NameCensus.

UK surname

Menary

A surname derived from the Old French word "mennier" meaning miller or one who works at a mill.

In the 1881 census there were 16 people recorded with the Menary surname, ranking it #31,301 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, up from #31,301 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chryston and Muirhead, Hammersmith and Fulham and New Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Menary is 120 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 543.8%.

1881 census count

16

Ranked #31,301

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

1997

120 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Menary had 16 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,301 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 51 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Menary surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Menary surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Menary 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 19 #29,904
1861 historical 14 #32,072
1881 historical 16 #31,301
1891 historical 25 #32,259
1901 historical 51 #28,492
1911 historical 15 #31,938
1997 modern 120 #24,158
1998 modern 118 #25,041
1999 modern 114 #25,766
2000 modern 117 #25,324
2001 modern 111 #25,767
2002 modern 113 #26,024
2003 modern 101 #27,561
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 103 #27,531
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 113 #26,920
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 111 #28,509
2011 modern 108 #28,811
2012 modern 108 #28,849
2013 modern 103 #30,235
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Menarys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chryston and Muirhead, Hammersmith and Fulham, New Forest, Bradford and Cornwall. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chryston and Muirhead North Lanarkshire
2 Hammersmith and Fulham 002 Hammersmith and Fulham
3 New Forest 016 New Forest
4 Bradford 058 Bradford
5 Cornwall 056 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Menary

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Menary

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Menary surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Menary household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Menary 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

Menary 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

Menary 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 Menary 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Menary

The surname Menary is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "mere" meaning "pool" or "lake" and "ey" meaning "island." It is believed to have originated in the 12th century in the region of Worcestershire, England.

Menary is a locational surname, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived near a pool or lake on an island. In medieval times, such descriptive surnames were commonly adopted to distinguish individuals from others living in the same area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Menary surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1195, where a John de Mereney is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established by the end of the 12th century.

The Menary surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a Thomas de Mereneye is listed. This indicates that the name had spread to other regions of England by the 14th century.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the Menary surname was William Menary (c. 1530-1600), a merchant and landowner from Worcestershire. He is recorded as having been involved in the wool trade and owning substantial property in the area.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Menary (1610-1678), a lawyer and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire during the English Civil War. He supported the Parliamentarian cause and was knighted by Oliver Cromwell in 1657.

During the 17th century, the spelling of the surname began to stabilize as Menary, although variations such as Mereneye, Merenay, and Merenye were still found in some records.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the Menary name was Elizabeth Menary (1735-1810), a writer and poet from Worcestershire. She published several collections of poetry and was known for her works celebrating nature and the countryside.

Another individual of note was Thomas Menary (1780-1856), a successful businessman and landowner from Gloucestershire. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of a school for underprivileged children.

The Menary surname has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to immigration from England. However, the bulk of historical records and notable bearers of the name can be traced back to the Worcestershire region of England, where the surname originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Menary families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Menary 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. Lancashire leads with 7 Menarys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.78x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 7 3.78x
Renfrewshire 3 24.81x
Roxburghshire 2 70.67x
Angus 1 6.92x
Durham 1 2.15x
Northumberland 1 4.31x
Westmorland 1 29.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 7 Menarys recorded in 1881 and an index of 84.13x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 7 84.13x
Paisley High Church 3 312.50x
Jedburgh 2 714.29x
Bishopwearmouth 1 25.13x
Dundee 1 18.52x
Undermilbeck 1 909.09x
Westgate 1 69.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Anne 1
Ellen 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Henry 1
Joseph 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 Menary households.

FAQ

Menary surname: questions and answers

How common was the Menary surname in 1881?

In 1881, 16 people were recorded with the Menary surname. That placed it at #31,301 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Menary surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Menary a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Menary surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "mennier" meaning miller or one who works at a mill.

What does the Menary map show?

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