UK surname
A botanical surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with ivy plants.
In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Ivy surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 75, ranked #33,377, down from #17,506 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to King's Lynn St Margaret, King's Lynn All Saints, South Lynn and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ivy is 191 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 39.0%.
1881 census count
123
Ranked #17,506
Modern count
75
2016, ranked #33,377
Peak year
1901
191 bearers
Map years
3
1851 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Ivy surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Ivy surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 128 | #14,474 |
| 1881 | historical | 123 | #17,506 |
| 1891 | historical | 1 | #34,674 |
| 1901 | historical | 191 | #15,579 |
| 1997 | modern | 56 | #32,004 |
| 1998 | modern | 49 | #33,000 |
| 1999 | modern | 48 | #33,233 |
| 2000 | modern | 48 | #33,288 |
| 2001 | modern | 44 | #33,490 |
| 2002 | modern | 53 | #33,021 |
| 2003 | modern | 54 | #32,990 |
| 2004 | modern | 60 | #32,684 |
| 2005 | modern | 56 | #33,264 |
| 2006 | modern | 56 | #33,587 |
| 2007 | modern | 59 | #33,634 |
| 2008 | modern | 62 | #33,565 |
| 2009 | modern | 67 | #33,450 |
| 2010 | modern | 72 | #33,324 |
| 2011 | modern | 73 | #33,230 |
| 2012 | modern | 75 | #33,263 |
| 2013 | modern | 75 | #33,409 |
| 2014 | modern | 78 | #33,270 |
| 2015 | modern | 77 | #33,272 |
| 2016 | modern | 75 | #33,377 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around King's Lynn St Margaret, King's Lynn All Saints, South Lynn, Manchester, Sithney and Swansea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | King's Lynn St Margaret | Norfolk |
| 2 | King's Lynn All Saints, South Lynn | Norfolk |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Sithney | Cornwall |
| 5 | Swansea | Glamorganshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Ivy surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ivy, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Ivy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Ivy household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Ivy is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ivy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Ivy, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Ivy originated in England, deriving from the Old English word 'ifig', meaning the ivy plant. It was likely first used as a descriptive surname referring to someone who lived near a profusion of ivy or had some association with the plant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Iffing'. This suggests the name had already been in use for some time before the Norman Conquest of 1066.
In the 12th century, the name appears as 'Ivie' in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire. By the 13th century, variations like 'Ivy' and 'Ivye' were common spellings found in historical records throughout England.
The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Devonshire, where many place names incorporated the word 'ivy', such as Ivybridge in Devon and Ivythorn in Yorkshire.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Sir John Ivy, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Bristol in the late 14th century. Another was Robert Ivy, a prominent lawyer who served as Attorney General of England from 1432 to 1437 during the reign of Henry VI.
In the 16th century, the name was associated with Thomas Ivy (c. 1510-1585), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including parts of Hampton Court Palace.
During the English Civil War, Colonel William Ivy (1610-1659) was a prominent Parliamentarian officer who fought alongside Oliver Cromwell's forces against King Charles I.
In the literary world, the name is represented by Andrew Ivy (1792-1856), a prolific English writer and poet who published numerous works in the early 19th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ivy surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 24 Ivys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.70x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 24 | 1.70x |
| Middlesex | 19 | 1.60x |
| Norfolk | 16 | 8.75x |
| Yorkshire | 12 | 1.02x |
| Cornwall | 10 | 7.42x |
| Kent | 6 | 1.48x |
| Devon | 5 | 2.02x |
| Surrey | 4 | 0.69x |
| Durham | 3 | 0.85x |
| Glamorgan | 3 | 1.45x |
| Hampshire | 3 | 1.23x |
| Northumberland | 3 | 1.69x |
| Worcestershire | 3 | 1.93x |
| Gloucestershire | 2 | 0.86x |
| Wiltshire | 2 | 1.90x |
| Berkshire | 1 | 1.12x |
| Buckinghamshire | 1 | 1.39x |
| Channel Islands | 1 | 2.84x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0.38x |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 1.22x |
| Somerset | 1 | 0.52x |
| Suffolk | 1 | 0.69x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Lynn in Norfolk leads with 12 Ivys recorded in 1881 and an index of 582.52x.
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 Ivy households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 27 |
| Labourer | 3 |
| Cotton Spinner | 2 |
| Grocer | 2 |
| Housemaid | 2 |
| Bagging Weaver | 1 |
| Baker Master | 1 |
| Blacksmith | 1 |
| Book (Binder) | 1 |
| Book Keeper | 1 |
| Brewers Cellarman | 1 |
| Brewers Cellarman Wife | 1 |
| Carpenter | 1 |
| Carpenter & Joiner | 1 |
| Cellarman | 1 |
| Charwoman | 1 |
| Child | 1 |
| Clerk To... | 1 |
| Coachman | 1 |
| Commission Agent | 1 |
| Cook Domestic Serv | 1 |
| Cotton Weaver | 1 |
| Dom Servant | 1 |
| Dom Servt | 1 |
| Draper & Milliner | 1 |
| Dressmaker | 1 |
| Dyer | 1 |
| Farmer Of 33 Acres | 1 |
| Farmers Wife | 1 |
| Formerly Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Gardener (Dom) | 1 |
| Gas Fitter | 1 |
| Gen Labourer | 1 |
| General Servant | 1 |
| General Servant (Ag Lab) | 1 |
| Hawker | 1 |
| Hosiers Porter | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Infant | 1 |
| L H Kpr | 1 |
| Laborer In Shipyard | 1 |
| Ladies & Children Outfitter (Dress) | 1 |
| Laundress | 1 |
| Linen Weaver | 1 |
| Miner | 1 |
| No Occ | 1 |
| Painter | 1 |
| Parlormaid | 1 |
| Patenter | 1 |
| Plumber | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Ivy surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 75 in 2016. That gives Ivy a modern rank of #33,377.
A botanical surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with ivy plants.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ivy bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.