NameCensus.

UK surname

Narroway

In the 1881 census there were 108 people recorded with the Narroway surname, ranking it #18,888 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 78, ranked #33,171, down from #18,888 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Acton, Oxford City: St Giles and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Three Rivers, Wandsworth and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Narroway is 158 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.8%.

1881 census count

108

Ranked #18,888

Modern count

78

2016, ranked #33,171

Peak year

1891

158 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 1998

Key insights

  • Narroway had 108 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,888 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 78 in 2016, ranked #33,171.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 158 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Narroway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Narroway surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Narroway 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 81 #19,457
1861 historical 57 #26,718
1881 historical 108 #18,888
1891 historical 158 #17,705
1901 historical 120 #20,545
1911 historical 116 #20,850
1997 modern 92 #28,079
1998 modern 104 #26,981
1999 modern 101 #27,617
2000 modern 96 #28,299
2001 modern 90 #28,793
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 92 #28,974
2004 modern 92 #29,197
2005 modern 78 #31,058
2006 modern 76 #31,633
2007 modern 83 #31,183
2008 modern 78 #32,081
2009 modern 78 #32,471
2010 modern 80 #32,670
2011 modern 82 #32,449
2012 modern 85 #32,395
2013 modern 80 #33,058
2014 modern 80 #33,133
2015 modern 81 #32,975
2016 modern 78 #33,171

Geography

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Where Narroways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Acton, Oxford City: St Giles, London parishes and Watford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Three Rivers, Wandsworth, Wirral and Dudley. 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 Acton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Oxford City: St Giles Oxfordshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Watford Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Three Rivers 012 Three Rivers
2 Wandsworth 020 Wandsworth
3 Wirral 005 Wirral
4 Dudley 006 Dudley
5 Dudley 011 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Narroway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Narroway

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Narroway surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Narroway household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Narroway is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Narroway is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Narroway 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 Narroway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Narroway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Narroway 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. Oxfordshire leads with 26 Narroways recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.96x.

County Total Index
Oxfordshire 26 39.96x
Middlesex 23 2.18x
Hertfordshire 22 30.30x
Worcestershire 10 7.27x
Staffordshire 9 2.53x
Leicestershire 5 4.28x
Essex 4 1.92x
Hampshire 3 1.39x
Kent 2 0.56x
Berkshire 1 1.26x
Cheshire 1 0.43x
Surrey 1 0.19x
Sussex 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oxford St Giles in Oxfordshire leads with 16 Narroways recorded in 1881 and an index of 516.13x.

Place Total Index
Oxford St Giles 16 516.13x
Watford 12 213.14x
Dudley 10 59.81x
Marston 9 3750.00x
Kensington London 6 10.24x
Bushey 5 289.02x
Hampstead London 5 30.47x
Harpenden 5 450.45x
Leicester St Margaret 5 17.56x
Oxford St Clement 5 304.88x
Headington 4 396.04x
West Ham 4 8.71x
Acton 3 48.54x
Ealing 3 31.88x
Hornsey 2 15.02x
Lewisham 2 10.43x
South Tidworth 2 2222.22x
Teddington London 2 83.68x
Buglawton 1 178.57x
Clewer 1 30.86x
Eastbourne 1 12.24x
Fordingbridge 1 85.47x
Fulham London 1 6.54x
Lambeth 1 1.09x
Oxford St Peter In East 1 400.00x
Paddington London 1 2.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 8
Mary 6
Ellen 4
Emma 4
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Eliza 2
Harriet 2
Ada 1
Adeline 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Emeline 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Hannah 1
Hellenna 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Rosa 1
Sidona 1
Susan 1
Susie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 6
James 5
Joseph 5
George 4
Henry 3
Edward 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Hy. 1
Jonathan 1
Leonard 1
Moses 1
Reginald 1
Regnold 1
Sam 1

FAQ

Narroway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Narroway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 108 people were recorded with the Narroway surname. That placed it at #18,888 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Narroway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 78 in 2016. That gives Narroway a modern rank of #33,171.

What does the Narroway map show?

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