NameCensus.

UK surname

Mace

A nickname-derived surname referring to someone of a warlike disposition or a mace-bearer.

In the 1881 census there were 2,614 people recorded with the Mace surname, ranking it #1,704 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,798, ranked #1,777, down from #1,704 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Walsham, North. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, Staffordshire Moorlands and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mace is 4,031 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.3%.

1881 census count

2,614

Ranked #1,704

Modern count

3,798

2016, ranked #1,777

Peak year

1999

4,031 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mace had 2,614 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,704 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,798 in 2016, ranked #1,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,704 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mace surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mace surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mace 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 1,651 #1,741
1861 historical 1,578 #1,809
1881 historical 2,614 #1,704
1891 historical 2,805 #1,685
1901 historical 3,310 #1,688
1911 historical 3,704 #1,403
1997 modern 3,766 #1,724
1998 modern 3,978 #1,700
1999 modern 4,031 #1,687
2000 modern 4,000 #1,694
2001 modern 3,911 #1,692
2002 modern 3,968 #1,702
2003 modern 3,918 #1,686
2004 modern 3,955 #1,677
2005 modern 3,842 #1,699
2006 modern 3,826 #1,710
2007 modern 3,874 #1,701
2008 modern 3,874 #1,716
2009 modern 3,940 #1,727
2010 modern 4,013 #1,726
2011 modern 3,927 #1,742
2012 modern 3,792 #1,771
2013 modern 3,896 #1,757
2014 modern 3,914 #1,758
2015 modern 3,863 #1,758
2016 modern 3,798 #1,777

Geography

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Where Maces are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Walsham, North and St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, Staffordshire Moorlands, Rotherham and Tewkesbury. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Walsham, North Norfolk
5 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 001 Fenland
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 011 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Rotherham 013 Rotherham
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Tewkesbury 002 Tewkesbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mace

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mace

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

Mace 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

Mace falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mace

The surname MACE is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "mace," meaning a heavy staff or club used as a weapon in medieval times. This surname likely originated in the 11th or 12th century and was initially an occupational name, given to those who made or carried maces.

The earliest known record of the name MACE dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Macia" in Bedfordshire, England. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been derived from the personal name "Mace" or "Machi," which were common in Norman France during that period.

By the 13th century, the surname MACE had become more widespread across England, with various spellings such as Mace, Maces, and Macey. One notable historical figure was Sir Henry Mace (c. 1370-1415), a Welsh soldier and landowner who fought alongside Henry V in the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, the name MACE was also found in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. One example is Thomas Mace (1612/13-1706), an English lutenist, viol instructor, and writer on music, who published the influential work "Musick's Monument" in 1676.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name MACE continued to be prominent in England, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. These include William Mace (1676-1736), an English playwright and satirist, and Thomas Mace (1619-1699), an English Presbyterian minister and author.

Another significant figure was John Mace (1785-1859), an English-born American Baptist minister and abolitionist. He was actively involved in the anti-slavery movement and served as the fourth president of the American Anti-Slavery Society from 1837 to 1839.

