NameCensus.

UK surname

Nailor

An English occupational surname derived from the Middle English word 'nailour' meaning a nail maker.

In the 1881 census there were 189 people recorded with the Nailor surname, ranking it #13,322 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 134, ranked #25,636, down from #13,322 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bakewell, Sedgley and Kingsclere. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Basingstoke and Deane, West Berkshire and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nailor is 412 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 29.1%.

1881 census count

189

Ranked #13,322

Modern count

134

2016, ranked #25,636

Peak year

1851

412 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nailor had 189 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,322 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016, ranked #25,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 412 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Nailor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nailor surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nailor 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 412 #5,889
1861 historical 246 #10,010
1881 historical 189 #13,322
1891 historical 167 #17,006
1901 historical 119 #20,624
1911 historical 129 #19,577
1997 modern 168 #19,642
1998 modern 156 #21,144
1999 modern 157 #21,201
2000 modern 155 #21,341
2001 modern 157 #20,884
2002 modern 180 #19,533
2003 modern 171 #19,953
2004 modern 159 #21,007
2005 modern 157 #21,128
2006 modern 151 #21,818
2007 modern 149 #22,318
2008 modern 156 #21,862
2009 modern 161 #21,879
2010 modern 164 #22,109
2011 modern 166 #21,745
2012 modern 154 #22,870
2013 modern 149 #23,765
2014 modern 147 #24,177
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 134 #25,636

Geography

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Where Nailors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bakewell, Sedgley, Kingsclere, Newbury and Terrington St Clement, Terrington St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Basingstoke and Deane, West Berkshire, Stratford-on-Avon and Bristol. 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 Bakewell Derbyshire
2 Sedgley Staffordshire
3 Kingsclere Hampshire
4 Newbury Berkshire
5 Terrington St Clement, Terrington St John Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Basingstoke and Deane 020 Basingstoke and Deane
2 West Berkshire 013 West Berkshire
3 Stratford-on-Avon 012 Stratford-on-Avon
4 West Berkshire 009 West Berkshire
5 Bristol 012 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nailor

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nailor

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Nailor is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nailor is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Nailor

The surname NAILOR originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "nayl," which referred to a nail or spike, and the suffix "-or," indicating an occupation. Thus, the name NAILOR was likely bestowed upon individuals who worked as nail makers or blacksmiths.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname NAILOR can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where a person named William Nailour is listed. This suggests that the name was already established by the late 12th century in the northern counties of England.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Nayler, Nayler, and Naylour, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. One notable reference is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded a Thomas le Naylour in Oxfordshire.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the NAILOR surname continued to spread across England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in different regions. For instance, the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 mentioned a John Naylour in Yorkshire, while the Subsidy Rolls of 1524 listed a Robert Nayler in Suffolk.

One of the earliest known individuals with the NAILOR surname was John Naylor, who was born in Yorkshire, England, in the late 15th century. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of York, and his descendants continued to play influential roles in the region for generations.

Another notable figure was James Nayler, a Quaker leader born in Yorkshire in 1618. He gained notoriety for his controversial religious beliefs and was punished for blasphemy in 1656. Despite his contentious reputation, Nayler's impact on the Quaker movement was significant.

In the 17th century, the NAILOR surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One example is Robert Nayler, a Scottish parliamentarian who lived from 1630 to 1695 and was involved in the political affairs of his time.

During the 18th century, the NAILOR surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with some individuals achieving prominence in their respective fields. One such figure was Samuel Naylor, a notable playwright and poet born in Yorkshire in 1705.

