NameCensus.

UK surname

Nurse

An occupational surname for a person who tended to or cared for the sick or infirm.

In the 1881 census there were 1,461 people recorded with the Nurse surname, ranking it #2,854 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,184, ranked #2,969, down from #2,854 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea, Charnwood and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nurse is 2,267 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.5%.

1881 census count

1,461

Ranked #2,854

Modern count

2,184

2016, ranked #2,969

Peak year

1999

2,267 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nurse had 1,461 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,854 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,184 in 2016, ranked #2,969.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,944 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Nurse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nurse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nurse 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 948 #2,927
1861 historical 975 #2,852
1881 historical 1,461 #2,854
1891 historical 1,526 #2,893
1901 historical 1,794 #2,920
1911 historical 1,944 #2,558
1997 modern 2,159 #2,868
1998 modern 2,237 #2,877
1999 modern 2,267 #2,859
2000 modern 2,252 #2,869
2001 modern 2,173 #2,900
2002 modern 2,197 #2,925
2003 modern 2,164 #2,909
2004 modern 2,184 #2,885
2005 modern 2,167 #2,871
2006 modern 2,139 #2,905
2007 modern 2,173 #2,886
2008 modern 2,180 #2,906
2009 modern 2,220 #2,926
2010 modern 2,250 #2,953
2011 modern 2,217 #2,954
2012 modern 2,179 #2,940
2013 modern 2,230 #2,926
2014 modern 2,236 #2,941
2015 modern 2,205 #2,939
2016 modern 2,184 #2,969

Geography

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Where Nurses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe and Weybourne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swansea, Charnwood, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Shropshire and Carmarthenshire. 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 Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe Somerset
4 Weybourne Norfolk
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 018 Swansea
2 Charnwood 014 Charnwood
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 004 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Shropshire 003 Shropshire
5 Carmarthenshire 025 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nurse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nurse

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Nurse is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Nurse 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

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

Meaning and origin of Nurse

The surname Nurse is an English occupational name that originated from the Old French word "norrice" or the Middle English word "norrice/nurrice," which mean "wet nurse" or "one who nourishes." This name likely emerged during the 12th or 13th century in England, referring to individuals who worked as wet nurses, caring for and nursing infants and young children.

The earliest known record of the name Nurse can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "le Nurrice." This document contains records of landowners and tenants in various counties of England during the reign of King Edward I. Another early mention of the name is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it is listed as "Anneys Nurys."

One of the earliest individuals with the surname Nurse was John Nurse, who was born around 1450 in Navestock, Essex, England. He was a landowner and is mentioned in several historical records from the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Nurse was also associated with places like Nurse's Cross in Cheshire, which was recorded as "Nurscrosse" in 1586. This suggests that some Nurses may have taken their name from a location rather than solely from the occupational origin.

During the 17th century, the name Nurse gained prominence with individuals like Samuel Nurse (1616-1696), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Stanstead Abbots in Hertfordshire.

Another notable figure was Francis Nurse (1618-1695), a prominent landowner and member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was the husband of Rebecca Nurse, who was tragically executed during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692.

In the 18th century, the name was associated with individuals like Richard Nurse (1720-1795), an English painter and engraver known for his landscapes and topographical views.

In the 19th century, John Nurse (1798-1876) was a renowned English cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club and is considered one of the earliest great bowlers in the sport.

