NameCensus.

UK surname

Miner

An occupational surname referring to a person who worked in a mine, extracting coal, ore, or other minerals.

In the 1881 census there were 224 people recorded with the Miner surname, ranking it #11,970 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 130, ranked #26,152, down from #11,970 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Rushall and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Shropshire and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Miner is 355 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 42.0%.

1881 census count

224

Ranked #11,970

Modern count

130

2016, ranked #26,152

Peak year

1861

355 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Miner had 224 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,970 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 130 in 2016, ranked #26,152.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 355 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Miner surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Miner surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Miner 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 200 #10,403
1861 historical 355 #7,198
1881 historical 224 #11,970
1891 historical 250 #12,762
1901 historical 219 #14,292
1911 historical 220 #14,088
1997 modern 127 #23,352
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 123 #24,643
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 125 #24,011
2002 modern 122 #24,874
2003 modern 121 #24,776
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 117 #26,066
2008 modern 120 #25,922
2009 modern 119 #26,637
2010 modern 130 #25,775
2011 modern 128 #25,793
2012 modern 129 #25,705
2013 modern 139 #24,912
2014 modern 139 #25,093
2015 modern 132 #25,859
2016 modern 130 #26,152

Geography

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Where Miners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Rushall, St Pancras, Nuneaton and Monckton Combe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Shropshire, Wirral, Walsall and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Rushall Staffordshire
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Nuneaton Warwickshire
5 Monckton Combe Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 066 Cornwall
2 Shropshire 004 Shropshire
3 Wirral 005 Wirral
4 Walsall 017 Walsall
5 Bath and North East Somerset 018 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Miner

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Miner

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Miner, 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 Miner surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Miner 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Miner is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Miner 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

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

Meaning and origin of Miner

The surname Miner originated from the Anglo-Saxon word "munere" which means miner or worker in mines. It is an occupational surname that emerged in England during the medieval period, specifically in regions where mining was a prominent industry.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Miner can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive census conducted under the orders of William the Conqueror. Several individuals bearing variations of the name, such as "le Miner" and "le Minur," were documented in counties like Devon and Somerset.

As mining continued to grow in importance throughout the Middle Ages, the surname became more widespread across England. It was particularly prevalent in areas rich in mineral resources, such as Cornwall, Derbyshire, and the Yorkshire Dales, where mining activities were concentrated.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Miner was William le Miner, who lived in Gloucestershire during the 13th century. Another notable figure was John Miner, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset, who was born in the late 15th century and played a significant role in local affairs.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Miner appeared in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. Some notable individuals from this period include Thomas Miner, a Puritan settler who arrived in New England in 1630, and John Miner, a prominent citizen of Stratford, Connecticut, who was born in 1638.

In the 18th century, the Miner surname gained recognition through the achievements of individuals like Thomas Miner, a physician and mathematician who was born in 1712 and made contributions to the field of calculus. Another notable figure was William Miner, a British officer in the Royal Navy who served during the American Revolutionary War and was born in 1742.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, the Miner surname continued to be associated with the mining industry, as well as other occupations related to the extraction and processing of minerals. Some notable individuals from this era include Hiram Abiff Miner, an American politician and lawyer born in 1824, and Thomas Miner, a British engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to mining equipment in the late 1800s.

Throughout history, the surname Miner has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including miners, merchants, artists, and professionals. It has also been found in different spellings and variations, such as Myner, Minour, and Minard, reflecting the regional and linguistic diversity of the English language.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Miner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Miner 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 37 Miners recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.04x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 37 5.04x
Lancashire 30 1.16x
Somerset 24 6.85x
Middlesex 18 0.83x
Derbyshire 15 4.40x
Essex 15 3.49x
Yorkshire 12 0.56x
Devon 10 2.21x
Northamptonshire 7 3.42x
Worcestershire 7 2.46x
Kent 5 0.67x
Glamorgan 4 1.06x
Monmouthshire 4 2.54x
Surrey 4 0.38x
Sussex 4 1.09x
Warwickshire 4 0.73x
Brecknockshire 3 6.90x
Gloucestershire 3 0.70x
Leicestershire 3 1.24x
Durham 2 0.31x
Hampshire 2 0.45x
Oxfordshire 2 1.49x
Berkshire 1 0.61x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.76x
Cheshire 1 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.34x
Renfrewshire 1 0.59x
Royal Navy 1 3.86x
Suffolk 1 0.38x
Wiltshire 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rushall in Staffordshire leads with 15 Miners recorded in 1881 and an index of 347.22x.

