NameCensus.

UK surname

Mowbray

A locational surname derived from a place name in northern England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,240 people recorded with the Mowbray surname, ranking it #3,272 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,852, ranked #3,428, down from #3,272 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leslie and Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mowbray is 1,873 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.4%.

1881 census count

1,240

Ranked #3,272

Modern count

1,852

2016, ranked #3,428

Peak year

1998

1,873 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mowbray had 1,240 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,272 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,852 in 2016, ranked #3,428.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,618 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mowbray surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mowbray surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mowbray 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 777 #3,438
1861 historical 846 #3,269
1881 historical 1,240 #3,272
1891 historical 1,358 #3,198
1901 historical 1,618 #3,193
1911 historical 1,523 #3,180
1997 modern 1,814 #3,308
1998 modern 1,873 #3,346
1999 modern 1,862 #3,377
2000 modern 1,829 #3,416
2001 modern 1,794 #3,399
2002 modern 1,863 #3,362
2003 modern 1,800 #3,395
2004 modern 1,789 #3,414
2005 modern 1,739 #3,467
2006 modern 1,719 #3,512
2007 modern 1,747 #3,498
2008 modern 1,776 #3,472
2009 modern 1,817 #3,474
2010 modern 1,856 #3,485
2011 modern 1,827 #3,490
2012 modern 1,772 #3,521
2013 modern 1,834 #3,477
2014 modern 1,852 #3,471
2015 modern 1,854 #3,440
2016 modern 1,852 #3,428

Geography

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Where Mowbrays are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Leslie and Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Northumberland, Forest of Dean and Gateshead. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leslie and Newcastle Fife
2 Middlesbrough 018 Middlesbrough
3 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
4 Forest of Dean 001 Forest of Dean
5 Gateshead 015 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mowbray

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mowbray

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mowbray surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mowbray household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mowbray 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

Mowbray 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mowbray

The surname Mowbray originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norman French place name "Mounbray" or "Monbrai", which refers to the town of Montbray in Normandy, France. The name is composed of two elements, "mont" meaning hill or mountain, and "brai" which is derived from the Celtic word "briga" meaning hill or summit.

One of the earliest records of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Molbrai". This entry refers to Roger de Mowbray, a Norman baron who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Roger de Mowbray was granted extensive lands in the north of England, including the Isle of Axholme in Lincolnshire, where he established his principal seat.

In the 12th century, the Mowbray family played a significant role in the political and military affairs of England. William de Mowbray, born in 1173, was a prominent figure during the reign of King John and served as one of the twenty-five barons who enforced the Magna Carta in 1215. Another notable member of the family was John de Mowbray, 4th Baron Mowbray, who was born in 1340 and fought alongside Edward III in the Hundred Years' War against France.

The Mowbray name is also associated with several place names in England, such as Mowbray Vale in Yorkshire and Mowbray Hill in Norfolk. These locations likely took their names from the Mowbray family, who held estates in these areas during the medieval period.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Mowbray was Thomas Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, who lived from 1366 to 1399. He was a powerful English nobleman and a prominent military commander during the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV. Another significant figure was John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, who lived from 1392 to 1432 and played a crucial role in the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of the Roses.

Other notable individuals with the Mowbray surname include Richard Mowbray, a 13th-century English prelate who served as Bishop of Murevedia in Cyprus; Sir John Mowbray, a 15th-century English nobleman and soldier who fought in the Wars of the Roses; and George Mowbray, an English composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mowbray families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mowbray 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 348 Mowbrays recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.62x.

County Total Index
Durham 348 9.62x
Yorkshire 124 1.03x
Lincolnshire 89 4.58x
Lancashire 78 0.54x
Middlesex 69 0.57x
Midlothian 61 3.75x
Derbyshire 49 2.58x
Northumberland 42 2.32x
Surrey 40 0.68x
Lanarkshire 29 0.74x
Fife 28 3.89x
Leicestershire 22 1.63x
Cheshire 21 0.78x
Nottinghamshire 18 1.10x
Perthshire 18 3.30x
Worcestershire 17 1.07x
Angus 16 1.42x
Sussex 16 0.78x
Hampshire 14 0.56x
Warwickshire 14 0.46x
Kent 10 0.24x
Oxfordshire 9 1.20x
Staffordshire 9 0.22x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.71x
Cambridgeshire 8 1.04x
Cumberland 8 0.76x
Devon 8 0.32x
Northamptonshire 8 0.70x
Roxburghshire 8 3.63x
Berkshire 7 0.77x
Norfolk 6 0.32x
West Lothian 6 3.28x
Dumfriesshire 5 1.86x
Argyllshire 4 1.18x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.54x
Essex 4 0.17x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 2.27x
Monmouthshire 3 0.34x
Renfrewshire 3 0.32x
Channel Islands 2 0.56x
Clackmannanshire 2 1.99x
Herefordshire 2 0.40x
Anglesey 1 0.46x
Denbighshire 1 0.22x
Hertfordshire 1 0.12x
Somerset 1 0.05x
Suffolk 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stanhope in Durham leads with 36 Mowbrays recorded in 1881 and an index of 96.41x.

