NameCensus.

UK surname

Norris

From the English place name meaning "north house," referring to a dwelling located to the north of a settlement.

In the 1881 census there were 12,839 people recorded with the Norris surname, ranking it #320 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 18,521, ranked #323, down from #320 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bridgend, Cotswold and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Norris is 19,570 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.3%.

1881 census count

12,839

Ranked #320

Modern count

18,521

2016, ranked #323

Peak year

1999

19,570 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Norris had 12,839 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #320 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 18,521 in 2016, ranked #323.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17,752 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Norris surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Norris surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Norris 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 8,054 #347
1861 historical 7,617 #367
1881 historical 12,839 #320
1891 historical 13,546 #320
1901 historical 16,413 #308
1911 historical 17,752 #265
1997 modern 18,721 #310
1998 modern 19,420 #310
1999 modern 19,570 #308
2000 modern 19,428 #307
2001 modern 18,957 #308
2002 modern 19,221 #310
2003 modern 18,756 #310
2004 modern 18,624 #313
2005 modern 18,223 #319
2006 modern 18,080 #322
2007 modern 18,066 #322
2008 modern 18,193 #321
2009 modern 18,637 #321
2010 modern 18,881 #323
2011 modern 18,630 #322
2012 modern 18,340 #323
2013 modern 18,851 #322
2014 modern 18,861 #323
2015 modern 18,667 #323
2016 modern 18,521 #323

Geography

Back to top

Where Norris' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bridgend, Cotswold, Mendip, Forest of Dean and Chorley. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bridgend 004 Bridgend
2 Cotswold 011 Cotswold
3 Mendip 001 Mendip
4 Forest of Dean 008 Forest of Dean
5 Chorley 007 Chorley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Norris

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Norris

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Norris is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Norris 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

Norris falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Norris

The surname NORRIS is of Anglo-Norman origin and is derived from the Old French word "norris", meaning "nursling" or "foster child". It is believed to have originated in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French-speaking settlers arrived and established themselves in various parts of the country.

The earliest recorded instances of the NORRIS surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of 1176 and the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201. These records mention individuals with the name, indicating its use as a hereditary surname during that time period.

In the 13th century, the name NORRIS appeared in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and tenants in England. This document contains references to individuals with the surname, providing insight into the geographic distribution of the name during that era.

One notable historical figure bearing the NORRIS surname was Sir John Norris (c. 1547-1597), an English soldier and courtier who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the Tudor military campaigns in Ireland and the Netherlands.

Another prominent individual was Sir John Norris (1660-1749), an English admiral who served in the Royal Navy during the War of the Spanish Succession and the War of the Quadruple Alliance. He was known for his successful naval campaigns and was recognized for his bravery and leadership.

In the literary world, Frank Norris (1870-1902) was an American novelist and writer, best known for his works such as "McTeague" and "The Octopus". He was a prominent figure in the naturalist literary movement and explored themes of social realism in his writings.

The NORRIS surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Norris Green in Liverpool and Norris Hill in Cheshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the NORRIS surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

