NameCensus.

UK surname

Jarvis

An English occupational surname referring to someone who served as a steward or managed an estate.

In the 1881 census there were 13,425 people recorded with the Jarvis surname, ranking it #303 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 19,626, ranked #305, down from #303 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wrexham, Newport and Ashford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jarvis is 20,548 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.2%.

1881 census count

13,425

Ranked #303

Modern count

19,626

2016, ranked #305

Peak year

1999

20,548 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jarvis had 13,425 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #303 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 19,626 in 2016, ranked #305.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 18,305 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Jarvis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jarvis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jarvis 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 7,325 #383
1861 historical 6,874 #408
1881 historical 13,425 #303
1891 historical 12,975 #336
1901 historical 16,935 #298
1911 historical 18,305 #254
1997 modern 19,800 #291
1998 modern 20,518 #292
1999 modern 20,548 #292
2000 modern 20,374 #293
2001 modern 19,894 #293
2002 modern 20,233 #294
2003 modern 19,674 #296
2004 modern 19,624 #296
2005 modern 19,206 #297
2006 modern 19,153 #300
2007 modern 19,299 #299
2008 modern 19,354 #300
2009 modern 19,799 #301
2010 modern 20,198 #302
2011 modern 19,780 #302
2012 modern 19,537 #300
2013 modern 19,932 #302
2014 modern 20,032 #302
2015 modern 19,829 #302
2016 modern 19,626 #305

Geography

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Where Jarvis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Pancras and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wrexham, Newport and Ashford. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wrexham 015 Wrexham
2 Wrexham 014 Wrexham
3 Newport 015 Newport
4 Ashford 012 Ashford
5 Wrexham 017 Wrexham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jarvis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jarvis

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Jarvis 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

Jarvis is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jarvis falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Jarvis

The surname Jarvis has its origins in medieval England, and is derived from the Old French personal name "Gervais", which itself comes from the Latin "Gervasus". The name ultimately derives from the Germanic elements "ger" meaning "spear" and "vasu" meaning "brave", suggesting it was likely a warrior name bestowed upon brave spearmen.

The earliest known recorded instances of the surname Jarvis date back to the late 12th century in Norfolk, England. The Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1186 mention a Gervasius de Freeney, believed to be one of the earliest bearers of the name. Other early spellings include Gervays, Gerveys, and Jarveys. The surname appears to have been particularly prominent in East Anglia and the Midlands regions of England during the medieval period.

In the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in much of England and parts of Wales, there are several references to people with similar names such as Gervasius and Gervase, which are considered precursors to the modern surname Jarvis.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Jarvis was Sir Thomas Jarvis, a wealthy English landowner and Member of Parliament who lived in the late 14th century. Another notable early bearer of the name was John Jarvis, a 15th-century English merchant and alderman from the city of Norwich.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Jarvis surname continued to flourish in various parts of England. Thomas Jarvis (c. 1570-1636) was a renowned English poet and translator, while Edward Jarvis (1600-1654) was an English soldier who fought in the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Francis Jarvis (1742-1809) was a prominent English landowner and politician who served as Member of Parliament for several constituencies. The 19th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the surname, including Charles Jarvis (1803-1892), an English-born Australian politician and landowner, and Edmund Jarvis (1850-1922), an English cricketer who played for Middlesex and Cambridge University.

The Jarvis surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Jarvis Brook in East Sussex and Jarvis Hill in Staffordshire, which likely derived their names from early bearers of the surname who resided in or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Jarvis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jarvis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13,425 people were recorded with the Jarvis surname. That placed it at #303 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jarvis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 19,626 in 2016. That gives Jarvis a modern rank of #305.

What does the Jarvis surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who served as a steward or managed an estate.

What does the Jarvis map show?

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