NameCensus.

UK surname

Manners

An English occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a servant or attendant in a manor house.

In the 1881 census there were 1,483 people recorded with the Manners surname, ranking it #2,821 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,110, ranked #3,063, down from #2,821 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill and Melton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Manners is 2,126 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.3%.

1881 census count

1,483

Ranked #2,821

Modern count

2,110

2016, ranked #3,063

Peak year

2013

2,126 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Manners had 1,483 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,821 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,110 in 2016, ranked #3,063.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,765 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Manners surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Manners surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Manners 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 875 #3,121
1861 historical 905 #3,060
1881 historical 1,483 #2,821
1891 historical 1,386 #3,138
1901 historical 1,682 #3,068
1911 historical 1,765 #2,783
1997 modern 1,995 #3,058
1998 modern 2,090 #3,050
1999 modern 2,077 #3,090
2000 modern 2,070 #3,084
2001 modern 2,009 #3,102
2002 modern 2,080 #3,071
2003 modern 1,982 #3,138
2004 modern 1,981 #3,142
2005 modern 1,965 #3,138
2006 modern 1,974 #3,131
2007 modern 2,011 #3,115
2008 modern 2,030 #3,103
2009 modern 2,054 #3,146
2010 modern 2,121 #3,122
2011 modern 2,078 #3,140
2012 modern 2,064 #3,106
2013 modern 2,126 #3,066
2014 modern 2,121 #3,096
2015 modern 2,100 #3,091
2016 modern 2,110 #3,063

Geography

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Where Manners' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Melton and Northumberland. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Auckland St Andrew Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 042 Leeds
2 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
3 Melton 001 Melton
4 Northumberland 007 Northumberland
5 Northumberland 015 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Manners

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Manners

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Manners is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Manners 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

Manners 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 Manners 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 Manners, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Manners

The surname Manners originated in England during the medieval period. It derived from the Old French word "maniere," meaning a way of behaving or manner. The name likely referred to someone with good manners or a distinguished bearing.

Manners is an ancient English surname found in records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is Robert de Manors, mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. The spelling variations at the time included Maner, Maneres, and Manors.

The Manners name appeared in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror. This record listed landowners across England, including individuals with the name Manners or similar spellings.

In the 14th century, the Manners family became established in Northumberland, where they held lands and titles for centuries. Sir Robert Manners (c.1350-1391) was a prominent figure during this time and served as a knight and member of Parliament.

The Manners family continued to grow in influence and status in the following centuries. Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland (1492-1543), was a courtier and soldier during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI. His descendant, John Manners, 9th Earl of Rutland (1638-1711), was a distinguished statesman and served as Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire.

Other notable individuals with the Manners surname include Sir John Manners (1590-1681), an English politician and member of the House of Commons, and Lord John Manners (1818-1905), a British politician and writer who served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

The Manners name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Manners Sutton in Wiltshire and Manners Green in Berkshire, reflecting the family's historical landholdings and influence.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Manners families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Manners 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. Durham leads with 178 Manners' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.14x.

County Total Index
Durham 178 4.14x
Yorkshire 177 1.24x
Middlesex 161 1.12x
Gloucestershire 103 3.64x
Surrey 95 1.35x
Wiltshire 93 7.28x
Warwickshire 52 1.43x
Northumberland 51 2.37x
Hampshire 49 1.66x
Nottinghamshire 46 2.36x
Berkshire 45 4.15x
Derbyshire 40 1.77x
Somerset 38 1.64x
Kent 37 0.75x
Sussex 32 1.31x
Lancashire 25 0.15x
Midlothian 25 1.29x
Oxfordshire 21 2.36x
Buckinghamshire 18 2.06x
Fife 18 2.11x
Lincolnshire 17 0.74x
Cheshire 15 0.47x
Lanarkshire 14 0.30x
Leicestershire 14 0.87x
Staffordshire 14 0.29x
Ayrshire 13 1.20x
Dunbartonshire 13 3.35x
Norfolk 12 0.54x
Renfrewshire 12 1.07x
Angus 9 0.67x
Essex 9 0.32x
Inverness-shire 5 1.16x
Bedfordshire 4 0.54x
Denbighshire 3 0.55x
Huntingdonshire 3 1.05x
Shropshire 3 0.24x
Herefordshire 2 0.34x
Perthshire 2 0.31x
Royal Navy 2 1.16x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.11x
Channel Islands 1 0.23x
Cumberland 1 0.08x
Devon 1 0.03x
East Lothian 1 0.52x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Hertfordshire 1 0.10x
Monmouthshire 1 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coundon in Durham leads with 38 Manners' recorded in 1881 and an index of 218.27x.