While the NORRIS surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Norris families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Norris 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. Lancashire leads with 2,239 Norris' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.50x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,239 1.50x
Middlesex 1,905 1.52x
Surrey 1,027 1.68x
Kent 769 1.80x
Somerset 660 3.27x
Hampshire 622 2.42x
Wiltshire 482 4.34x
Yorkshire 457 0.37x
Gloucestershire 370 1.50x
Berkshire 335 3.56x
Sussex 314 1.48x
Hertfordshire 284 3.28x
Essex 282 1.14x
Warwickshire 233 0.74x
Northamptonshire 216 1.83x
Devon 209 0.80x
Lincolnshire 183 0.91x
Cheshire 177 0.64x
Oxfordshire 159 2.05x
Dorset 147 1.79x
Staffordshire 131 0.31x
Glamorgan 111 0.51x
Lanarkshire 98 0.24x
Worcestershire 97 0.59x
Nottinghamshire 90 0.53x
Buckinghamshire 87 1.15x
Northumberland 82 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 80 1.01x
Suffolk 80 0.52x
Bedfordshire 71 1.09x
Durham 70 0.19x
Leicestershire 70 0.50x
Monmouthshire 62 0.68x
Shropshire 60 0.55x
Herefordshire 53 1.03x
Ayrshire 46 0.49x
Norfolk 44 0.23x
Cornwall 43 0.30x
Renfrewshire 43 0.44x
Huntingdonshire 38 1.53x
Derbyshire 36 0.18x
Berwickshire 33 2.17x
Midlothian 32 0.19x
Rutland 26 2.82x
Cumberland 21 0.19x
Royal Navy 19 1.27x
Channel Islands 18 0.48x
Dunbartonshire 18 0.53x
Pembrokeshire 18 0.45x
Brecknockshire 15 0.60x
Morayshire 14 0.72x
Stirlingshire 13 0.28x
West Lothian 11 0.58x
Argyllshire 8 0.23x
Sutherland 8 0.83x
Aberdeenshire 7 0.06x
Inverness-shire 7 0.19x
Flintshire 5 0.15x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.08x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.14x
Fife 4 0.05x
Isle of Man 4 0.17x
Merionethshire 4 0.17x
Perthshire 3 0.05x
Westmorland 2 0.07x
Denbighshire 1 0.02x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.06x
Roxburghshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 205 Norris' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.87x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 205 1.87x
Islington London 185 1.52x
Camberwell 160 2.00x
Kensington London 155 2.22x
Preston 150 3.77x
Hackney London 145 2.06x
St Pancras London 137 1.36x
Bethnal Green London 119 2.18x
Chorley 119 14.24x
Great Bolton 107 5.43x
Mere 104 82.50x
Shoreditch London 104 1.91x
Newington 98 2.11x
Portsea 97 1.92x
St Marylebone London 94 1.40x
Birmingham 81 0.77x
Battersea 76 1.65x
West Ham 76 1.39x
Brighton 75 1.76x
Liverpool 74 0.82x
Aston 70 0.80x
Bromley London 68 2.46x
West Derby 67 1.54x
Bermondsey 66 1.77x
Walcot 64 5.95x
Hulme 58 1.87x
Mile End Old Town 58 2.93x
Paddington London 57 1.24x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 56 2.42x
Formby 56 33.22x
Croston 55 71.49x
Deal 54 14.79x
Farington 53 61.14x
Hammersmith London 52 1.68x
Bradford On Avon 49 13.79x
Edington 49 261.61x
Blackburn 47 1.19x
Chatham 47 3.99x
Tottenham 47 2.35x
Croydon 46 1.36x
Everton 46 0.97x
Lewisham 45 1.97x
Berkhampstead 43 22.11x
Clerkenwell London 43 1.45x
Leyland 43 16.60x
Southwark St George Martyr 43 1.70x
Spotland 42 2.54x
Toxteth Park 42 0.83x
Chelsea London 41 1.08x
Rotherhithe 41 2.64x
Chorlton On Medlock 40 1.69x
Ramsgate 40 5.72x
Salford 39 0.89x
Trowbridge 39 7.95x
Bury 37 2.18x
Hurley 37 75.57x
Pilkington 37 6.54x
Bedminster 36 1.90x
Henbury 34 28.31x
Litchborough 34 227.42x
Manchester 34 0.51x
Watford 34 5.07x
Northwood 33 9.01x
Nottingham St Mary 33 0.75x
Oswaldtwistle 33 6.27x
Leeds 32 0.46x
Poplar London 32 1.35x
Westminster St John 32 2.09x
Bedwellty 31 1.94x
Southampton St Mary 31 1.92x
St George Hanover 31 1.89x
Broughton In Salford 30 2.20x
Caddington 30 31.53x
Kirkdale 30 1.20x
Little Bolton 30 1.57x
Limehouse London 29 2.11x
Stayley 29 9.16x
Frome 28 5.80x
Llandaff 28 3.85x
Widnes 28 2.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 783
Elizabeth 461
Sarah 432
Jane 245
Eliza 230
Ann 226
Ellen 226
Alice 213
Emma 190
Annie 173
Emily 167
Hannah 119
Margaret 117
Martha 105
Louisa 94
Charlotte 89
Caroline 87
Ada 84
Fanny 76
Edith 74
Maria 74
Kate 72
Harriet 68
Catherine 66
Florence 66
Frances 59
Susan 56
Anne 55
Clara 51
Esther 47
Harriett 46
Amelia 44
Lucy 43
Rose 39
Julia 38
Sophia 34
Matilda 33
Agnes 32
Elizth. 30
Amy 29
Isabella 27
Ethel 26
Gertrude 26
Minnie 26
Rebecca 26
Jessie 25
Lydia 23
Beatrice 20
Bessie 19
Eleanor 19

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 826
John 643
George 460
James 418
Thomas 383
Henry 360
Charles 255
Joseph 179
Robert 161
Frederick 150
Edward 130
Alfred 122
Richard 121
Walter 110
Arthur 104
Albert 103
Samuel 88
Frank 72
Harry 64
Herbert 57
Edwin 49
Ernest 47
David 35
Wm. 35
Francis 32
Stephen 32
Benjamin 29
Thos. 26
Daniel 24
Fred 22
Hugh 19
Edmund 18
Geo. 18
Peter 18
Sidney 17
Alexander 15
Edgar 14
Fredk. 14
Isaac 14
Jesse 14
Andrew 13
Harold 13
Willie 13
Ellis 12
Tom 12
Chas. 11
Christopher 11
Matthew 11
Abraham 9
Philip 9

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Norris households.

FAQ

Norris surname: questions and answers

How common was the Norris surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,839 people were recorded with the Norris surname. That placed it at #320 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Norris surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 18,521 in 2016. That gives Norris a modern rank of #323.

What does the Norris surname mean?

From the English place name meaning "north house," referring to a dwelling located to the north of a settlement.

What does the Norris map show?

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