As the 19th century dawned, the NAILOR surname had become well-established throughout the United Kingdom, with several individuals bearing the name leaving their mark in various spheres. One example is George Naylor, an English architect born in 1811, who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nailor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nailor 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. Yorkshire leads with 27 Nailors recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.48x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 27 1.48x
Lancashire 22 1.01x
Berkshire 19 13.73x
Norfolk 16 5.64x
Middlesex 14 0.76x
Denbighshire 11 15.79x
Durham 10 1.82x
Leicestershire 10 4.89x
Nottinghamshire 10 4.02x
Kent 7 1.11x
Warwickshire 7 1.51x
Cheshire 6 1.47x
Ayrshire 5 3.62x
Cumberland 4 2.52x
Renfrewshire 4 2.80x
Hampshire 2 0.53x
Lincolnshire 2 0.68x
Northumberland 2 0.73x
Surrey 2 0.22x
Anglesey 1 3.06x
Angus 1 0.59x
Cardiganshire 1 2.22x
Glamorgan 1 0.31x
Hertfordshire 1 0.79x
Lanarkshire 1 0.17x
Northamptonshire 1 0.58x
Shropshire 1 0.63x
Staffordshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hopwood in Lancashire leads with 10 Nailors recorded in 1881 and an index of 349.65x.

Place Total Index
Hopwood 10 349.65x
Terrington St Clement 8 625.00x
Ramsgate 7 68.16x
Wrexham Abbot 7 400.00x
Burnley 6 32.57x
Ecclesfield 6 44.78x
Hurdsfield 6 240.00x
Leamington Priors 6 52.45x
Leicester Augustin 6 10000.00x
Linthorpe 6 55.05x
Thatcham 6 281.69x
Bulwell 5 92.59x
Huddersfield 5 18.78x
Shadforth 5 471.70x
St Quivox 5 107.07x
Woolhampton 5 1612.90x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 8.37x
Bryneglwys 4 1739.13x
Caistor St Edmund 4 4444.44x
Cornforth 4 248.45x
Islington London 4 2.24x
Leicester St Margaret 4 8.02x
Neilston 4 55.79x
Workington 4 44.00x
York St Cuthbert 4 239.52x
Arnold 3 82.64x
Bucklebury 3 416.67x
Newbury 3 67.72x
Basford 2 17.47x
Hayes 2 106.38x
Horncastle 2 65.79x
Kingsclere 2 115.61x
Morpeth 2 61.92x
Scarning 2 476.19x
Whitechapel London 2 11.01x
Batley 1 5.76x
Birmingham 1 0.65x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.12x
Cardiff St Mary 1 5.66x
Clapham 1 4.34x
Dawley 1 17.24x
Dundee 1 1.57x
Ealing 1 6.07x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 2.69x
Holbeck 1 8.26x
Holyhead 1 16.42x
Hornsey 1 4.29x
Kensington London 1 0.98x
Llancynfelin 1 175.44x
Longham 1 500.00x
Manchester 1 1.02x
Normanby In 1 20.49x
Northampton All Sts 1 17.01x
Norwich St Etheldred 1 250.00x
Old Monkland 1 4.23x
Parr 1 12.77x
Reading St Giles 1 7.36x
Richmond 1 7.94x
Sedgley 1 4.33x
Selby 1 26.18x
St Dunstan In West 1 250.00x
St George Hanover 1 4.15x
St Pancras London 1 0.67x
Stanford Dingley 1 1111.11x
Thorne 1 44.05x
Watford 1 10.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 7
Alice 6
Ann 5
Annie 5
Sarah 5
Eliza 4
Ellen 4
Hannah 4
Jane 4
Rose 3
Bridget 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Phoebe 2
Alexandrina 1
Allice 1
Amy 1
Bertha 1
C. 1
Clara 1
Clarah 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Helen 1
Herbert 1
Leonorah 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
John 11
Thomas 8
George 6
James 6
Charles 4
Joseph 3
Robert 3
Albert 2
Edward 2
Henry 2
Lister 2
Walter 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Allen 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Fredick. 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Hernest 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Jonerthon 1
Mark 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Robb. 1
Samuel 1
Silias 1
Tom 1
Water 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Nailor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nailor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 189 people were recorded with the Nailor surname. That placed it at #13,322 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nailor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016. That gives Nailor a modern rank of #25,636.

What does the Nailor surname mean?

An English occupational surname derived from the Middle English word 'nailour' meaning a nail maker.

What does the Nailor map show?

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