As the name spread across the British Empire, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One notable Australian bearer of the surname was Henry Darlington Mace (1854-1937), a pioneering medical practitioner and surgeon who played a significant role in the development of healthcare in Western Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mace families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mace 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. Norfolk leads with 359 Maces recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.07x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 359 9.07x
Middlesex 314 1.22x
Kent 286 3.25x
Gloucestershire 179 3.54x
Berkshire 153 7.91x
Yorkshire 146 0.57x
Surrey 110 0.88x
Staffordshire 101 1.16x
Warwickshire 95 1.46x
Lancashire 83 0.27x
Suffolk 81 2.58x
Cheshire 59 1.04x
Wiltshire 58 2.55x
Sussex 56 1.29x
Cambridgeshire 52 3.19x
Oxfordshire 50 3.14x
Durham 48 0.63x
Worcestershire 40 1.19x
Huntingdonshire 38 7.43x
Essex 37 0.73x
Northamptonshire 35 1.45x
Northumberland 32 0.84x
Derbyshire 26 0.64x
Dorset 24 1.42x
Channel Islands 21 2.75x
Leicestershire 20 0.70x
Hampshire 19 0.36x
Bedfordshire 15 1.12x
Shropshire 15 0.67x
Buckinghamshire 14 0.90x
Herefordshire 9 0.85x
Rutland 9 4.76x
Monmouthshire 7 0.38x
Cornwall 6 0.21x
Devon 6 0.11x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.17x
Lincolnshire 5 0.12x
Midlothian 5 0.14x
Royal Navy 5 1.63x
Somerset 5 0.12x
Cumberland 3 0.14x
Hertfordshire 3 0.17x
Lanarkshire 3 0.04x
Kincardineshire 1 0.32x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 40 Maces recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.85x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 40 1.85x
Dartford 39 43.41x
East Malling 37 176.19x
Saham Toney 35 327.72x
Poplar London 33 6.79x
Harlton 32 1163.64x
Kensington London 32 2.24x
Cheltenham 31 7.96x
Heigham 28 13.17x
Brighton 27 3.08x
East West Hanney 27 355.26x
North Walsham 27 94.57x
Stoke Upon Trent 27 2.93x
St Pancras London 24 1.16x
Islington London 22 0.88x
Little Compton 22 496.61x
Berwick Upon Tweed 21 25.87x
Chipping Norton 21 57.11x
Hackney London 21 1.45x
Normanton 20 26.08x
Stockport 19 6.49x
South Moreton 18 622.84x
Todenham 18 636.04x
Brigstock 16 174.10x
Pakefield 16 205.39x
Bromley London 15 2.65x
Eynsford 15 99.54x
Rochester St Margaret 15 16.19x
Shoreditch London 15 1.34x
Newington 14 1.47x
Southcoates 14 9.88x
Tuddenham St Mary 14 411.76x
Cookham 13 21.57x
Deptford St Paul 13 1.92x
Greenwich 13 3.17x
Kings Norton 13 4.31x
Swindon 13 7.36x
Tenterden 13 41.95x
Thorpe Next Norwich 13 30.97x
Walsall Borough 13 19.27x
Bishopwearmouth 12 1.82x
Cheadle 12 11.05x
Dukinfield 12 4.57x
Gorleston 12 15.06x
Melcombe Regis 12 17.13x
Paddington London 12 1.27x
Thatcham 12 40.28x
Wanstead 12 13.48x
Acton 11 7.29x
Ashton Under Lyne 11 1.65x
Biddestone St Nicholas 11 304.71x
Datchet 11 103.29x
Gorton 11 3.83x
Lambeth 11 0.49x
Norwich St Paul 11 46.41x
Norwich St Peter 11 42.32x
Woolwich 11 3.39x
Badger 10 769.23x
Belton 10 181.82x
Bermondsey 10 1.30x
Bethnal Green London 10 0.89x
Bromley 10 7.47x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 2.06x
Dunchurch 10 112.74x
Knapton 10 358.42x
Manchester 10 0.73x
Reading St Giles 10 5.27x
St Peter Port 10 7.08x
Sutton Stoneferry 10 13.69x
Chatham 9 3.72x
Derby St Werburgh 9 3.87x
Great Yarmouth 9 2.74x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 9 2.71x
Holy Trinity 9 1.47x
Langley 9 2045.45x
Leeds 9 0.62x
Seaford 9 60.93x
Sutton 9 9.91x
Wateringbury 9 78.40x
West Ham 9 0.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 131
Elizabeth 100
Sarah 93
Eliza 50
Emma 46
Ann 45
Alice 44
Ellen 42
Annie 38
Emily 35
Jane 34
Hannah 30
Martha 30
Edith 24
Harriet 24
Louisa 21
Maria 21
Caroline 19
Charlotte 19
Florence 19
Fanny 17
Lucy 17
Kate 16
Esther 14
Frances 14
Ada 13
Agnes 12
Amelia 12
Clara 12
Margaret 11
Anne 10
Rose 10
Rebecca 9
Harriett 8
Sophia 8
Susan 8
Catherine 7
Minnie 7
Gertrude 6
Isabella 6
Laura 6
Lydia 6
Maud 6
Susannah 5
Anna 4
Julia 4
Lily 4
Miriam 4
Rosa 4
Selina 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 154
William 153
James 100
George 90
Thomas 84
Charles 83
Henry 60
Alfred 44
Joseph 38
Robert 34
Frederick 31
Walter 29
Arthur 27
Albert 23
Edward 21
Harry 15
Ernest 13
Francis 12
Samuel 12
Richard 10
Herbert 9
David 8
Wm. 7
Edwin 6
Isaac 6
Mark 6
Thos. 6
Benjamin 5
Daniel 5
Edmund 5
Frank 5
Jesse 5
Josiah 5
Mathew 5
Miles 5
Horace 4
Philip 4
Chas. 3
Fred 3
Fredrick 3
J. 3
Jonathan 3
Lewis 3
Oliver 3
Stephen 3
Sydney 3
Tom 3
Willm. 3
Percy 2
Wm.A. 2

FAQ

Mace surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mace surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,614 people were recorded with the Mace surname. That placed it at #1,704 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mace surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,798 in 2016. That gives Mace a modern rank of #1,777.

What does the Mace surname mean?

A nickname-derived surname referring to someone of a warlike disposition or a mace-bearer.

What does the Mace map show?

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