NameCensus.

UK surname

Kew

A locational surname originating from Kew, a place in Surrey, England.

In the 1881 census there were 856 people recorded with the Kew surname, ranking it #4,419 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,252, ranked #4,777, down from #4,419 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bedminster, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Louth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Oxfordshire, Surrey Heath and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kew is 1,336 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.3%.

1881 census count

856

Ranked #4,419

Modern count

1,252

2016, ranked #4,777

Peak year

2010

1,336 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kew had 856 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,419 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,252 in 2016, ranked #4,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,057 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kew surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kew surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kew 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 510 #4,903
1881 historical 856 #4,419
1901 historical 1,057 #4,549
1997 modern 1,244 #4,574
1998 modern 1,282 #4,630
1999 modern 1,300 #4,600
2000 modern 1,265 #4,696
2001 modern 1,250 #4,645
2002 modern 1,278 #4,647
2003 modern 1,263 #4,604
2004 modern 1,281 #4,547
2005 modern 1,273 #4,515
2006 modern 1,266 #4,552
2007 modern 1,274 #4,559
2008 modern 1,285 #4,556
2009 modern 1,320 #4,548
2010 modern 1,336 #4,583
2011 modern 1,296 #4,658
2012 modern 1,247 #4,757
2013 modern 1,290 #4,683
2014 modern 1,277 #4,753
2015 modern 1,258 #4,770
2016 modern 1,252 #4,777

Geography

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Where Kews are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bedminster, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Louth and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Oxfordshire, Surrey Heath, Wakefield, Swale and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 Bedminster Somerset
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Louth Lincolnshire
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Oxfordshire 015 West Oxfordshire
2 Surrey Heath 008 Surrey Heath
3 Wakefield 009 Wakefield
4 Swale 005 Swale
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 015 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kew

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kew

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Kew 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

Kew is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kew falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kew

The surname Kew originates from England, with its roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ceu," which referred to a cow or cattle. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who worked as cowherds or cattle farmers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kew can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Berkshire from 1273, which mentions a person named Richard de la Kewe. This entry indicates that the name was already in use during the medieval period and may have been associated with a specific location known as "Kewe."

The Kew surname is also closely linked to the village of Kew in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. This area was formerly known as Cayho, Cayhoo, or Keye, and it's possible that the surname originated from the place name itself, referring to individuals who hailed from or resided in this locality.

In the 16th century, the Kew surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1551, which mentions a John Kew. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Kew (1559-1622), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Tregony in Cornwall.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Kew have achieved prominence in various fields. One such figure was John Kew (1761-1820), an English artist and engraver known for his work on religious subjects. Another notable Kew was William Kew (1860-1942), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the former National Provincial Bank headquarters on Bishopsgate.

In the realm of horticulture, the Kew surname is closely associated with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London. While the gardens themselves were not named after an individual, they have contributed significantly to the study and preservation of plant life worldwide.

Other notable individuals with the surname Kew include Thomas Kew (1817-1898), an English cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club, and Harriette Amanda Vyse Kew (1860-1936), an American painter and illustrator known for her illustrations in children's books.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kew families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kew 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 137 Kews recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.60x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 137 1.60x
Lincolnshire 103 7.51x
Surrey 86 2.06x
Yorkshire 56 0.66x
Lancashire 52 0.51x
Somerset 43 3.12x
Hampshire 40 2.28x
Northamptonshire 34 4.22x
Berkshire 30 4.66x
Kent 26 0.89x
Rutland 26 41.30x
Oxfordshire 23 4.34x
Derbyshire 22 1.64x
Norfolk 21 1.59x
Wiltshire 20 2.64x
Nottinghamshire 15 1.30x
Staffordshire 15 0.52x
Durham 13 0.51x
Essex 13 0.77x
Gloucestershire 11 0.65x
Angus 9 1.13x
Northumberland 9 0.71x
Suffolk 9 0.86x
Buckinghamshire 7 1.35x
Monmouthshire 7 1.13x
Cambridgeshire 6 1.10x
Devon 6 0.34x
Isle of Man 6 3.77x
Leicestershire 5 0.53x
Warwickshire 5 0.23x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.38x
Glamorgan 3 0.20x
Renfrewshire 3 0.45x
Sussex 3 0.21x
Denbighshire 2 0.62x
Dorset 2 0.36x
Worcestershire 2 0.18x
Ayrshire 1 0.16x
Cheshire 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.17x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.59x
Midlothian 1 0.09x
Stirlingshire 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedminster in Somerset leads with 28 Kews recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.59x.

