NameCensus.

UK surname

Nancarrow

A surname of Welsh origin meaning "valley of deer" or "deer valley".

In the 1881 census there were 432 people recorded with the Nancarrow surname, ranking it #7,547 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 371, ranked #12,561, down from #7,547 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Redruth, Illogan and St Agnes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Blaenau Gwent and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nancarrow is 512 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.1%.

1881 census count

432

Ranked #7,547

Modern count

371

2016, ranked #12,561

Peak year

1901

512 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nancarrow had 432 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,547 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 371 in 2016, ranked #12,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 512 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Nancarrow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nancarrow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nancarrow 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 358 #6,604
1861 historical 343 #7,444
1881 historical 432 #7,547
1891 historical 465 #7,874
1901 historical 512 #7,918
1911 historical 478 #8,099
1997 modern 395 #11,106
1998 modern 422 #10,928
1999 modern 417 #11,091
2000 modern 409 #11,221
2001 modern 394 #11,344
2002 modern 407 #11,294
2003 modern 379 #11,714
2004 modern 389 #11,516
2005 modern 370 #11,875
2006 modern 373 #11,854
2007 modern 372 #12,032
2008 modern 378 #11,993
2009 modern 381 #12,174
2010 modern 381 #12,436
2011 modern 368 #12,631
2012 modern 368 #12,468
2013 modern 369 #12,655
2014 modern 366 #12,823
2015 modern 371 #12,567
2016 modern 371 #12,561

Geography

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Where Nancarrows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Redruth, Illogan, St Agnes, St Austell and Camborne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Blaenau Gwent and Northumberland. 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 Redruth Cornwall
2 Illogan Cornwall
3 St Agnes Cornwall
4 St Austell Cornwall
5 Camborne Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 039 Cornwall
2 Blaenau Gwent 004 Blaenau Gwent
3 Cornwall 030 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 036 Cornwall
5 Northumberland 037 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nancarrow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nancarrow

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Nancarrow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Nancarrow household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Nancarrow 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

Nancarrow 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

Nancarrow falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nancarrow 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 Nancarrow, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Nancarrow

The surname Nancarrow originates from Cornwall, a county in the southwest of England. It is derived from the Cornish language, with 'Nan' meaning valley and 'Carrow' meaning deer, suggesting the name likely referred to a deer-inhabited valley.

Nancarrow is an ancient Cornish surname, with records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known references is in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from 1284, where a William de Nancarrow is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Feet of Fines records for Cornwall, listing a John Nancarrow in 1379. The surname is also found in the Cornish Subsidy Rolls from 1327, indicating its longstanding presence in the region.

During the medieval period, the Nancarrow family held lands in the parish of Sithney, near Helston in Cornwall. The name is closely associated with this area, with several place names derived from it, such as Nancarrow Farm and Nancarrow Valley.

A notable figure bearing the Nancarrow surname was John Nancarrow (1655-1720), a Cornish clergyman and author. He wrote several works on Cornish history and customs, including 'The Cornish Antiquities' published in 1692.

Another prominent individual was Robert Nancarrow (1771-1845), a Cornish engineer and inventor. He is credited with designing and building several early steam engines and was a key figure in the Industrial Revolution in Cornwall.

In the 18th century, the Nancarrow family expanded their influence, with members holding positions of authority in the local government and judiciary. One such individual was William Nancarrow (1732-1802), who served as a Justice of the Peace for Cornwall.

The name Nancarrow also has connections to the mining industry, which was a major part of Cornwall's economy. Records show several miners and mine owners bearing the surname in the 19th century, such as James Nancarrow (1812-1883), who owned tin mines in the St. Just area.

