NameCensus.

UK surname

Merrey

In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Merrey surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 87, ranked #32,476, down from #26,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, Tutbury and Hanbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thurrock, South Derbyshire and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Merrey is 104 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.1%.

1881 census count

54

Ranked #26,009

Modern count

87

2016, ranked #32,476

Peak year

1911

104 bearers

Map years

3

1891 to 1998

Key insights

  • Merrey had 54 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 87 in 2016, ranked #32,476.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 104 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Merrey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Merrey surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Merrey 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 94 #17,837
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 54 #26,009
1891 historical 102 #23,719
1901 historical 79 #25,363
1911 historical 104 #22,209
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 100 #27,619
1999 modern 101 #27,617
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 94 #28,246
2002 modern 98 #28,243
2003 modern 94 #28,686
2004 modern 94 #28,896
2005 modern 88 #29,831
2006 modern 86 #30,425
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 86 #31,114
2009 modern 89 #31,235
2010 modern 85 #32,185
2011 modern 86 #32,006
2012 modern 86 #32,297
2013 modern 93 #31,785
2014 modern 92 #32,132
2015 modern 84 #32,782
2016 modern 87 #32,476

Geography

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Where Merreys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, Tutbury, Hanbury, Dallington and Beckley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thurrock, South Derbyshire, Cardiff and Test Valley. 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 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
2 Tutbury Staffordshire
3 Hanbury Staffordshire
4 Dallington Northamptonshire
5 Beckley Oxfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thurrock 004 Thurrock
2 South Derbyshire 005 South Derbyshire
3 Cardiff 024 Cardiff
4 South Derbyshire 004 South Derbyshire
5 Test Valley 013 Test Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Merrey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Merrey

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Merrey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Merrey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Merrey is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Merrey is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Merrey falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Merrey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Merrey 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. Staffordshire leads with 12 Merreys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.75x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 12 6.75x
Oxfordshire 11 33.81x
Cambridgeshire 7 20.98x
Northamptonshire 5 10.09x
Yorkshire 5 0.96x
Northumberland 4 5.10x
Lancashire 3 0.48x
Middlesex 3 0.57x
Bedfordshire 1 3.67x
Durham 1 0.64x
Hampshire 1 0.93x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newborough in Staffordshire leads with 10 Merreys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8333.33x.

Place Total Index
Newborough 10 8333.33x
Manea 7 3333.33x
Studley 6 60000.00x
Horton Cum Studley 5 12500.00x
Horton In Bradford 5 61.35x
Long Buckby 5 1086.96x
Longbenton 4 120.48x
Burton Upon Trent 2 48.08x
Ince In Makerfield 2 68.73x
Shoreditch London 2 8.76x
Bedford St Paul 1 53.48x
Little Bolton 1 12.44x
Radford 1 27.70x
Shadwell London 1 68.03x
Southampton All Sts 1 54.05x
Stockton On Tees 1 13.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 2
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Florence 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Annie 1
Betsey 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ethel 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Lily 1
Margt. 1
Mary 1
Millicent 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 4
George 3
Arthur 2
James 2
John 2
William 2
Aubrey 1
Baby 1
Bertram 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Inns 1
Michael 1
Micheal 1
Percy 1
Thomas 1
Walter 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 Merrey households.

FAQ

Merrey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Merrey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Merrey surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Merrey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 87 in 2016. That gives Merrey a modern rank of #32,476.

What does the Merrey map show?

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