Place Total Index
Bedminster 28 21.59x
St Pancras London 28 4.06x
Kensington London 19 3.99x
Camberwell 17 3.10x
S Stoke 17 685.48x
Northampton St Giles 15 48.83x
Louth 14 44.56x
Heanor 13 64.74x
Rotherhithe 13 12.27x
Hackney London 11 2.29x
Horley 11 157.14x
Sedgley 11 10.23x
Thistleton 11 2820.51x
Cholsey 10 196.46x
Cottingham 10 54.62x
Ellisfield 10 1333.33x
Hammersmith London 10 4.73x
Manchester 10 2.19x
Send Ripley 10 183.82x
Wootton St Lawrence 10 342.47x
Cheetham 9 11.86x
Gorleston 9 33.92x
St Marylebone London 9 1.97x
Bow London 8 7.33x
Fiskerton 8 620.16x
Great Bedwin 8 148.42x
Radford 8 13.63x
Skerton 8 95.81x
Swaffham 8 74.63x
Tadley 8 267.56x
Woodborough 8 683.76x
Chew Stoke 7 343.14x
Deptford St Paul 7 3.10x
Lambeth 7 0.94x
Market Overton 7 614.04x
Newborough 7 339.81x
Reading St Giles 7 11.08x
South Witham 7 583.33x
St Nicholas Lincoln 7 53.39x
Thornton Le Fen 7 686.27x
Tonbridge 7 6.63x
Wallsend 7 17.30x
Walthamstow 7 11.49x
Claxby Pluckacre 6 3157.89x
Ecclesall Bierlow 6 3.47x
Hunslet 6 4.53x
Newark Upon Trent 6 14.44x
Onchan 6 13.08x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 3.48x
St George Bloomsbury 6 12.20x
Thornbury 6 52.17x
Trevethin 6 10.25x
West Ham 6 1.61x
Westleigh 6 25.96x
Wisbech St Peter 6 22.03x
Aston 5 0.84x
Batley 5 6.19x
Eastville 5 476.19x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 4.53x
Hornsey 5 4.61x
Inverkeillor 5 101.42x
Kirton 5 91.07x
Lancaster 5 8.26x
Maltby In Rotherham 5 210.97x
Newington 5 1.58x
Paddington London 5 1.59x
Sheffield 5 1.85x
Somerby In Grantham 5 143.27x
Standground 5 129.53x
Stony Stratford West 5 140.06x
Tidmarsh 5 892.86x
Alford 4 47.06x
Bethnal Green London 4 1.07x
Bexwell 4 1739.13x
Compton Martin 4 327.87x
Islington London 4 0.48x
Northborough 4 645.16x
Shoreditch London 4 1.08x
St Swithin Lincoln 4 18.55x
Wiggenhall St German 4 256.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 60
John 47
James 38
George 34
Charles 29
Henry 29
Thomas 27
Frederick 14
Joseph 11
Robert 11
Alfred 9
Edward 9
Daniel 8
Richard 8
Albert 7
Samuel 7
Arthur 6
Harry 6
Walter 6
Ernest 5
David 3
Herbert 3
Chas. 2
Clement 2
Edgar 2
Edmund 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Leonard 2
Thos. 2
Cecil 1
Cook 1
Danl. 1
Ed 1
Eliza 1
Gilbert 1
Henery 1
Jonathan 1
Joshephitt 1
Mantle 1
Marmaduke 1
Mathew 1
Maurice 1
Morriss 1
Moses 1
Parker 1
Percy 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Kew surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kew surname in 1881?

In 1881, 856 people were recorded with the Kew surname. That placed it at #4,419 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kew surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,252 in 2016. That gives Kew a modern rank of #4,777.

What does the Kew surname mean?

A locational surname originating from Kew, a place in Surrey, England.

What does the Kew map show?

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