NameCensus.

UK surname

Nias

In the 1881 census there were 96 people recorded with the Nias surname, ranking it #20,248 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 138, ranked #25,127, down from #20,248 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Heston, London parishes and Kilmeston, Beaworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eastleigh, West Dorset and Vale of White Horse.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nias is 148 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.8%.

1881 census count

96

Ranked #20,248

Modern count

138

2016, ranked #25,127

Peak year

2014

148 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nias had 96 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,248 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 138 in 2016, ranked #25,127.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Nias surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nias surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nias 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 79 #19,712
1861 historical 62 #26,041
1881 historical 96 #20,248
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 141 #21,941
1998 modern 144 #22,221
1999 modern 144 #22,405
2000 modern 146 #22,170
2001 modern 146 #21,857
2002 modern 143 #22,595
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 134 #23,425
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 137 #23,270
2007 modern 134 #23,931
2008 modern 133 #24,350
2009 modern 141 #23,907
2010 modern 141 #24,460
2011 modern 138 #24,615
2012 modern 144 #23,902
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 148 #24,075
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 138 #25,127

Geography

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Where Nias' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Heston, London parishes, Kilmeston, Beaworth and Budleigh, East. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eastleigh, West Dorset, Vale of White Horse and Luton. 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 Heston Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Kilmeston, Beaworth Hampshire
5 Budleigh, East Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eastleigh 008 Eastleigh
2 West Dorset 001 West Dorset
3 Vale of White Horse 016 Vale of White Horse
4 Eastleigh 007 Eastleigh
5 Luton 002 Luton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nias

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nias

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Nias surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Nias household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Nias 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

Nias 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

Nias falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Nias families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nias 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. Hampshire leads with 26 Nias' recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.41x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 26 13.41x
Middlesex 25 2.64x
Devon 19 9.65x
Sussex 10 6.27x
Surrey 6 1.30x
Berkshire 5 7.04x
Somerset 2 1.31x
Worcestershire 2 1.62x
Cornwall 1 0.93x
Warwickshire 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Droxford in Hampshire leads with 12 Nias' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1621.62x.

Place Total Index
Droxford 12 1621.62x
Beauworth 10 25000.00x
Heston 10 318.47x
Brighton 7 21.75x
Newton Abbot St Nicholas 6 1500.00x
Twickenham 6 147.78x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 32.96x
East Budleigh 4 430.11x
Beddingham 3 2000.00x
Paddington London 3 8.63x
Southwark St Saviour 3 61.73x
St Marylebone London 3 5.94x
Exeter Alphington 2 555.56x
Kings Norton 2 18.05x
Little Coxwell 2 2500.00x
Lyncombe Widcombe 2 50.13x
Newbury 2 88.11x
Weybridge 2 202.02x
Aldershot 1 15.38x
Bradfield 1 263.16x
Chiswick 1 19.34x
Dunchurch 1 303.03x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 49.75x
Kensington London 1 1.90x
Norwood 1 46.30x
Portsea 1 2.63x
Saltash 1 120.48x
Southampton St Mary 1 8.20x
St Peter Colebrook 1 370.37x
Stoke 1 46.08x
Tormoham 1 12.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 8
Charles 4
Joseph 4
Thomas 4
John 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
James 2
Benjamin 1
Edwin 1
George 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jos.B. 1
Martin 1
Solomon 1
Stephen 1
Thos.M. 1

FAQ

Nias surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nias surname in 1881?

In 1881, 96 people were recorded with the Nias surname. That placed it at #20,248 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nias surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 138 in 2016. That gives Nias a modern rank of #25,127.

What does the Nias map show?

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