NameCensus.

UK surname

Mews

A surname referring to the buildings originally used for housing horses and carriages.

In the 1881 census there were 184 people recorded with the Mews surname, ranking it #13,551 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 205, ranked #19,250, down from #13,551 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leverington, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, County Durham and Fenland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mews is 255 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.4%.

1881 census count

184

Ranked #13,551

Modern count

205

2016, ranked #19,250

Peak year

1861

255 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mews had 184 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,551 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 205 in 2016, ranked #19,250.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 255 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mews surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mews surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mews 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 121 #15,049
1861 historical 255 #9,699
1881 historical 184 #13,551
1891 historical 230 #13,494
1901 historical 216 #14,426
1911 historical 249 #12,951
1997 modern 204 #17,409
1998 modern 197 #18,283
1999 modern 205 #17,960
2000 modern 221 #17,089
2001 modern 204 #17,736
2002 modern 200 #18,294
2003 modern 189 #18,738
2004 modern 189 #18,855
2005 modern 189 #18,807
2006 modern 184 #19,254
2007 modern 189 #19,146
2008 modern 190 #19,246
2009 modern 187 #19,868
2010 modern 199 #19,515
2011 modern 194 #19,662
2012 modern 186 #20,141
2013 modern 195 #19,857
2014 modern 203 #19,504
2015 modern 202 #19,433
2016 modern 205 #19,250

Geography

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Where Mews' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leverington, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, St John Lee and Haydon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, County Durham, Fenland and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 Leverington Cambridgeshire
2 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
3 London parishes London 1
4 St John Lee Northumberland
5 Haydon Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 040 Northumberland
2 County Durham 042 County Durham
3 Fenland 001 Fenland
4 Fenland 003 Fenland
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 003 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mews

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mews

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Mews 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

Mews is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mews

The surname MEWS originated in England, with its earliest known references dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "meuw," which means "mew" or "gull," suggesting that the name may have initially been a nickname for someone with a shrill or noisy voice.

In medieval times, the name was often spelled as "Meu," "Mewe," or "Mew." Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from the late 12th century, where individuals named Willelmus Meu and Matilda Meu were mentioned.

The MEWS surname is also believed to have been influenced by the French word "mue," which referred to a place where hawks were kept and molted, known as a "mews." This connection suggests that some individuals with this surname may have been associated with falconry or worked as keepers of hawks and falcons for nobility.

One notable historical figure with the MEWS surname was Sir John Mews (1617-1683), a British military officer and courtier who served as Governor of Hull during the English Civil War. He later became a member of the Privy Council under King Charles II.

Another prominent individual was Peter Mews (1619-1670), an English clergyman who served as Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1672 until his death. He was known for his support of the Church of England and his involvement in the restoration of cathedrals and churches.

In the 18th century, Robert Mews (1703-1793) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the church of St. Mary's, Battersea.

A more recent historical figure was Sir Randolph Mews (1892-1947), a British naval officer and diplomat who served as Ambassador to Argentina and later as Governor of the British Windward Islands.

The MEWS surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Mews Gate in London, which was named after a nearby mews where royal horses were kept, and Mews Lane in Yorkshire, which may have been derived from the Old English word "mew" or referred to a falconry establishment.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mews families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mews 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. Durham leads with 32 Mews' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.96x.

County Total Index
Durham 32 5.96x
Middlesex 30 1.66x
Northumberland 25 9.31x
Lincolnshire 19 6.59x
Yorkshire 13 0.73x
Surrey 10 1.14x
Lancashire 9 0.42x
Suffolk 9 4.09x
Cheshire 6 1.51x
Cumberland 6 3.86x
Cambridgeshire 5 4.37x
Northamptonshire 4 2.36x
Sussex 4 1.31x
Worcestershire 4 1.70x
Hampshire 2 0.54x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.92x
Channel Islands 1 1.87x
Devon 1 0.27x
Gloucestershire 1 0.28x
Leicestershire 1 0.50x
Norfolk 1 0.36x
Rutland 1 7.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stockley in Durham leads with 10 Mews' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1470.59x.

Place Total Index
Stockley 10 1470.59x
Lowestoft 9 86.71x
Ryton 9 476.19x
Laleham 8 2352.94x
Wall 8 3200.00x
Bredbury 6 259.74x
Crosscanonby 6 116.73x
Haydon 6 408.16x
Tankersley 6 451.13x
Bishopwearmouth 5 10.85x
Parson Drove 5 1086.96x
St George Hanover 5 21.23x
Weston 5 961.54x
Chertsey 4 70.42x
Fulham London 4 15.28x
Hammersmith London 4 9.00x
Liverpool 4 3.08x
Market Deeping 4 533.33x
Peterborough 4 32.55x
Stamford All Sts 4 246.91x
Stanhope 4 72.20x
Sutton St Mary 4 146.52x
Chelsea London 3 5.52x
Cocklaw 3 2727.27x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 8.25x
Redditch 3 62.76x
Spotland 3 12.60x
Barnsley 2 10.85x
Belsay 2 833.33x
Croydon 2 4.10x
Earsdon 2 91.74x
Eccleston In Prescot 2 18.60x
Hartfield 2 208.33x
Kensington London 2 1.99x
Moulton 2 143.88x
Paddington London 2 3.01x
Southampton St Mary 2 8.60x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 5.51x
Warden 2 363.64x
Bellingham 1 222.22x
Bristol St Paul In 1 10.60x
Chalfont St Peter 1 111.11x
East Denton 1 163.93x
Fincham 1 204.08x
Greencroft 1 102.04x
Langham 1 238.10x
Leicester St Margaret 1 2.05x
Pelton 1 39.22x
Penge 1 8.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 3.46x
Preston 1 18.83x
Reigate Foreign 1 10.50x
Ryhill 1 204.08x
Sculcoates 1 3.53x
Slindon 1 322.58x
St Helier 1 5.74x
St Pancras London 1 0.69x
Staines 1 34.97x
Tudhoe 1 21.28x
Wolsingham 1 20.45x
Worcester All Sts 1 72.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 13
Sarah 9
Ellen 5
Jane 5
Ann 4
Hannah 4
Alice 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Lydia 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Blanch 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
D.Ann 1
E.Jane 1
Eleanor 1
Ell 1
Etibeth 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Lenora 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Nell 1
Polly 1
Salina 1
Sophiah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 12
George 9
Robert 8
Thomas 8
Charles 7
Henry 4
Edward 3
Richard 3
Watson 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Benson 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Bridges 1
C.F.W. 1
Chas. 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jacob 1
Joseph 1
Kelly 1
Levi 1
Mark 1
Robts 1
Sidney 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Mews surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mews surname in 1881?

In 1881, 184 people were recorded with the Mews surname. That placed it at #13,551 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mews surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 205 in 2016. That gives Mews a modern rank of #19,250.

What does the Mews surname mean?

A surname referring to the buildings originally used for housing horses and carriages.

What does the Mews map show?

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