NameCensus.

UK surname

Masters

An occupational surname referring to someone who was a master of their trade or craft.

In the 1881 census there were 5,523 people recorded with the Masters surname, ranking it #803 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,743, ranked #858, down from #803 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Mendip and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Masters is 8,140 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.2%.

1881 census count

5,523

Ranked #803

Modern count

7,743

2016, ranked #858

Peak year

1999

8,140 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Masters had 5,523 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #803 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,743 in 2016, ranked #858.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,333 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Masters surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Masters surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Masters 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 3,699 #769
1861 historical 3,115 #927
1881 historical 5,523 #803
1891 historical 5,563 #848
1901 historical 6,869 #807
1911 historical 7,333 #709
1997 modern 7,860 #821
1998 modern 8,117 #826
1999 modern 8,140 #829
2000 modern 8,112 #825
2001 modern 7,901 #830
2002 modern 8,110 #822
2003 modern 7,912 #820
2004 modern 7,879 #824
2005 modern 7,673 #835
2006 modern 7,629 #842
2007 modern 7,720 #838
2008 modern 7,719 #847
2009 modern 7,923 #844
2010 modern 8,093 #844
2011 modern 7,922 #852
2012 modern 7,892 #830
2013 modern 7,977 #836
2014 modern 7,933 #848
2015 modern 7,804 #853
2016 modern 7,743 #858

Geography

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Where Masters' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Mendip and South 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 011 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 019 Cornwall
3 Mendip 005 Mendip
4 Cornwall 030 Cornwall
5 South Somerset 006 South Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Masters

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Masters

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

Masters is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Masters

The surname Masters is an English occupational name that originated in the Middle Ages. It derives from the Old English word 'mæster', meaning a person who holds mastery or skilled knowledge in a particular trade or profession.

The name first appeared in records from the 12th century, with early examples found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166. It was a relatively common surname among skilled artisans, craftsmen, and professionals, particularly in urban areas.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to individuals with variations of the name, such as 'Magister' and 'Maistre', which were early forms of the word 'Master'. These entries indicate that the name was already in use before the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Robert le Maistre, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1201. Another notable early bearer was William le Mestre, a landholder in Lincolnshire, whose name appears in the Feet of Fines for that county in 1202.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often associated with individuals who held positions of authority or mastery in various fields, such as education, law, or religious orders. For example, William Masters (c. 1370-1431) was a prominent English scholar and theologian who served as the Chancellor of Oxford University.

In the 16th century, the name was borne by Richard Masters (c. 1480-1535), an English clergyman and theologian who was one of the first Protestants to be burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the Reformation.

Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Masters (1637-1718), an English settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony who was one of the founders of the town of Watertown and served as a deputy to the General Court.

In the 18th century, the name was held by Sir William Masters (1696-1771), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire.

