NameCensus.

UK surname

Jerry

An occupational surname referring to a jerry-builder or a person who constructs buildings hastily and poorly.

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Jerry surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 144, ranked #24,390, down from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Englishcombe, Tiverton, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Tyneside, North Lincolnshire and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jerry is 826 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.1%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

144

2016, ranked #24,390

Peak year

1861

826 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jerry had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016, ranked #24,390.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 826 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Jerry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jerry surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jerry 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 428 #5,717
1861 historical 826 #3,342
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 695 #5,640
1901 historical 216 #14,426
1911 historical 176 #16,185
1997 modern 72 #30,415
1998 modern 69 #31,076
1999 modern 76 #30,546
2000 modern 66 #31,553
2001 modern 65 #31,501
2002 modern 70 #31,432
2003 modern 69 #31,587
2004 modern 69 #31,784
2005 modern 78 #31,058
2006 modern 81 #31,044
2007 modern 80 #31,527
2008 modern 80 #31,833
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 113 #28,016
2013 modern 118 #27,686
2014 modern 132 #25,971
2015 modern 138 #25,103
2016 modern 144 #24,390

Geography

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Where Jerrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Englishcombe, Tiverton, London parishes, St Pancras, St John Hackney and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Tyneside, North Lincolnshire and Shropshire. 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 Englishcombe, Tiverton Somerset
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Tyneside 019 South Tyneside
2 South Tyneside 020 South Tyneside
3 North Lincolnshire 020 North Lincolnshire
4 South Tyneside 004 South Tyneside
5 Shropshire 017 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jerry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jerry

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Jerry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Jerry 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Jerry is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Jerry is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jerry 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 Jerry is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Jerry

The surname JERRY originated in medieval England during the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French name "Gervais" or "Gervaise", which in turn came from the Germanic name "Gerwih" meaning "spear ruler". The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears as "Gerveis" in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Robert Gervays, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Suffolk in 1198. Another early example is Willelmus Gerveis, recorded in the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire in 1242. These early spellings demonstrate the transition from the Old French "Gervais" to the more anglicized form of "Gerveis" or "Gerveys".

The surname can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Jarrow in County Durham, which was originally known as "Gyruum" or "Gervaux" in the 8th century. The name Gervase de Gervaux, born in 1141, provides an example of a person named after this location.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including "Gerveys", "Jerveys", and "Jerveis". One noteworthy bearer was Sir John Jerveis, a prominent landowner in Gloucestershire who was born in 1348 and served as a Member of Parliament.

In the 16th century, the spelling "Jerry" became more common, as evidenced by records such as William Jerry, who was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Another notable figure from this period was Thomas Jerry, a prominent merchant and alderman in London, who lived from 1537 to 1611.

Over the centuries, the name JERRY has been borne by several notable individuals, including Samuel Jerry, an English mathematician and theologian born in 1607, and Michael Jerry, an Irish soldier and military engineer who fought in the Williamite War in Ireland in the late 17th century. In more recent times, Jerry Goldsmith (1929-2004) was a renowned American composer and conductor who won an Academy Award for his score for the film "The Omen".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jerry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jerry 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. Middlesex leads with 23 Jerrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.07x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 23 2.07x
Norfolk 23 13.45x
Durham 18 5.44x
Somerset 11 6.15x
Huntingdonshire 5 22.64x
Lancashire 5 0.38x
Surrey 5 0.92x
Cambridgeshire 3 4.26x
Lanarkshire 3 0.83x
Northumberland 3 1.81x
Renfrewshire 3 3.48x
Monmouthshire 2 2.49x
Suffolk 2 1.48x
Warwickshire 2 0.71x
Devon 1 0.43x
Essex 1 0.46x
Hampshire 1 0.44x
Kent 1 0.26x
Staffordshire 1 0.27x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westoe in Durham leads with 14 Jerrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.67x.

Place Total Index
Westoe 14 74.67x
Lyncombe Widcombe 11 234.54x
Denver 7 2187.50x
Watlington 6 2500.00x
Bethnal Green London 5 10.35x
Bluntisham 5 1219.51x
Everton 5 11.89x
Hammersmith London 5 18.25x
Chelsea London 4 11.94x
South Wootton 4 5714.29x
Chesterton 3 138.25x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 20.94x
Tilney All Sts 3 1363.64x
West Greenock 3 19.39x
Birmingham 2 2.14x
Camberwell 2 2.82x
East Dereham 2 92.59x
Glasgow 2 3.13x
Islington London 2 1.86x
Kensington London 2 3.24x
Lambeth 2 2.06x
St Marylebone London 2 3.37x
Alnwick 1 35.21x
Barnstaple 1 27.55x
Barony 1 1.10x
Cannock 1 15.27x
Chirton 1 26.74x
Cramlington 1 45.66x
Friern Barnet 1 40.82x
Great Walsingham 1 588.24x
Hackney London 1 1.60x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 1 79.37x
Llanvaches 1 1250.00x
Newington 1 2.43x
Portsmouth 1 19.05x
Shoreditch London 1 2.07x
Snydale 1 434.78x
South Weald 1 53.19x
Upper Llanvrechva 1 80.00x
West Malling 1 117.65x
Whitworth 1 41.32x
Wortham 1 277.78x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Jerry surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Jerry surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 7
Robert 6
Thomas 5
James 4
John 4
George 3
Alfred 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Hanes 1
Hansel 1
Herbert 1
Hy. 1
Isaac 1
Isaiah 1
Maurice 1
Palmer 1
Ruban 1
Sidney 1
Thos.W. 1

FAQ

Jerry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jerry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Jerry surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jerry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016. That gives Jerry a modern rank of #24,390.

What does the Jerry surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a jerry-builder or a person who constructs buildings hastily and poorly.

What does the Jerry map show?

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