Place Total Index
Stanhope 36 96.41x
Stockton On Tees 35 20.08x
South Leith 30 16.37x
Chester Le Street 22 79.22x
Ashover 21 221.75x
Bishopwearmouth 21 6.77x
Gateshead 19 7.02x
Middlesbrough 19 12.11x
St Pancras London 18 1.84x
Manchester 17 2.62x
Boston 15 25.44x
Brampton 14 52.63x
Dunfermline 14 12.65x
Nottingham St Mary 14 3.30x
Hartlepool 13 25.30x
Stranton 13 10.68x
Westgate 13 11.61x
Audlem 12 189.87x
Kensington London 12 1.78x
Melton Mowbray 12 49.53x
Skirbeck 12 110.19x
Whickham 12 36.07x
Aislaby 11 2115.38x
Rattray 11 86.61x
Swineshead 11 172.14x
Brightside Bierlow 10 4.23x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 1.53x
Great Lumley 10 161.55x
Leslie 10 54.88x
Norton 10 75.24x
Clapham 9 5.92x
Conside Knitsley 9 32.01x
Kings Norton 9 6.32x
Monkwearmouth Shore 9 12.75x
Willington 9 43.08x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 8 3.80x
Brandon Byshottles 8 17.66x
Camberwell 8 1.03x
Clerkenwell London 8 2.79x
Crossgate 8 50.60x
Deptford St Paul 8 2.50x
Grantham 8 31.58x
Haydock 8 32.19x
Liverpool 8 0.91x
Lockwood 8 18.46x
Loughborough 8 13.08x
Melbourn 8 106.67x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 8 33.64x
Stoke Damerel 8 4.52x
Thornaby 8 17.78x
Westoe 8 3.90x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 2.22x
Cambuslang 7 17.66x
Donington 7 100.29x
Dundee 7 1.67x
Friskney 7 113.45x
Govan 7 0.72x
Hulme 7 2.32x
Knottingley 7 33.07x
Marsden In Huddersfield 7 245.61x
New Windsor 7 22.82x
Oldham 7 1.50x
Sedgefield 7 54.31x
Bardney 6 103.45x
Billingham 6 96.46x
Birmingham 6 0.59x
Blairgowrie 6 27.80x
Bramley In Rotherham 6 359.28x
Brighton 6 1.45x
Darlington 6 4.30x
Eastbourne 6 6.36x
Elswick 6 4.16x
Ferryhill 6 47.47x
Haswell 6 23.15x
Houghton Le Spring 6 24.00x
Islington London 6 0.51x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 6 10.70x
Pelton 6 34.88x
Saredon 6 530.97x
Wonersh 6 81.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 82
Elizabeth 50
Jane 33
Sarah 30
Ann 23
Margaret 23
Annie 18
Hannah 16
Catherine 11
Edith 11
Ellen 11
Isabella 11
Susan 11
Emily 9
Kate 9
Alice 8
Ada 6
Charlotte 6
Eliza 6
Emma 5
Maria 5
Martha 5
Eleanor 4
Jessie 4
Lizzie 4
Amelia 3
Anne 3
Caroline 3
Clara 3
Elisabeth 3
Harriet 3
Isabel 3
Lucy 3
Matilda 3
Maud 3
Rachel 3
Susannah 3
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Francess 2
Grace 2
Lydia 2
Minnie 2
Nellie 2
Ruth 2
Elizbeth 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 79
William 69
Thomas 55
George 43
James 21
Joseph 21
Robert 19
Charles 14
Henry 14
Edward 13
Richard 10
Alfred 9
Walter 8
Frederick 7
Ralph 6
Arthur 5
Geo. 5
Herbert 5
Samuel 5
Christopher 4
Ernest 4
Thos. 4
Wm. 4
Archibald 3
Benjamin 3
Frank 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Bernard 2
David 2
Francis 2
Michael 2
Tom 2
Wm.H. 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
B.H. 1
Beauchamp 1
Daniel 1
Donald 1
Duncan 1
E.W. 1
Earnest 1
Ed.R. 1
Edgar 1
Geor. 1
Gowan 1
Hall 1
Wm.Hugh 1

FAQ

Mowbray surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mowbray surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,240 people were recorded with the Mowbray surname. That placed it at #3,272 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mowbray surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,852 in 2016. That gives Mowbray a modern rank of #3,428.

What does the Mowbray surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in northern England.

What does the Mowbray map show?

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