Beyond Cornwall, the Nancarrow surname spread to other parts of England, as well as to Wales and parts of North America, due to migration. One notable example is John Nancarrow (1839-1920), a Welsh businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the coal industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nancarrow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nancarrow 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. Cornwall leads with 269 Nancarrows recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.87x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 269 55.87x
Hampshire 49 5.62x
Devon 43 4.86x
Yorkshire 12 0.28x
Middlesex 10 0.24x
Cheshire 9 0.96x
Glamorgan 8 1.08x
Dorset 7 2.51x
Montgomeryshire 6 6.16x
Lancashire 5 0.10x
Northumberland 4 0.63x
Royal Navy 4 7.89x
Kent 3 0.21x
Derbyshire 2 0.30x
Durham 2 0.16x
Somerset 1 0.15x
Suffolk 1 0.19x
Surrey 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Illogan in Cornwall leads with 67 Nancarrows recorded in 1881 and an index of 525.49x.

Place Total Index
Illogan 67 525.49x
Portsea 41 24.00x
Redruth 28 205.58x
Kenwyn 20 158.86x
Creed Grampound 17 2931.03x
Tavistock 17 168.65x
St Austell 16 97.21x
Perranzabuloe 15 361.45x
Camborne 14 70.56x
Probus 14 710.66x
St Agnes 12 178.04x
Saltash 11 294.91x
Gwinear 10 438.60x
St Enoder 10 609.76x
Stoke Damerel 8 12.91x
Plymouth St Andrew 7 10.26x
St Blazey 7 165.48x
Stockport 7 14.49x
Thornton In Craven 7 207.10x
Liskeard 6 74.44x
Llanidloes 6 83.10x
Swansea Town 6 9.88x
Dunterton 5 2941.18x
Liverpool 5 1.63x
Longbredy 5 1515.15x
Northwood 5 40.29x
St Clement 5 99.40x
St Stephens By Saltash 5 241.55x
Bedlington 4 18.93x
Falmouth 4 23.47x
Royal Navy 4 9.23x
Settle 4 123.84x
Deptford St Paul 3 2.68x
St Giles In Fields 3 20.45x
Budock 2 55.25x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.99x
Eckington 2 12.36x
Higher Bebington 2 33.28x
Islington London 2 0.49x
Portland 2 13.32x
Portsmouth 2 9.97x
St Veep 2 256.41x
Stonehouse East 2 44.54x
Swansea St Thomas 2 26.88x
Alverstoke 1 3.17x
Brandon Byshottles 1 6.31x
Brightside Bierlow 1 1.21x
Calstock 1 10.59x
Crediton 1 11.92x
Cubert 1 185.19x
Devonport 1 9.83x
East Stonehouse 1 5.73x
Felixstow 1 79.37x
Hammersmith London 1 0.95x
Hornsey 1 1.86x
Plymouth Charles The 1 2.56x
St Columb Major 1 25.00x
St Marylebone London 1 0.44x
Stoke 1 10.22x
Sunderland 1 4.47x
Truro St Mary 1 24.69x
Weston Super Mare 1 5.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 38
Elizabeth 15
Jane 14
Annie 12
Sarah 12
Edith 10
Eliza 10
Ann 8
Caroline 7
Ellen 7
Emily 7
Emma 6
Ada 4
Catherine 4
Grace 4
Bessie 3
Harriet 3
Laura 3
Beatrice 2
Clara 2
Dorothy 2
Eliz. 2
Florence 2
Isabella 2
Lily 2
Louie 2
Maria 2
Susan 2
Alice 1
Anne 1
C. 1
Charity 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Effie 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Evelian 1
Evelina 1
Flossie 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Jemina 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Lavinia 1
Louisa 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 34
John 33
James 18
Richard 16
Thomas 13
George 8
Henry 7
Alfred 6
Samuel 6
Charles 5
Arthur 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Harry 3
Robert 3
Wm. 3
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Jonathan 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alf. 1
Benjamin 1
Caleb 1
Charlie 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Edwd. 1
F.W. 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
Josie 1
Lerrin 1
Michael 1
Michal 1
Peter 1
Rd. 1
Rob 1
Robt.Rd. 1
Stanley 1
Tom 1
Wesley 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Nancarrow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nancarrow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 432 people were recorded with the Nancarrow surname. That placed it at #7,547 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nancarrow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 371 in 2016. That gives Nancarrow a modern rank of #12,561.

What does the Nancarrow surname mean?

A surname of Welsh origin meaning "valley of deer" or "deer valley".

What does the Nancarrow map show?

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