NameCensus.

UK surname

Maver

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Bheathair, meaning "son of the bald one."

In the 1881 census there were 188 people recorded with the Maver surname, ranking it #13,379 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 206, ranked #19,183, down from #13,379 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Glamis, Forfar and Udny. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Keith and Fife Keith, Buckie West and Mains of Buckie and Rural Keith and Strathisla.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maver is 258 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.6%.

1881 census count

188

Ranked #13,379

Modern count

206

2016, ranked #19,183

Peak year

1891

258 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maver had 188 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,379 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016, ranked #19,183.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 258 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Maver surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maver surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maver 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 119 #15,247
1861 historical 144 #15,817
1881 historical 188 #13,379
1891 historical 258 #12,440
1901 historical 196 #15,329
1911 historical 45 #28,332
1997 modern 204 #17,409
1998 modern 205 #17,850
1999 modern 215 #17,425
2000 modern 197 #18,384
2001 modern 193 #18,334
2002 modern 205 #18,009
2003 modern 202 #18,032
2004 modern 210 #17,644
2005 modern 216 #17,283
2006 modern 211 #17,662
2007 modern 210 #17,904
2008 modern 205 #18,359
2009 modern 209 #18,493
2010 modern 210 #18,836
2011 modern 202 #19,154
2012 modern 192 #19,730
2013 modern 193 #19,997
2014 modern 199 #19,775
2015 modern 202 #19,433
2016 modern 206 #19,183

Geography

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Where Mavers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Glamis, Forfar, Udny, Keith and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Keith and Fife Keith, Buckie West and Mains of Buckie, Rural Keith and Strathisla, Broxburn Kirkhill and West Pilton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Glamis Forfar
2 Forfar Forfar
3 Udny Aberdeen
4 Keith Banff
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Keith and Fife Keith Moray
2 Buckie West and Mains of Buckie Moray
3 Rural Keith and Strathisla Moray
4 Broxburn Kirkhill West Lothian
5 West Pilton City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maver

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maver

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Maver surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Maver household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Maver is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Maver is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Maver falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Maver is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Maver

The surname MAVER is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old Scots word "mavaris," which referred to a person who was a wanderer or traveler. The name may also be related to the Scottish Gaelic word "màthair," meaning mother, or the Old Norse word "máfurr," meaning kinsman.

One of the earliest known records of the name MAVER comes from the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which date back to the 13th century. These rolls mention several individuals with the name, such as John Maver, who was listed as a resident of Linlithgow in 1296.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname MAVER was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Renfrewshire and Ayrshire. The name was also found in various spellings, including Mavor, Mavour, and Mavir.

One notable individual with the surname MAVER was William Maver (1758-1837), a Scottish poet and songwriter who was born in Ayrshire. His works included "The Green Leaves of Summer" and "The Bonnie Lass of Arran."

Another notable bearer of the name was James Maver (1822-1898), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist from Renfrewshire. He made his fortune in the textile industry and donated large sums of money to various charitable causes, including the establishment of the Maver Chair of Economics at the University of Glasgow.

In the 19th century, the MAVER surname also appeared in England, where it was likely carried by Scottish immigrants. One example is John Maver (1843-1912), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Music.

Other notable individuals with the surname MAVER include:

1. Robert Maver (1877-1956), a Scottish artist and printmaker known for his etchings and woodcuts. 2. Elizabeth Maver (1887-1975), a Scottish novelist and children's author whose works included "The Green Pavilion" and "The Cornish Adventure." 3. Alexander Maver (1907-1989), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the University of Glasgow's Queen Margaret Union. 4. David Maver (1932-2018), a Scottish academic and writer who served as the Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1988 to 1994. 5. Ian Maver (born 1956), a Scottish historian and academic who has written extensively on the history of Scotland and the British Empire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maver families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maver 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 102 Mavers recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.06x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 102 60.06x
Angus 25 14.72x
Lancashire 13 0.60x
Banffshire 12 31.55x
Middlesex 9 0.49x
Lanarkshire 7 1.18x
Morayshire 6 21.06x
Surrey 4 0.45x
Cumberland 3 1.90x
Hampshire 2 0.53x
Stirlingshire 2 2.96x
Leicestershire 1 0.49x
Renfrewshire 1 0.70x
Warwickshire 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. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 54 Mavers recorded in 1881 and an index of 152.28x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 54 152.28x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 19 59.80x
Newhills 8 229.89x
Ardwick 7 35.66x
Fordyce 7 255.47x
Brechin 6 89.82x
Crimond 6 1153.85x
Dallas 6 1034.48x
Fraserburgh 6 125.52x
Govan 6 4.09x
Lochee 6 394.74x
Udny 6 582.52x
Keith 5 123.46x
Montrose 4 38.84x
Barry 3 147.06x
Carshalton 3 87.72x
Dundee 3 4.73x
Everton 3 4.33x
St Marylebone London 3 3.06x
Denny 2 55.56x
Eling 2 52.49x
Glamis 2 194.17x
Kensington London 2 1.96x
Salford 2 3.13x
Abbey 1 4.61x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.26x
Cleator 1 15.22x
Cockermouth 1 30.12x
Coupar Angus 1 62.11x
Croydon 1 2.02x
Elmdon 1 769.23x
Enfield 1 8.31x
Gorbals 1 28.41x
Kirkdale 1 2.73x
New Machar 1 105.26x
Oyne 1 166.67x
Skelton 1 217.39x
St George Hanover 1 4.18x
Tough 1 232.56x
Whitechapel London 1 5.53x
Willoughby Waterless 1 500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 4
James 3
John 3
George 1
Herbert 1
Thomas 1

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 Maver households.

FAQ

Maver surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maver surname in 1881?

In 1881, 188 people were recorded with the Maver surname. That placed it at #13,379 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maver surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016. That gives Maver a modern rank of #19,183.

What does the Maver surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Bheathair, meaning "son of the bald one."

What does the Maver map show?

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