Place Total Index
Rushall 15 347.22x
Monckton Combe 13 1160.71x
Walsall Foreign 12 31.64x
Wolverhampton 10 17.71x
Clowne 9 666.67x
Bradford 7 57.95x
Dudley 7 20.27x
East Stonehouse 6 67.26x
West Ham 6 6.33x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 24.39x
Frome 5 59.74x
Newton 5 25.14x
Bath St James 4 109.59x
Brighton 4 5.41x
Everton 4 4.86x
Guisbrough 4 84.93x
Halstead 4 79.84x
Kirkdale 4 9.21x
Llanwonno 4 29.39x
Naseby 4 888.89x
Plymouth Charles The 4 20.05x
Walthamstow 4 25.89x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 15.44x
Bedwellty 3 10.81x
Chelsea London 3 4.58x
Clerkenwell London 3 5.84x
Kensington London 3 2.48x
Llanelly 3 57.69x
Tupton 3 294.12x
Aston 2 1.32x
Barnsley 2 9.00x
Battersea 2 2.50x
Bethnal Green London 2 2.12x
Brinklow 2 344.83x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 4.98x
Bromley 2 17.68x
Chipping Norton 2 64.31x
Hasland 2 57.64x
Islington London 2 0.95x
Leicester St Margaret 2 3.40x
Swillington 2 327.87x
Woolwich 2 7.29x
Abbey 1 3.89x
Aldershot 1 6.69x
Alverstoke 1 6.20x
Barton Seagrave 1 588.24x
Bathford 1 138.89x
Bristol St George 1 5.07x
Chatham 1 4.90x
Emberton 1 208.33x
Gateshead 1 2.06x
Grafton Regis 1 769.23x
Halifax 1 3.16x
Hampstead London 1 2.95x
Harlow 1 54.05x
Hulme 1 1.86x
Hyde 1 7.06x
Kington Langley 1 238.10x
Knighton 1 73.53x
Lambeth 1 0.53x
Leeds 1 0.82x
Little Bolton 1 3.01x
Little Bowden 1 140.85x
Llanwenarth Ultra 1 86.96x
Lowestoft 1 7.99x
Newbottle 1 28.33x
Newington 1 1.24x
Normanby In 1 17.36x
Poplar London 1 2.44x
Reading St Mary 1 7.65x
Royal Navy 1 4.51x
Shipley 1 8.94x
St George Hanover 1 3.52x
St Marylebone London 1 0.86x
Stanton Newhall 1 91.74x
Sutton In Ashfield 1 15.72x
Westminster St John 1 3.78x
Westonsuper Mare 1 140.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 13
Mary 10
Sarah 9
Jane 7
Louisa 6
Ellen 5
Emma 5
Ann 4
Grace 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Susannah 2
Annie 1
B. 1
Clara 1
Dorcas 1
Elizah 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
G. 1
Hannah 1
J. 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
John 1
Julia 1
Lavinia 1
Letitia 1
Margaret 1
Marina 1
Martha 1
May 1
Miriam 1
Phoebe 1
Rhoda 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 13
John 12
Thomas 10
George 7
Joseph 7
James 6
Henry 4
Wm. 4
Arthur 3
Robert 3
Chas. 2
Edward 2
Enoch 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Richard 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Willie 2
Alb. 1
Albert 1
Andrew 1
C. 1
Charles 1
Charley 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Enock 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Gustav 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Luther 1
Major 1
Michael 1
Nuford 1
O. 1
Patrick 1
Reginald 1
Simon 1
Solomon 1
Tom 1
Wallice 1

FAQ

Miner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Miner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 224 people were recorded with the Miner surname. That placed it at #11,970 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Miner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 130 in 2016. That gives Miner a modern rank of #26,152.

What does the Miner surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who worked in a mine, extracting coal, ore, or other minerals.

What does the Miner map show?

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