NameCensus.

UK surname

Obee

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or creek.

In the 1881 census there were 207 people recorded with the Obee surname, ranking it #12,555 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 296, ranked #14,882, down from #12,555 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochester, London parishes and Beckenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gravesham, York and Daventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Obee is 355 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.0%.

1881 census count

207

Ranked #12,555

Modern count

296

2016, ranked #14,882

Peak year

1998

355 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Obee had 207 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,555 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 296 in 2016, ranked #14,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 327 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Obee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Obee surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Obee 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 134 #14,033
1861 historical 90 #22,312
1881 historical 207 #12,555
1891 historical 222 #13,854
1901 historical 327 #10,966
1911 historical 323 #10,842
1997 modern 351 #12,145
1998 modern 355 #12,418
1999 modern 340 #12,870
2000 modern 329 #13,090
2001 modern 325 #13,030
2002 modern 331 #13,115
2003 modern 337 #12,759
2004 modern 330 #12,994
2005 modern 319 #13,275
2006 modern 316 #13,402
2007 modern 320 #13,442
2008 modern 319 #13,581
2009 modern 320 #13,796
2010 modern 323 #14,005
2011 modern 311 #14,260
2012 modern 308 #14,259
2013 modern 309 #14,451
2014 modern 308 #14,571
2015 modern 303 #14,646
2016 modern 296 #14,882

Geography

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Where Obees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochester, London parishes, Beckenham, Maidstone, Linton, Loddington and Gravesend, Milton next Gravesend. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gravesham, York and Daventry. 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 Rochester Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Beckenham Kent
4 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent
5 Gravesend, Milton next Gravesend Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gravesham 004 Gravesham
2 Gravesham 005 Gravesham
3 Gravesham 006 Gravesham
4 York 001 York
5 Daventry 008 Daventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Obee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Obee

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Obee surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Obee household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Obee is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Obee 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

Obee falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Obee

The surname OBEE is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has since been obscured by spelling changes over time.

One theory suggests that OBEE may have its roots in the Old English word "obbe," which means a ridge or a bank. This could indicate that the name originated from a place where the earliest bearers of the name lived near a ridgeline or a raised area of land.

Another possible origin is that OBEE is a variant spelling of the surname Obey, which is derived from the Old French name "Obbé," a diminutive of the Germanic name "Odo" or "Oddo." This name was brought to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

While there are no definitive records of the OBEE surname appearing in historical documents like the Domesday Book, some of the earliest known instances of the name can be found in parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries in various counties across England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the OBEE surname was William Obee, who was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1586. Another notable bearer of the name was John Obee, a merchant from Yorkshire, who lived from 1612 to 1688.

In the 18th century, a family by the name of Obee resided in the village of Foxton, Leicestershire. Among them was Edward Obee, born in 1723, who worked as a farmer and landowner in the area.

Moving into the 19th century, a prominent figure with the OBEE surname was William Obee (1811-1893), a British painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and scenes depicting rural life in England.

Another individual of note was Henry Obee (1843-1917), a renowned architect from Nottinghamshire who designed several notable buildings, including churches and public halls, across the East Midlands region of England.

While the OBEE surname is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a long and rich history, tracing its origins back to medieval England and the various regions where its earliest bearers lived and worked.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Obee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Obee 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 120 Obees recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.49x.

County Total Index
Kent 120 18.49x
Surrey 34 3.67x
Middlesex 14 0.74x
Yorkshire 14 0.74x
Essex 4 1.07x
Royal Navy 4 17.64x
Norfolk 3 1.03x
Aberdeenshire 2 1.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Maidstone in Kent leads with 21 Obees recorded in 1881 and an index of 108.64x.

Place Total Index
Maidstone 21 108.64x
Milton In Gravesend 16 164.44x
Rochester St Margaret 15 219.30x
Beckenham 13 153.30x
Lambeth 9 5.43x
Gillingham 8 59.79x
Putney 8 92.27x
St Mary Cray 8 645.16x
Croydon 7 13.61x
Bromley 6 60.67x
Limehouse London 6 28.74x
Rochester St Nicholas 6 297.03x
Wateringbury 6 705.88x
East Malling 5 322.58x
Minster In Sheppey 5 46.51x
Mortlake 5 121.07x
Sculcoates 5 16.73x
Selby 5 126.90x
Heston 4 63.29x
Plumstead 4 18.49x
Royal Navy 4 20.64x
West Thurrock 4 320.00x
Tottenham 3 9.90x
York St Mary 3 38.41x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 2 6.07x
Gravesend 2 36.43x
Horning 2 714.29x
Merstham 2 338.98x
Penge 2 16.46x
Woolwich 2 8.34x
Alwoodley 1 344.83x
Battersea 1 1.43x
Deal 1 18.05x
Farnborough 1 105.26x
Great Yarmouth 1 4.13x
Hackney London 1 0.94x
Northfleet 1 17.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 8
Eliza 5
Emily 5
Mary 5
Alice 4
Annie 4
Elizabeth 4
Lucy 4
Emma 3
Jane 3
Louisa 3
Minnie 3
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Sarah 2
Selina 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Amelia 1
Amey 1
Amy 1
Annett 1
Bertha 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Dorcas 1
Edith 1
Florence 1
Gertrud 1
Harriett 1
Margaret 1
Maud 1
Nancy 1
Rosa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 17
George 9
Henry 8
James 8
William 8
Charles 5
Alfred 4
Frederick 4
John 4
Herbert 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Jno. 1
Obadiah 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Obee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Obee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 207 people were recorded with the Obee surname. That placed it at #12,555 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Obee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 296 in 2016. That gives Obee a modern rank of #14,882.

What does the Obee surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or creek.

What does the Obee map show?

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