NameCensus.

UK surname

Neves

A Portuguese and Galician surname derived from the plural of neve, meaning "snows" or "snow-covered mountains."

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Neves surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 674, ranked #7,950, up from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Herne (incl. Herne Bay Chapelry), Sturry and Witchling, Otterden, Lenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Boston, Kingston upon Thames and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neves is 674 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 476.1%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

674

2016, ranked #7,950

Peak year

2016

674 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neves had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 674 in 2016, ranked #7,950.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 175 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Neves surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neves surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neves 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 126 #17,569
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 165 #17,143
1901 historical 152 #17,916
1911 historical 175 #16,246
1997 modern 237 #15,809
1998 modern 267 #15,016
1999 modern 274 #14,826
2000 modern 263 #15,228
2001 modern 267 #14,839
2002 modern 302 #13,938
2003 modern 314 #13,419
2004 modern 369 #11,967
2005 modern 408 #11,024
2006 modern 442 #10,388
2007 modern 471 #9,992
2008 modern 500 #9,630
2009 modern 538 #9,327
2010 modern 574 #9,064
2011 modern 566 #9,070
2012 modern 601 #8,595
2013 modern 617 #8,548
2014 modern 645 #8,316
2015 modern 663 #8,063
2016 modern 674 #7,950

Geography

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Where Neves' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Herne (incl. Herne Bay Chapelry), Sturry, Witchling, Otterden, Lenham, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Boston, Kingston upon Thames, High Peak, Brent and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 Herne (incl. Herne Bay Chapelry) Kent
2 Sturry Kent
3 Witchling, Otterden, Lenham Kent
4 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Boston 003 Boston
2 Kingston upon Thames 006 Kingston upon Thames
3 High Peak 013 High Peak
4 Brent 031 Brent
5 Kensington and Chelsea 012 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neves

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neves

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

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Neves surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Neves 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

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, Neves 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

Neves is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Neves falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Neves 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Neves

The surname NEVES originated in Portugal and Spain. It is derived from the Portuguese word "neve" meaning "snow" and refers to someone who lived near snowy mountains or had a connection to snow. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Neves" in the 13th century.

The name first appeared in historical records in the Livro Velho de Linhagens, a 14th-century Portuguese book of lineages. It was mentioned in reference to Gonçalo Neves, a knight who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors in the 12th century.

In the 15th century, the NEVES surname was found in the town of Neves, located in the Bragança District of northeastern Portugal. This town likely took its name from the surrounding snowy mountains, and the surname may have originated there.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the NEVES surname was João Neves, a Portuguese navigator who lived in the late 15th century. He accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India in 1497-1499.

In the 16th century, Pedro Neves (1530-1612) was a Spanish-born Catholic priest who served as a missionary in Paraguay and Argentina. He helped establish the Jesuit Reductions among the Guarani people.

In the 17th century, Francisco Neves (1615-1686) was a Portuguese painter and architect who worked primarily in Lisbon. He is best known for his work on the Igreja da Graça church.

In the 19th century, José Neves (1820-1897) was a Portuguese politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1891 to 1892.

The NEVES surname spread from Portugal and Spain to other parts of the world through emigration and colonization, particularly to Brazil, where it is also a common surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neves families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neves 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 59 Neves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.15x.

County Total Index
Kent 59 15.15x
Sussex 19 9.88x
Surrey 9 1.62x
Yorkshire 9 0.80x
Middlesex 8 0.70x
Cambridgeshire 6 8.30x
Buckinghamshire 5 7.25x
Dunbartonshire 1 3.26x
Hampshire 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sittingbourne in Kent leads with 12 Neves' recorded in 1881 and an index of 390.88x.

Place Total Index
Sittingbourne 12 390.88x
Herne 9 523.26x
Brighton 8 20.61x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 34.78x
Leaveland 8 16000.00x
Lenham 8 1025.64x
Lewisham 7 33.72x
Elm 5 704.23x
Hastings Holy Trinity 5 352.11x
Morden 5 1785.71x
Newport Pagnell 5 347.22x
Hurstpierpoint 4 373.83x
Nonington 4 1290.32x
Ockham 3 1428.57x
Paddington London 3 7.15x
Deal 2 60.24x
Mereworth 2 645.16x
St Marylebone London 2 3.28x
Aylesford 1 92.59x
Birdham 1 555.56x
Brenzett 1 833.33x
Brightside Bierlow 1 4.51x
Canterbury St Mary 1 38.31x
Charing 1 188.68x
Chelsea London 1 2.91x
Comberton 1 454.55x
Cranbrook 1 60.61x
Folkestone 1 13.25x
Hastings St Mary 1 20.88x
Kensington London 1 1.58x
Lambeth 1 1.01x
Plumstead 1 7.70x
Row 1 25.19x
St Pancras London 1 1.09x
West Meon 1 322.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 6
Charles 5
George 5
James 5
John 5
Thomas 5
Richard 4
Albert 2
David 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Reuben 2
Walter 2
Arthur 1
Burt 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Henery 1
Jesse 1
Macnamara 1
Wm.T. 1

FAQ

Neves surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neves surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Neves surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neves surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 674 in 2016. That gives Neves a modern rank of #7,950.

What does the Neves surname mean?

A Portuguese and Galician surname derived from the plural of neve, meaning "snows" or "snow-covered mountains."

What does the Neves map show?

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