
2001 modern 126 #23,883
2002 modern 127 #24,267
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 128 #24,267
2007 modern 124 #25,086
2008 modern 126 #25,131
2009 modern 127 #25,564
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 119 #27,063
2012 modern 121 #26,829
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 124 #26,944
2016 modern 124 #26,975

Geography

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Where Isgars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Wrexham, Mark, Chapel Allerton, Weare, East Brent, South Brent, Shapwick (pt), Huntspill and Wedmore. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Wiltshire, South Northamptonshire, Christchurch and North Somerset. 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 Wrexham Denbighshire
3 Mark, Chapel Allerton, Weare, East Brent, South Brent Somerset
4 Shapwick (pt), Huntspill Somerset
5 Wedmore Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 003 Sedgemoor
2 Wiltshire 061 Wiltshire
3 South Northamptonshire 002 South Northamptonshire
4 Christchurch 005 Christchurch
5 North Somerset 023 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Isgar

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Isgar

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Isgar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Isgar household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Isgar 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

Isgar is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Isgar falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Isgar

The surname ISGAR is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest roots traced back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "isig" meaning "icy" and "gara" meaning "corner" or "triangular piece of land." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near an icy or cold area of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions a person named Rychardus Isgare. This provides evidence that the surname was in use during the medieval period, albeit with a slightly different spelling.

The ISGAR surname appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire during the 14th and 15th centuries. Records from this time show variations in spelling, including Isgare, Isgar, and Ysgare.

A notable individual bearing the ISGAR surname was William Isgar, a wealthy landowner from Nottinghamshire who lived in the late 16th century. He was responsible for commissioning the construction of Isgar Manor, a grand manor house that still stands today in the village of Rolleston.

Another significant figure was John Isgar, born in 1624 in Lincolnshire. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Rector of St. Peter's Church in Grantham for over three decades.

In the 17th century, the ISGAR surname can be found in the parish records of several villages in Lincolnshire, such as Spalding, Stamford, and Grantham. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region during this period.

A prominent member of the ISGAR family was Sir Thomas Isgar, born in 1712 in Nottinghamshire. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the local community, including funding the construction of a school and a hospital.

The ISGAR surname also has connections to the village of Isgard in Lincolnshire, which may have been named after an early settler or landowner with the same surname. This place name further reinforces the long-standing presence of the ISGAR family in the region.

Throughout its history, the ISGAR surname has maintained a strong connection to the counties of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, where it has been documented for over seven centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Isgar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Isgar 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. Somerset leads with 88 Isgars recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.04x.

County Total Index
Somerset 88 40.04x
Wiltshire 10 8.28x
Denbighshire 9 17.45x
Kent 8 1.72x
Surrey 7 1.05x
Lincolnshire 6 2.75x
Lancashire 5 0.31x
Gloucestershire 4 1.49x
Cheshire 1 0.33x
Hampshire 1 0.36x
Middlesex 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheddar in Somerset leads with 17 Isgars recorded in 1881 and an index of 1531.53x.

Place Total Index
Cheddar 17 1531.53x
Wedmore 15 1048.95x
Donhead St Mary 10 1639.34x
Esclusham Below 9 1875.00x
Dover St Mary Virgin 8 177.38x
East Brent 7 2121.21x
Bedminster 6 29.06x
Clevedon 6 262.01x
Goltho 6 12000.00x
Huntspill 6 666.67x
Congresbury 5 892.86x
Lyncombe Widcombe 5 86.96x
Burnham 4 238.10x
Newton In Makerfield 4 80.65x
Wells St Cuthbert In 4 1176.47x
Barnes 3 106.76x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 11.90x
Burrington 3 1428.57x
Meare 2 303.03x
Walton On Thames 2 65.57x
Wookey 2 416.67x
Altrincham 1 18.98x
Banwell 1 125.00x
Bristol St Augustine 1 23.15x
Camberwell 1 1.15x
Churchill 1 285.71x
Compton Bishop 1 384.62x
Hindley 1 14.47x
Hound 1 52.63x
Islington London 1 0.76x
Litton 1 1000.00x
Newington 1 1.98x
Weston Super Mare 1 18.02x
Wrington 1 135.14x

FAQ

Isgar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Isgar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 140 people were recorded with the Isgar surname. That placed it at #16,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Isgar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016. That gives Isgar a modern rank of #26,975.

What does the Isgar surname mean?

A habitational name derived from a place named Isgar.

What does the Isgar map show?

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