NameCensus.

UK surname

Mager

A German occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold poppy seed rolls or cakes.

In the 1881 census there were 307 people recorded with the Mager surname, ranking it #9,568 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 244, ranked #17,096, down from #9,568 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Louth, Biggleswade and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Flintshire, North Lincolnshire and Mid Sussex.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mager is 499 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.5%.

1881 census count

307

Ranked #9,568

Modern count

244

2016, ranked #17,096

Peak year

1861

499 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mager had 307 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,568 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 244 in 2016, ranked #17,096.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 499 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mager surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mager surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mager 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 380 #6,284
1861 historical 499 #5,242
1881 historical 307 #9,568
1891 historical 372 #9,386
1901 historical 265 #12,652
1911 historical 317 #11,011
1997 modern 256 #15,034
1998 modern 280 #14,550
1999 modern 281 #14,578
2000 modern 274 #14,796
2001 modern 262 #15,034
2002 modern 263 #15,277
2003 modern 254 #15,454
2004 modern 258 #15,386
2005 modern 239 #16,144
2006 modern 228 #16,789
2007 modern 238 #16,505
2008 modern 240 #16,535
2009 modern 243 #16,742
2010 modern 247 #16,931
2011 modern 251 #16,589
2012 modern 255 #16,296
2013 modern 257 #16,466
2014 modern 261 #16,421
2015 modern 248 #16,905
2016 modern 244 #17,096

Geography

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Where Magers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Louth, Biggleswade, London parishes, Molesey, East and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Flintshire, North Lincolnshire, Mid Sussex, East Lindsey and North Somerset. 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 Louth Lincolnshire
2 Biggleswade Bedfordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Molesey, East Surrey
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Flintshire 016 Flintshire
2 North Lincolnshire 004 North Lincolnshire
3 Mid Sussex 006 Mid Sussex
4 East Lindsey 006 East Lindsey
5 North Somerset 020 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mager

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mager

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mager surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mager household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mager 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

Mager is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mager falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mager is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mager

The surname Mager is believed to have originated in Germany, where it first appeared in the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "mager," which means "thin" or "lean." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone of a slender build.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mager can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name is also mentioned in the Bürgermatrikel, the citizen registers of various German cities from the 14th and 15th centuries.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Mager was Johann Mager, a German theologian and reformer born in 1492. He was a follower of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

During the 17th century, the name Mager appeared in various records across Germany, including church registers and land deeds. One example is Hans Mager, a landowner from the town of Erfurt, who is mentioned in a document from 1638.

In the 18th century, Johann Georg Mager, a German composer and organist, was born in 1719. He was renowned for his works in the Baroque style and served as the court organist for the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg.

The 19th century saw the name Mager spread beyond Germany, with individuals bearing this surname migrating to other parts of Europe and North America. One notable figure from this period was Karl Mager, a German-American artist and lithographer born in 1819, known for his intricate landscape paintings.

Another historical figure with the surname Mager was Theodor Mager, a German historian and genealogist born in 1842. He authored several books on the history and genealogy of noble families in Germany, contributing significantly to the study of family lineages.

As the name Mager has its roots in Germany, it is often associated with place names and geographic features in that region. For example, the town of Magerau in Bavaria may be related to the surname, as well as the Magerbach, a small river in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mager families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mager 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 73 Magers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.43x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 73 2.43x
Lincolnshire 60 12.49x
Surrey 27 1.84x
Lancashire 22 0.62x
Somerset 17 3.52x
Yorkshire 15 0.50x
Kent 11 1.07x
Berkshire 10 4.43x
Nottinghamshire 9 2.22x
Durham 8 0.90x
Suffolk 7 1.91x
Huntingdonshire 6 10.06x
Glamorgan 5 0.96x
Wiltshire 5 1.88x
Cheshire 4 0.60x
Gloucestershire 4 0.68x
Hertfordshire 4 1.93x
Sussex 4 0.79x
Hampshire 3 0.49x
Northumberland 3 0.67x
Devon 2 0.32x
Northamptonshire 2 0.71x
Staffordshire 2 0.20x
Bedfordshire 1 0.64x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.53x
Channel Islands 1 1.12x
Dorset 1 0.51x
Westmorland 1 1.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shadwell London in Middlesex leads with 13 Magers recorded in 1881 and an index of 154.58x.

