NameCensus.

UK surname

Mimms

A variant spelling of the English surname Mims, derived from a nickname for a mime or mimic.

In the 1881 census there were 76 people recorded with the Mimms surname, ranking it #22,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 151, ranked #23,615, down from #22,745 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Basildon, Tunbridge Wells and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mimms is 157 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 98.7%.

1881 census count

76

Ranked #22,745

Modern count

151

2016, ranked #23,615

Peak year

2015

157 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mimms had 76 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,745 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016, ranked #23,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 88 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mimms surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mimms surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mimms 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 31 #27,734
1861 historical 31 #30,058
1881 historical 76 #22,745
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 88 #24,270
1911 historical 63 #26,537
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 128 #23,828
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 135 #23,250
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 146 #22,302
2003 modern 142 #22,460
2004 modern 136 #23,207
2005 modern 140 #22,774
2006 modern 151 #21,818
2007 modern 151 #22,120
2008 modern 151 #22,323
2009 modern 150 #22,937
2010 modern 147 #23,809
2011 modern 146 #23,736
2012 modern 146 #23,681
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 151 #23,615

Geography

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Where Mimms' 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 Basildon, Tunbridge Wells, Doncaster, Thurrock and Hambleton. 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 Basildon 005 Basildon
2 Tunbridge Wells 008 Tunbridge Wells
3 Doncaster 017 Doncaster
4 Thurrock 009 Thurrock
5 Hambleton 011 Hambleton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mimms

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mimms

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Mimms is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mimms is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mimms falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mimms is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mimms

The surname MIMMS is of English origin, deriving from the place name Mimms in Hertfordshire, England. The name is believed to have originated in the late Anglo-Saxon period, around the 9th or 10th century.

The place name Mimms is thought to have derived from the Old English words "myma" or "myme," meaning "mine" or "boundary," and the word "hamm," meaning "dwelling" or "homestead." This suggests that the original meaning of the surname was likely "one who dwelt at the boundary or mine."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MIMMS can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Mimmes." This entry refers to the settlement of Mimms in Hertfordshire, indicating the surname's close connection to the place name.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records with spellings such as "de Mimmes," "de Mymmes," and "Mymes," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that period.

Notable individuals with the surname MIMMS include:

1. John Mimms (c. 1610-1675), an English minister and author who served as the Rector of Battersea in London.

2. William Mimms (1683-1761), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Giles Cripplegate in London.

3. Benjamin Mimms (1752-1825), an American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

4. Samuel Mimms (1786-1813), an American soldier who was killed in the Fort Mims Massacre during the Creek War, a conflict between the Creek Nation and the United States.

5. John Mimms (1810-1883), an English businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the town of Nantwich in Cheshire.

Throughout history, the surname MIMMS has maintained a strong connection to its origins in the English county of Hertfordshire, where the place name Mimms has existed for centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mimms families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mimms 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. Middlesex leads with 20 Mimms' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.70x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 20 2.70x
Surrey 15 4.15x
Kent 9 3.56x
Yorkshire 7 0.95x
Hertfordshire 6 11.74x
Sussex 6 4.80x
Lancashire 5 0.57x
Bedfordshire 3 7.82x
Essex 3 2.05x
Cheshire 1 0.61x
Somerset 1 0.84x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rotherhithe in Surrey leads with 8 Mimms' recorded in 1881 and an index of 87.34x.

Place Total Index
Rotherhithe 8 87.34x
Greenwich 7 59.32x
Brighton 6 23.80x
Hendon 6 224.72x
Barrow In Furness 5 41.81x
Cheshunt 5 279.33x
Skelton In Guisbrough 4 201.01x
St Luke London 4 33.64x
Croydon 3 14.96x
Kensington London 3 7.28x
Milton Ernest 3 2727.27x
Romford 3 129.87x
Battersea 2 7.33x
Deptford St Paul 2 10.26x
Manningham 2 22.10x
Mile End Old Town 2 17.09x
Paddington London 2 7.34x
Abbots Langley 1 131.58x
Bermondsey 1 4.53x
Chorley In Macclesfield 1 200.00x
Langport Eastover 1 588.24x
Newington 1 3.65x
Northallerton 1 106.38x
St George Bloomsbury 1 23.53x
St George Hanover 1 10.34x
St Pancras London 1 1.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Catherine 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Helena 1
Jane 1
Launcella 1
Martha 1
Marthi 1
May 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 5
William 4
John 3
Andrew 2
Charles 2
Francis 2
George 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Saml. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Mimms surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mimms surname in 1881?

In 1881, 76 people were recorded with the Mimms surname. That placed it at #22,745 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mimms surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016. That gives Mimms a modern rank of #23,615.

What does the Mimms surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname Mims, derived from a nickname for a mime or mimic.

What does the Mimms map show?

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