The 20th century saw the rise of individuals like Sir Wilfred Nurse (1894-1967), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) from 1949 to 1953.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nurse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nurse 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. Norfolk leads with 363 Nurses recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.61x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 363 16.61x
Somerset 123 5.38x
Surrey 112 1.62x
Gloucestershire 107 3.84x
Middlesex 99 0.70x
Yorkshire 77 0.55x
Essex 48 1.71x
Herefordshire 36 6.18x
Glamorgan 35 1.41x
Lincolnshire 35 1.54x
Staffordshire 35 0.73x
Suffolk 35 2.02x
Leicestershire 34 2.16x
Warwickshire 32 0.89x
Monmouthshire 29 2.82x
Nottinghamshire 29 1.51x
Durham 27 0.64x
Carmarthenshire 21 3.51x
Lancashire 20 0.12x
Cambridgeshire 19 2.11x
Hampshire 15 0.51x
Worcestershire 15 0.81x
Northumberland 14 0.66x
Brecknockshire 12 4.22x
Northamptonshire 12 0.90x
Sussex 12 0.50x
Montgomeryshire 10 3.07x
Shropshire 10 0.81x
Bedfordshire 9 1.22x
Kent 9 0.19x
Devon 7 0.24x
Channel Islands 4 0.95x
Cornwall 2 0.12x
Hertfordshire 2 0.20x
Royal Navy 2 1.18x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.12x
Derbyshire 1 0.04x
Dorset 1 0.11x
Inverness-shire 1 0.24x
Oxfordshire 1 0.11x
Wiltshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 38 Nurses recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.19x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 38 4.19x
Dersingham 34 689.66x
Bedminster 28 13.02x
Rothley 23 449.22x
West Dereham 23 839.42x
Bitton Oldland 21 73.71x
Brightlingsea 21 131.00x
Llanelly 21 15.56x
Holt 19 254.35x
Weybourne 19 1666.67x
Downham Market 17 113.26x
North Wootton 17 1250.00x
Nottingham St Mary 17 3.43x
Hockham 15 604.84x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 15 22.86x
Hereford St Martin 14 198.30x
Coventry St Michael 13 11.29x
Croydon 13 3.38x
Lambeth 13 1.05x
Sedgley 13 7.30x
Bitton 12 49.46x
Llangattock 12 51.84x
Llantwit Vairdre 12 43.15x
St Martin In Fields 12 14.10x
Stroud 12 22.12x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 12 65.15x
Bridgewater 11 17.71x
Great Yarmouth 11 6.08x
Islington London 11 0.80x
Ormesby 11 29.06x
Southwark St George Martyr 11 3.85x
Wellingborough 11 16.36x
Wisbech St Peter 11 24.37x
Burnham Westgate 10 212.31x
Clifton 10 7.10x
Graig 10 216.92x
Hammersmith London 10 2.86x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 5.46x
Henstridge 10 158.23x
Northwold 10 170.65x
Westbury On Trym 10 10.59x
Aberhafesp 9 432.69x
Attleborough 9 81.52x
Dickleburgh 9 223.33x
Hereford All Sts 9 33.71x
Ingoldisthorpe 9 600.00x
Kelling 9 873.79x
Newland 9 38.41x
Walsoken 9 68.49x
West Ham 9 1.45x
Bedford St Paul 8 15.85x
Bottisham 8 104.30x
Clee With Weelsby 8 16.08x
Eastrington 8 430.11x
Hessle In Sculcoates 8 64.31x
Howden 8 83.59x
Kensington London 8 1.01x
Palgrave 8 219.78x
Saul 8 275.86x
West Pennard 8 217.39x
Westoe 8 3.34x
Bristol St George 7 5.43x
Caldicot 7 102.64x
Chelmsford 7 14.54x
Everton 7 1.30x
Gayton Thorpe 7 886.08x
Great Grimsby 7 4.85x
Lessingham 7 813.95x
Llandaff 7 8.50x
Oxted 7 83.93x
Pilton 7 128.44x
Pulham St Mary Virgin 7 174.56x
Rockland All Sts 7 522.39x
Shoreditch London 7 1.14x
St Marylebone London 7 0.92x
St Pancras London 7 0.61x
Stoke Ferry 7 210.84x
Stow Bedon 7 443.04x
Wormegay 7 304.35x
Rogerstone 6 94.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 89
John 74
George 58
James 52
Thomas 38
Robert 34
Charles 31
Henry 30
Alfred 21
Frederick 19
Samuel 18
Arthur 16
Joseph 13
Edward 11
Herbert 9
Albert 8
Ernest 8
Richard 8
Walter 8
Harry 7
David 6
Edwin 6
Francis 6
Frank 5
Philip 5
Abraham 4
Benjamin 4
Edmund 4
Fred 4
Fredk. 4
Isaac 4
Edgar 3
H. 3
Lewis 3
Moses 3
Sidney 3
Silas 3
Willie 3
Alexander 2
Bertie 2
Chas. 2
Edwd.J. 2
Fredrick 2
Harman 2
Harold 2
Jas. 2
Jeffrey 2
Jno. 2
Martin 2
Percy 2

FAQ

Nurse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nurse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,461 people were recorded with the Nurse surname. That placed it at #2,854 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nurse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,184 in 2016. That gives Nurse a modern rank of #2,969.

What does the Nurse surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who tended to or cared for the sick or infirm.

What does the Nurse map show?

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