NameCensus.

UK surname

Manning

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

In the 1881 census there were 9,465 people recorded with the Manning surname, ranking it #449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 14,901, ranked #427, up from #449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Daventry and South Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Manning is 15,349 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.4%.

1881 census count

9,465

Ranked #449

Modern count

14,901

2016, ranked #427

Peak year

1999

15,349 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Manning had 9,465 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 14,901 in 2016, ranked #427.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,829 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Manning surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Manning surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Manning 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 5,875 #476
1861 historical 5,885 #463
1881 historical 9,465 #449
1891 historical 9,903 #442
1901 historical 11,419 #458
1911 historical 12,829 #381
1997 modern 14,713 #410
1998 modern 15,240 #414
1999 modern 15,349 #414
2000 modern 15,207 #416
2001 modern 14,890 #414
2002 modern 15,192 #414
2003 modern 14,731 #417
2004 modern 14,648 #418
2005 modern 14,386 #421
2006 modern 14,304 #422
2007 modern 14,390 #425
2008 modern 14,514 #425
2009 modern 14,835 #426
2010 modern 15,184 #426
2011 modern 14,942 #426
2012 modern 14,618 #426
2013 modern 15,010 #426
2014 modern 15,121 #425
2015 modern 14,972 #425
2016 modern 14,901 #427

Geography

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Where Mannings are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Daventry, South Northamptonshire, St Edmundsbury and Pembrokeshire. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 021 Herefordshire, County of
2 Daventry 002 Daventry
3 South Northamptonshire 001 South Northamptonshire
4 St Edmundsbury 003 St Edmundsbury
5 Pembrokeshire 013 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Manning

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Manning

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Manning is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Manning 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

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

Meaning and origin of Manning

The surname Manning originated in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "mannen," which means "someone who was a servant or vassal." The name initially referred to a servant or bondsman who worked on a lord's estate or manor.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest written record of surnames in England, there are several entries of the name Manning or variations such as Manni and Manninges. These early forms suggest that the name was already established in various parts of the country by the late 11th century.

The Manning surname is closely associated with the county of Norfolk, where it was particularly prevalent during the Middle Ages. Several place names in Norfolk, such as Mannington and Manningford, are believed to have contributed to the evolution and spread of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Manning was William Manning, born circa 1270 in Norfolk. He held lands in the village of Trunch and was mentioned in various legal documents from the late 13th century.

Another notable figure was John Manning, a merchant and alderman of London, who lived between 1440 and 1516. He served as the Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners and was a prominent figure in the city's trade and civic affairs.

In the 16th century, Thomas Manning (1532-1597) was a renowned theologian and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and later became the Bishop of Chichester.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Colonel Michael Manning (1616-1669) was a prominent military commander who fought for the Parliamentarian forces against King Charles I.

Sir William Manning (1693-1761), born in Norfolk, was a British diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of the Bank of England from 1738 to 1742.