During the 19th century, the name was borne by Maxwell Tylden Masters (1833-1907), an English botanist and taxonomist who made significant contributions to the study of plant diseases and fungi.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Masters families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Masters 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 854 Masters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.58x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 854 1.58x
Kent 563 3.05x
Somerset 541 6.21x
Warwickshire 516 3.78x
Surrey 369 1.40x
Hampshire 293 2.64x
Dorset 251 7.07x
Gloucestershire 203 1.91x
Sussex 196 2.15x
Devon 189 1.68x
Northamptonshire 144 2.83x
Cornwall 139 2.27x
Staffordshire 111 0.61x
Lancashire 110 0.17x
Worcestershire 103 1.46x
Leicestershire 91 1.52x
Yorkshire 91 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 74 2.16x
Essex 70 0.66x
Bedfordshire 64 2.28x
Glamorgan 56 0.59x
Berkshire 46 1.13x
Hertfordshire 45 1.21x
Wiltshire 44 0.92x
Durham 42 0.26x
Buckinghamshire 40 1.22x
Norfolk 30 0.36x
Oxfordshire 27 0.81x
Monmouthshire 26 0.66x
Channel Islands 23 1.43x
Derbyshire 22 0.26x
Suffolk 20 0.30x
Cheshire 19 0.16x
Nottinghamshire 18 0.25x
Herefordshire 16 0.72x
Cumberland 13 0.28x
Huntingdonshire 13 1.21x
Northumberland 11 0.14x
Denbighshire 9 0.44x
Rutland 9 2.26x
Pembrokeshire 8 0.47x
Lincolnshire 6 0.07x
Ross-shire 6 0.40x
Royal Navy 6 0.93x
Brecknockshire 5 0.46x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.22x
Lanarkshire 5 0.03x
Midlothian 3 0.04x
Shropshire 2 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 100 Masters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.91x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 100 1.91x
St Pancras London 93 2.13x
Aston 87 2.31x
Birmingham 77 1.69x
Lambeth 76 1.61x
South Petherton 68 151.18x
Swanage 64 145.95x
St Marylebone London 60 2.08x
Southampton St Mary 54 7.74x
Hackney London 53 1.75x
Bethnal Green London 47 2.00x
Tenterden 45 69.10x
Glastonbury 44 61.88x
Clerkenwell London 42 3.29x
Portsea 42 1.93x
St George Hanover 41 5.80x
Bedminster 40 4.89x
Coventry Holy Trinity 39 9.57x
Camberwell 37 1.07x
Yalding 37 79.35x
Bermondsey 35 2.17x
Ilchester 34 268.77x
Kensington London 34 1.13x
Millbrook 34 12.17x
Shoreditch London 34 1.45x
Deptford St Paul 33 2.32x
Paddington London 33 1.66x
Battersea 32 1.61x
Stoke Damerel 32 4.06x
Newington 31 1.55x
West Bromwich 31 2.96x
Maidstone 28 5.09x
Whippingham 28 33.33x
Bristol St George 26 5.30x
Mile End Old Town 26 3.04x
Yeovil 25 14.12x
Gillingham 24 6.30x
Hammersmith London 24 1.80x
Coventry St Michael 23 5.25x
Plymouth St Andrew 23 2.65x
Rye 23 26.52x
West Ham 23 0.98x
Warwick St Nicholas 22 21.98x
Kings Norton 21 3.31x
Wittersham 21 127.50x
Hillingdon 20 11.59x
Leicester St Mary 20 4.13x
Northampton St Sepulchre 20 7.72x
Snodland 20 38.20x
Studland 20 177.31x
Priors Marston 19 178.07x
Sittingbourne 19 13.03x
St Neot 19 78.71x
Wookey 19 99.01x
Farthingstone 18 314.69x
Hastings St Mary In The 18 9.25x
Southwark St George Martyr 18 1.65x
Udimore 18 223.88x
Chatham 17 3.35x
Cheddar 17 38.79x
Chelsea London 17 1.04x
Melcombe Regis 17 11.55x
Plumstead 17 2.76x
West Derby 17 0.90x
Ealing 16 3.31x
Guilden Morden 16 87.77x
March 16 13.94x
Maxstoke 16 358.74x
Northiam 16 71.49x
Roath 16 3.74x
Beckley 15 65.76x
Bristol St James In 15 9.61x
Floore 15 78.62x
Minster In Sheppey 15 4.90x
St Andrewthe Less 15 3.83x
Westbury On Trym 15 4.17x
Lawhitton 14 175.00x
Lopen 14 213.41x
Nether Heyford 14 93.21x
Wells St Cuthbert 14 23.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 325
Elizabeth 214
Sarah 163
Eliza 113
Annie 105
Jane 104
Ellen 101
Alice 99
Emma 93
Emily 87
Ann 84
Louisa 59
Edith 49
Caroline 43
Ada 42
Charlotte 42
Florence 41
Martha 40
Fanny 39
Kate 38
Hannah 35
Maria 33
Harriet 30
Susan 30
Clara 28
Julia 26
Catherine 25
Anne 24
Harriett 23
Margaret 22
Amelia 21
Eleanor 20
Lucy 20
Agnes 16
Frances 16
Rose 16
Amy 15
Ethel 15
Rebecca 15
Sophia 15
Matilda 13
Anna 12
Isabella 12
Jessie 12
Elizth. 10
Gertrude 10
Laura 10
Maud 10
Minnie 10
Mabel 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 335
John 274
George 231
Thomas 179
James 163
Charles 151
Henry 119
Joseph 75
Albert 62
Frederick 60
Alfred 58
Edward 54
Robert 51
Walter 49
Arthur 45
Richard 42
Harry 34
Samuel 34
Ernest 31
Frank 29
Edwin 27
Herbert 27
Stephen 25
Francis 19
David 13
Wm. 12
Benjamin 11
Fredrick 11
Peter 11
Sidney 11
Fred 10
Daniel 9
Edgar 9
Chas. 8
Job 8
Tom 8
Geo. 7
Isaac 7
Percy 7
Fredk. 6
Josiah 6
Levi 6
Sydney 6
Thos. 6
Willm. 6
G. 5
Jesse 5
Abraham 4
Alexander 4
Horace 4

FAQ

Masters surname: questions and answers

How common was the Masters surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,523 people were recorded with the Masters surname. That placed it at #803 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Masters surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,743 in 2016. That gives Masters a modern rank of #858.

What does the Masters surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who was a master of their trade or craft.

What does the Masters map show?

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