Place Total Index
Coundon 38 218.27x
Calne 27 102.70x
Ilkeston 22 34.72x
Leeds 22 2.72x
Cowpen 21 42.46x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 21 41.10x
St Pancras London 21 1.81x
Lambeth 18 1.43x
Vernham Dean 18 608.11x
Islington London 16 1.14x
Nottingham St Mary 16 3.18x
Pocklington 16 118.43x
Burghfield 15 234.01x
Bedminster 14 6.41x
Gateshead 14 4.35x
Paddington London 14 2.64x
Wandsworth 14 10.07x
Bishop Auckland 13 22.56x
Bristol St George 13 9.93x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 13 6.99x
Morpeth 13 51.46x
Poplar London 13 4.77x
Sonning 13 108.70x
Hampton Wick London 12 113.42x
Minety 12 338.03x
St George Hanover 12 6.37x
Willington 12 48.35x
Aston 11 1.10x
Dysart 11 19.11x
Heddington 11 625.00x
Kilmarnock 11 8.55x
Newington 11 2.06x
Rotherhithe 11 6.17x
Sunderland 11 14.50x
Westerton 11 480.35x
Baildon 10 37.12x
Brancepeth 10 128.21x
Chelsea London 10 2.30x
Farnley In Bramley 10 55.99x
Hendon 10 19.25x
Middlesbrough 10 5.37x
Swillington 10 245.70x
Beaconsfield 9 111.39x
Bitton 9 36.51x
Broadwater 9 16.12x
Cheltenham 9 4.12x
Doncaster 9 8.61x
Dumbarton 9 16.67x
Elklstone 9 762.71x
Fletching 9 82.64x
Monks Coppenhall 9 7.48x
St Marylebone London 9 1.17x
Stranton 9 6.22x
Yeadon 9 27.86x
Alcester 8 66.61x
Bitton Oldland 8 27.64x
Dartford 8 15.88x
Deptford St Paul 8 2.11x
Eastwood 8 45.98x
Liberton 8 26.80x
Newark Upon Trent 8 11.44x
S Stoke 8 191.85x
St Andrew Holborn 8 16.35x
Brandon Byshottles 7 13.01x
Brighton 7 1.43x
Chippenham 7 26.14x
Dundee 7 1.40x
Great Gonerby 7 117.65x
Gt Tew 7 295.36x
Handsworth 7 5.83x
Ilkestonderbypart 7 105.90x
Newland 7 29.41x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 7 48.58x
Trowbridge 7 12.40x
Twerton 7 29.22x
Westbury On Trym 7 7.30x
Abbey 6 3.51x
Buckminster 6 480.00x
Darlington 6 3.62x
Haseley 6 535.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 96
William 71
George 57
Henry 47
Thomas 34
James 33
Charles 30
Robert 25
Joseph 20
Edward 19
Alfred 18
Frederick 16
Walter 12
Arthur 11
David 9
Richard 8
Albert 7
Fred 7
Samuel 7
Ernest 6
Frank 6
Herbert 6
Ralph 5
Christopher 4
Wm. 4
Chas. 3
Daniel 3
Earnest 3
Edmund 3
Thos. 3
Willm. 3
Caleb 2
Douglas 2
Fred. 2
Fredk. 2
Harold 2
Harry 2
Isaac 2
Jesse 2
Jno. 2
Mark 2
Owen 2
C.T.G. 1
Duncan 1
Ed 1
Ed. 1
Edgar 1
Geo. 1
Geo.S. 1
Wm.G. 1

FAQ

Manners surname: questions and answers

How common was the Manners surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,483 people were recorded with the Manners surname. That placed it at #2,821 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Manners surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,110 in 2016. That gives Manners a modern rank of #3,063.

What does the Manners surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a servant or attendant in a manor house.

What does the Manners map show?

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