Place Total Index
Shadwell London 13 154.58x
Islington London 11 3.78x
Alford 9 302.01x
Frampton 9 989.01x
Hornsey 9 23.69x
Liverpool 9 4.16x
St Pancras London 9 3.72x
Weston Super Mare 9 73.71x
Great Grimsby 8 26.24x
Newington 8 7.21x
Arnold 7 118.44x
Ipswich St Clement 7 75.27x
Battersea 6 5.43x
Goxhill 6 508.47x
Harton 6 169.97x
Sonning 6 240.96x
Toseland 6 3333.33x
Tottenham 6 12.54x
West Derby 6 5.75x
Chelsea London 5 5.52x
East Molesey 5 147.06x
Kensington London 5 2.99x
Lambeth 5 1.91x
Stainland Cum Old 5 98.23x
Tetney 5 602.41x
Walcot 5 19.41x
Broadwater 4 34.42x
Broxbourne 4 97.56x
Crumpsall 4 47.62x
Greenwich 4 8.36x
Deal 3 34.32x
Ewenny 3 1000.00x
Firsby 3 1250.00x
Horncastle 3 60.48x
Mumby 3 454.55x
Roxby Cum Risby 3 697.67x
Swindon 3 14.56x
Twickenham 3 23.29x
Westminster St John 3 8.20x
Bathwick 2 37.38x
Bradford On Avon 2 23.50x
Bray 2 30.17x
Chatham 2 7.09x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 3.53x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.82x
Doncaster 2 9.20x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 3.30x
Halton Holegate 2 392.16x
Harworth 2 350.88x
Hurst 2 67.80x
Linthorpe 2 11.25x
Old Bolingbroke 2 425.53x
Radstone 2 1666.67x
Rotherhithe 2 5.39x
Sculcoates 2 4.24x
St Marylebone London 2 1.25x
Stickford 2 400.00x
Swansea Town 2 4.66x
Wickwar 2 210.53x
Bedminster 1 2.20x
Biggleswade 1 19.65x
Bingley 1 5.27x
Crossgate 1 25.58x
Everton 1 0.88x
Hammersmith London 1 1.35x
Hampton London 1 20.24x
Keighley 1 3.15x
Louth 1 9.08x
Maltby Le Marsh 1 322.58x
Mavis Enderby 1 714.29x
Monks Coppenhall 1 4.00x
Newton 1 135.14x
North Hyckeham 1 212.77x
Painswick 1 23.98x
Sale 1 12.29x
Scamblesby 1 270.27x
St James Dukes Place 1 156.25x
St Maryde Castro 1 45.66x
Tormoham 1 3.78x
Westminster St James 1 3.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Elizabeth 16
Sarah 13
Annie 7
Jane 6
Maria 5
Charlotte 4
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Hannah 3
Martha 3
Susan 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Bridget 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Clare 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Maud 2
Anna 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Blanch 1
Cecile 1
Dora 1
E.A. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Ella 1
Frances 1
G.Vie 1
Helena 1
Hellen 1
Iley 1
Isabell 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lena 1
Lilley 1
Livina 1
Lizzie 1
Winifed 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 13
George 12
Charles 11
James 9
Thomas 9
Arthur 6
Alfred 5
Frederick 5
Henry 5
Richard 5
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Robert 3
Conrad 2
Croft 2
Edmund 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Patrick 2
Sydney 2
Walter 2
Bernhard 1
Bushold 1
Chas 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Harrison 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Israel 1
J. 1
J.C. 1
Jack 1
Lonsdale 1
Louis 1
Luke 1
Michael 1
Myer 1
P.J. 1
Ruben 1
Samuel 1
Swain 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Mager surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mager surname in 1881?

In 1881, 307 people were recorded with the Mager surname. That placed it at #9,568 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mager surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 244 in 2016. That gives Mager a modern rank of #17,096.

What does the Mager surname mean?

A German occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold poppy seed rolls or cakes.

What does the Mager map show?

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