NameCensus.

UK surname

Measures

Derived from an occupational term for a land surveyor or measurer.

In the 1881 census there were 814 people recorded with the Measures surname, ranking it #4,595 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 840, ranked #6,645, down from #4,595 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wigston, Magna, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rutland, North West Leicestershire and Stroud.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Measures is 1,127 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.2%.

1881 census count

814

Ranked #4,595

Modern count

840

2016, ranked #6,645

Peak year

1911

1,127 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Measures had 814 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,595 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 840 in 2016, ranked #6,645.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,127 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Measures surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Measures surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Measures 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 474 #5,250
1861 historical 434 #5,933
1881 historical 814 #4,595
1891 historical 894 #4,606
1901 historical 1,032 #4,631
1911 historical 1,127 #4,129
1997 modern 951 #5,715
1998 modern 962 #5,850
1999 modern 965 #5,879
2000 modern 960 #5,882
2001 modern 949 #5,824
2002 modern 955 #5,899
2003 modern 936 #5,903
2004 modern 922 #5,967
2005 modern 906 #5,998
2006 modern 920 #5,936
2007 modern 902 #6,074
2008 modern 908 #6,092
2009 modern 915 #6,175
2010 modern 919 #6,286
2011 modern 896 #6,342
2012 modern 870 #6,407
2013 modern 871 #6,511
2014 modern 872 #6,524
2015 modern 863 #6,523
2016 modern 840 #6,645

Geography

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Where Measures' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wigston, Magna, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Gillmorton and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rutland, North West Leicestershire, Stroud and Derby. 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 Wigston, Magna Leicestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Gillmorton Leicestershire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rutland 002 Rutland
2 North West Leicestershire 013 North West Leicestershire
3 Stroud 006 Stroud
4 Derby 009 Derby
5 North West Leicestershire 004 North West Leicestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Measures

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Measures

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

Measures is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Measures falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Measures 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 Measures, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Measures

The surname MEASURES is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "meter" or "metere," which referred to a person who measured or kept track of goods and commodities.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, which mentions a John le Metere. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also list a William le Meter.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname MEASURES dates back to 1327, when a Richard le Metre is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire. During this time, the name was often spelled in different ways, including Meter, Meater, and Metter.

The surname MEASURES is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book lists a landowner named Radulfus Meter in Somerset.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname MEASURES. One example is William Measures (1572-1648), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton and wrote several religious works.

Another prominent figure was John Measures (1622-1683), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis from 1660 to 1679.

In the 18th century, Robert Measures (1732-1808) was a renowned English watchmaker and inventor who contributed to the development of chronometers and other timepieces.

During the 19th century, James Measures (1828-1898) was a British artist known for his landscape and genre paintings, while William Measures (1839-1919) was a prominent Canadian businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Ottawa from 1899 to 1900.