The Manning surname has been carried across the globe by English immigrants and has taken root in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It remains a prominent name in many English-speaking communities, reflecting its deep historical roots in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Manning families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Manning 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 1,680 Mannings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.81x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,680 1.81x
Devon 752 3.89x
Lancashire 672 0.61x
Suffolk 656 5.80x
Essex 483 2.63x
Surrey 482 1.07x
Northamptonshire 447 5.12x
Somerset 391 2.62x
Kent 383 1.21x
Yorkshire 367 0.40x
Gloucestershire 321 1.76x
Norfolk 299 2.09x
Warwickshire 267 1.14x
Cheshire 218 1.06x
Staffordshire 171 0.55x
Hampshire 167 0.88x
Hertfordshire 130 2.03x
Cambridgeshire 128 2.18x
Worcestershire 127 1.05x
Lincolnshire 126 0.85x
Oxfordshire 109 1.90x
Glamorgan 101 0.62x
Durham 98 0.35x
Bedfordshire 92 1.91x
Shropshire 69 0.86x
Berkshire 62 0.89x
Leicestershire 60 0.58x
Sussex 58 0.37x
Wiltshire 52 0.63x
Dorset 45 0.74x
Cornwall 44 0.42x
Monmouthshire 43 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 42 0.34x
Herefordshire 35 0.92x
Derbyshire 34 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 34 1.84x
Buckinghamshire 33 0.59x
Channel Islands 32 1.16x
Lanarkshire 31 0.10x
Northumberland 31 0.22x
Royal Navy 23 2.08x
Dunbartonshire 16 0.64x
Ayrshire 13 0.19x
Pembrokeshire 12 0.41x
Perthshire 11 0.26x
Cumberland 9 0.11x
Flintshire 9 0.36x
Fife 8 0.15x
Roxburghshire 7 0.42x
Argyllshire 6 0.23x
Brecknockshire 6 0.32x
Isle of Man 6 0.35x
Midlothian 6 0.05x
Angus 5 0.06x
Renfrewshire 4 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.05x
Rutland 2 0.29x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Anglesey 1 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.03x
Denbighshire 1 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 163 Mannings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.18x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 163 2.18x
Bethnal Green London 123 3.05x
Birmingham 118 1.51x
Islington London 112 1.24x
Shoreditch London 110 2.73x
Kensington London 109 2.11x
West Ham 108 2.67x
Lambeth 91 1.12x
St Marylebone London 85 1.71x
Liverpool 78 1.17x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 70 4.08x
Aston 63 0.98x
Paddington London 60 1.76x
Brington 57 216.81x
Bermondsey 56 2.03x
Chelsea London 55 1.97x
Hackney London 55 1.06x
Tiverton 55 16.51x
Manchester 53 1.07x
Battersea 52 1.52x
Deptford St Paul 52 2.13x
Hampstead London 52 3.59x
Bromsgrove 50 12.25x
Bradford 48 2.15x
Rougham 48 388.04x
St George Hanover 46 3.79x
Camberwell 45 0.76x
Spratton 44 167.94x
Wolverhampton 44 1.83x
Gooderstone 43 277.78x
Hammersmith London 42 1.84x
St Luke London 42 2.82x
Plymouth Charles The 41 4.81x
Bromley London 40 1.96x
Clerkenwell London 40 1.82x
West Derby 40 1.24x
Bedminster 39 2.78x
Plymouth St Andrew 38 2.55x
Tormoham 38 4.64x
Mile End Old Town 37 2.52x
Newington 36 1.05x
Ashton Under Lyne 34 1.41x
Poplar London 34 1.94x
Boston 33 7.32x
Salford 33 1.02x
Sandon 33 136.03x
Woolwich 33 2.82x
Birkenhead 32 1.96x
Portsea 32 0.86x
Walcot 32 4.02x
Swansea Town 30 2.26x
Bloxham 29 51.56x
Elmswell 29 119.83x
Great Saxham 29 380.08x
Lowestoft 29 5.43x
Burton Upon Trent 27 3.68x
Clifton 27 2.93x
Combe St Nicholas 26 71.92x
Peterborough 26 4.11x
St George In East 26 4.12x
Cheltenham 25 1.78x
Holy Trinity 25 1.13x
Hulme 25 1.09x
St Giles In Fields 25 7.80x
St Anne Soho London 24 4.52x
Toxteth Park 24 0.64x
Eaton Socon 23 30.47x
Greenwich 23 1.56x
Royal Navy 23 2.43x
Spitalfields London 23 3.29x
Stowmarket 23 17.59x
Ecclesall Bierlow 22 1.18x
Kirkdale 22 1.19x
Moulton 22 45.29x
Rotherhithe 22 1.92x
Carlton Colville 21 50.61x
Chard 21 11.60x
Everton 21 0.60x
Methwold 21 45.45x
Stoke Damerel 21 1.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 632
Elizabeth 331
Sarah 284
Emma 173
Ellen 162
Eliza 161
Ann 149
Jane 147
Alice 135
Annie 121
Emily 107
Harriet 83
Maria 83
Louisa 75
Martha 72
Hannah 71
Margaret 70
Catherine 68
Florence 66
Caroline 62
Edith 62
Charlotte 60
Kate 54
Susan 52
Frances 50
Lucy 50
Fanny 49
Ada 44
Clara 42
Sophia 37
Anne 35
Rose 35
Agnes 32
Bridget 32
Harriett 31
Rebecca 30
Amelia 26
Susannah 24
Jessie 23
Minnie 23
Anna 22
Gertrude 22
Matilda 22
Elizth. 21
Esther 20
Julia 20
Lydia 20
Grace 17
Maud 17
Amy 16

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 570
John 546
George 297
James 291
Thomas 278
Charles 230
Henry 206
Joseph 121
Arthur 108
Robert 103
Alfred 100
Edward 99
Frederick 97
Walter 94
Samuel 80
Richard 76
Albert 68
Harry 62
Michael 49
Ernest 48
Frank 43
David 38
Patrick 34
Wm. 34
Francis 32
Herbert 28
Daniel 27
Edwin 23
Thos. 21
Benjamin 20
Fred 18
Peter 18
Fredrick 17
Isaac 17
Stephen 16
Andrew 14
Dennis 13
Fredk. 13
Geo. 12
Chas. 11
Mark 10
Sidney 10
Abraham 9
Frederic 8
Jacob 8
Jeremiah 8
Martin 8
Matthew 7
Percy 7
Timothy 7

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Manning households.

FAQ

Manning surname: questions and answers

How common was the Manning surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,465 people were recorded with the Manning surname. That placed it at #449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Manning surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 14,901 in 2016. That gives Manning a modern rank of #427.

What does the Manning surname mean?

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

What does the Manning map show?

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