NameCensus.

UK surname

Neaves

A surname of Northern English origin, possibly derived from a place name or an archaic occupational term.

In the 1881 census there were 454 people recorded with the Neaves surname, ranking it #7,280 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 642, ranked #8,249, down from #7,280 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sturry, Witchling, Otterden, Lenham and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale, Ashford and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neaves is 715 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.4%.

1881 census count

454

Ranked #7,280

Modern count

642

2016, ranked #8,249

Peak year

2010

715 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neaves had 454 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,280 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 642 in 2016, ranked #8,249.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 611 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Neaves surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neaves surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neaves 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 276 #8,128
1861 historical 220 #11,076
1881 historical 454 #7,280
1891 historical 500 #7,430
1901 historical 611 #6,972
1911 historical 603 #6,813
1997 modern 678 #7,427
1998 modern 684 #7,613
1999 modern 679 #7,694
2000 modern 689 #7,581
2001 modern 672 #7,595
2002 modern 681 #7,677
2003 modern 689 #7,480
2004 modern 698 #7,421
2005 modern 687 #7,460
2006 modern 681 #7,534
2007 modern 683 #7,579
2008 modern 687 #7,595
2009 modern 692 #7,705
2010 modern 715 #7,656
2011 modern 709 #7,627
2012 modern 666 #7,912
2013 modern 661 #8,105
2014 modern 659 #8,161
2015 modern 650 #8,196
2016 modern 642 #8,249

Geography

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Where Neaves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sturry, Witchling, Otterden, Lenham, London parishes, Edinburgh and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale, Ashford, Carlisle and Maidstone. 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 Sturry Kent
2 Witchling, Otterden, Lenham Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 016 Swale
2 Ashford 002 Ashford
3 Carlisle 010 Carlisle
4 Maidstone 011 Maidstone
5 Maidstone 006 Maidstone

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neaves

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neaves

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Neaves is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Neaves is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Neaves

The surname Neaves originated in England and is derived from the Old English word "neafe", meaning "fist". It is believed to have been initially used as a nickname for someone with a strong or powerful fist, or perhaps for a skilled boxer or fighter.

The earliest known record of the name Neaves can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is listed as "Nefe". Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, Neaves.

One of the earliest notable individuals bearing this surname was John Neaves, born in 1522 in Yorkshire, England. He was a renowned theologian and author, known for his work "A Treatise on the Lord's Supper".

In the 16th century, the Neaves family was prominent in the village of Harthill, located in the county of Yorkshire. The Neaves family crest, featuring a clenched fist, is a nod to the name's origins.

Sir Walter Neaves, born in 1672 in Gloucestershire, was a distinguished military officer who served in the English Army during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He is particularly known for his role in the Battle of Blenheim in 1704.

Another notable figure with this surname was Charles Neaves, born in 1800 in Dundee, Scotland. He was a renowned Scottish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord President of the Court of Session, the highest civil court in Scotland, from 1858 until his death in 1876.

In the early 19th century, the Neaves family also had a presence in the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Thomas Neaves, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1820 from England.

While the surname Neaves is not among the most common surnames in the world, it has a rich history dating back to medieval times in England, with roots in Old English and a connection to the profession of boxing or fighting.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neaves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neaves 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. Kent leads with 82 Neaves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.45x.

County Total Index
Kent 82 5.45x
Cambridgeshire 73 26.14x
Middlesex 58 1.32x
Yorkshire 46 1.05x
Lancashire 40 0.76x
Surrey 35 1.63x
Fife 24 9.19x
Midlothian 18 3.05x
Essex 17 1.95x
Sussex 11 1.48x
Angus 9 2.20x
Lincolnshire 7 0.99x
Nottinghamshire 7 1.18x
Warwickshire 7 0.63x
Cumberland 4 1.05x
Durham 3 0.23x
Gloucestershire 3 0.35x
Northumberland 2 0.30x
Staffordshire 2 0.13x
Devon 1 0.11x
Lanarkshire 1 0.07x
Stirlingshire 1 0.61x
Wiltshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barrington in Cambridgeshire leads with 22 Neaves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2340.43x.

Place Total Index
Barrington 22 2340.43x
Sheffield 19 13.66x
Cupar 17 149.78x
Doddington 17 1954.02x
Maidstone 17 37.94x
Coton 14 2857.14x
St Andrewthe Less 14 43.87x
West Derby 14 9.15x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 13 5.47x
Islington London 12 2.81x
Wychling 12 5454.55x
Walthamstow 11 35.11x
Barton 10 2040.82x
Charing 10 490.20x
Brightside Bierlow 9 10.50x
Dundee 9 5.90x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 10.14x
Haslingden 7 32.32x
Kingston On Thames 7 13.56x
Leeds 7 2.84x
Scoonie 7 123.89x
Tottenham 7 9.97x
Birmingham 6 1.62x
Bromley London 6 6.18x
Shoreditch London 6 3.14x
Snenton 6 25.70x
Sturry 6 337.08x
Westminster St James 6 13.24x
Fulham London 5 7.82x
Hackney London 5 2.02x
Lambeth 5 1.30x
Old Romney 5 2173.91x
Spalding 5 35.74x
Edinburgh St Georges 4 32.63x
Hastings St Mary 4 21.62x
Putney 4 19.90x
Wetheral 4 79.52x
Camberwell 3 1.07x
Hulme 3 2.75x
Hunslet 3 4.40x
Lenham 3 100.00x
Liverpool 3 0.94x
Nether Hallam 3 5.08x
Paddington London 3 1.85x
Prittlewell 3 24.88x
Rodmersham 3 461.54x
St Martin In Fields 3 11.36x
The Holy Sepulchre 3 441.18x
Westoe 3 4.03x
Dursley 2 56.18x
Foxton 2 312.50x
Gainsborough 2 12.03x
Great Warley 2 101.52x
Haslingfield 2 175.44x
Hastings St Mary In The 2 12.61x
Hove 2 6.13x
Icklesham 2 152.67x
Kensington London 2 0.82x
Leatherhead 2 37.17x
Manchester 2 0.85x
Margate St John Baptist 2 7.26x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 5.88x
Newington 2 1.23x
Openshaw 2 8.16x
Salford 2 1.30x
St Andrewthe Great 2 55.40x
Sutton 2 12.87x
Thorne 2 36.90x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 1 2.46x
Barony 1 0.28x
Broughton In Salford 1 2.09x
Everton 1 0.60x
Gorton 1 2.03x
Milstead 1 263.16x
Southwark St Saviour 1 4.41x
St Pancras London 1 0.28x
Stoke Damerel 1 1.56x
Trumpington 1 70.42x
Walsall Foreign 1 1.30x
Woolwich 1 1.80x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 30
George 22
John 18
Thomas 13
James 11
Charles 10
Henry 9
Robert 7
Joseph 6
Arthur 5
David 4
Frank 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Wm. 3
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Jesse 2
Jno. 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Daniel 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Elias 1
Elliot 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Gilbert 1
Halkett 1
Harry 1
Hayse 1
Isaac 1
J.S. 1
Jas. 1
Mark 1
Nicholas 1
Norman 1
Oliver 1
Reuben 1
Robt. 1
Samson 1
Tom 1
Ulyssess 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Neaves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neaves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 454 people were recorded with the Neaves surname. That placed it at #7,280 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neaves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 642 in 2016. That gives Neaves a modern rank of #8,249.

What does the Neaves surname mean?

A surname of Northern English origin, possibly derived from a place name or an archaic occupational term.

What does the Neaves map show?

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