The surname MEASURES has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Measures Bank in Yorkshire and Measures Green in Hertfordshire, suggesting that individuals with this surname may have lived or worked in these locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Measures families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Measures 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. Leicestershire leads with 258 Measures' recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.31x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 258 29.31x
Lincolnshire 101 7.96x
Surrey 85 2.20x
Huntingdonshire 68 43.13x
Middlesex 36 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 36 3.36x
Derbyshire 34 2.74x
Cambridgeshire 31 6.16x
Yorkshire 29 0.37x
Bedfordshire 25 6.08x
Northamptonshire 25 3.35x
Warwickshire 25 1.25x
Kent 19 0.70x
Sussex 11 0.82x
Staffordshire 7 0.26x
Lancashire 6 0.06x
Essex 5 0.32x
Somerset 4 0.31x
Hampshire 3 0.18x
Hertfordshire 3 0.55x
Rutland 2 3.43x
Berkshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 69 Measures' recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.14x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 69 32.14x
Camberwell 28 5.52x
Leicester St Mary 26 36.55x
Gilmorton 20 1142.86x
Measham 20 437.64x
Hugglescote 19 146.72x
Leicester All Sts 19 109.89x
Huntingdon All Sts 18 1636.36x
Leicester St Leonard 18 216.09x
Tilbrook 18 1682.24x
Wigston Magna 17 145.55x
Bourn 15 146.20x
Chatteris 14 109.12x
Nottingham St Mary 14 5.06x
Belgrave 13 65.43x
Bermondsey 13 5.50x
Southwark St George Martyr 13 8.14x
Hucknall Torkard 12 44.22x
Ellington 11 1037.74x
Lewisham 11 7.61x
Spalding 11 43.65x
Brighton 10 3.70x
Swinstead 10 1052.63x
Ashby De La Zouch 9 44.10x
Gaulby 9 3750.00x
Grantham 8 48.34x
Newington 8 2.73x
St Andrewthe Great 8 123.08x
Birmingham 7 1.05x
Blackfordby 7 249.11x
Grafton Underwood 7 945.95x
New Sleaford 7 86.10x
St Andrewthe Less 7 12.18x
St Marylebone London 7 1.65x
Streatham 7 11.88x
Bradford 6 3.15x
Canterbury St Mary 6 33.00x
Deeping St James 6 133.63x
Harpurhey 6 45.87x
Higham Ferrers 6 147.78x
Lambeth 6 0.87x
Little Stukeley 6 750.00x
Meltham 6 49.02x
St Ives 6 73.35x
Woodwalton 6 779.22x
Aston 5 0.91x
Billingborough 5 154.80x
Chiswick 5 11.52x
Harringworth 5 505.05x
Huntingdon St John 5 109.41x
Manthorpe Cum Little 5 51.49x
Monks Kirby 5 113.38x
Mountnessing 5 210.08x
Southwark St Saviour 5 12.25x
Spaldwick 5 510.20x
St George Hanover 5 4.82x
St Luke London 5 3.93x
Sutton St Mary 5 41.63x
Aylestone 4 57.64x
Bilton 4 86.58x
Buckden 4 140.85x
Castle Bytham 4 224.72x
Charlcombe 4 236.69x
Kensington London 4 0.91x
Litchurch 4 8.00x
Nether Hallam 4 3.76x
Normanton 4 38.10x
Pinchbeck 4 49.14x
Ratby 4 90.70x
Rawmarsh 4 14.39x
Upton 4 294.12x
Arthingworth 3 600.00x
Burton Extra 3 19.52x
Cuckney 3 197.37x
Ibstock 3 46.88x
Lutterworth 3 55.87x
Melchbourne 3 500.00x
Middleton By Wirksworth 3 229.01x
Sheffield 3 1.20x
Syston 3 36.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 56
Sarah 38
Elizabeth 36
Ann 21
Annie 14
Eliza 12
Hannah 11
Jane 11
Fanny 9
Harriet 9
Clara 8
Ellen 8
Caroline 7
Catherine 7
Emily 7
Emma 7
Maria 7
Ada 6
Anne 6
Louisa 6
Lydia 6
Agnes 5
Florence 5
Kate 5
Martha 5
Alice 4
Charlotte 4
Edith 4
Frances 4
Lizzie 4
Margaret 4
Eliz. 3
Helen 3
Maud 3
Sophia 3
Amy 2
Betsy 2
Harriett 2
Laura 2
Lilian 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Ruth 2
Susan 2
Bertha 1
Betsey 1
Eleanor 1
Elener 1
Eliby 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 76
William 49
Thomas 37
George 33
James 24
Charles 16
Henry 16
Arthur 13
Robert 13
Harry 11
Richard 11
Joseph 10
Walter 8
Herbert 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Benjamin 4
Edward 4
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Samuel 4
Josiah 3
Mathew 3
Caleb 2
Harold 2
Isaac 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Alf. 1
B. 1
Ben.J. 1
Daniel 1
Dav. 1
Edwin 1
Elizabeth 1
Emmanuel 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Horace 1
Leonard 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Michl. 1
Moses 1
Parkinson 1
Simon 1
Stephens 1
Thos.Wm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Measures surname: questions and answers

How common was the Measures surname in 1881?

In 1881, 814 people were recorded with the Measures surname. That placed it at #4,595 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Measures surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 840 in 2016. That gives Measures a modern rank of #6,645.

What does the Measures surname mean?

Derived from an occupational term for a land surveyor or measurer.

What does the Measures map show?

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