NameCensus.

UK surname

Oborn

Habitational name from any of several minor place names derived from Old English, meaning "someone who lived by a river bank".

In the 1881 census there were 151 people recorded with the Oborn surname, ranking it #15,419 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 114, ranked #28,515, down from #15,419 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Trowbridge, London parishes and Paddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bridgend, Wiltshire and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oborn is 158 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 24.5%.

1881 census count

151

Ranked #15,419

Modern count

114

2016, ranked #28,515

Peak year

1911

158 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oborn had 151 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,419 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016, ranked #28,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 158 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Oborn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oborn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oborn 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 108 #16,308
1861 historical 77 #23,975
1881 historical 151 #15,419
1891 historical 145 #18,752
1901 historical 134 #19,288
1911 historical 158 #17,277
1997 modern 130 #23,021
1998 modern 134 #23,202
1999 modern 131 #23,709
2000 modern 133 #23,462
2001 modern 127 #23,781
2002 modern 121 #24,984
2003 modern 116 #25,415
2004 modern 118 #25,317
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 111 #26,954
2008 modern 111 #27,225
2009 modern 108 #28,311
2010 modern 108 #28,996
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 114 #28,608
2015 modern 113 #28,645
2016 modern 114 #28,515

Geography

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Where Oborns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Trowbridge, London parishes, Paddington and Battersea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bridgend, Wiltshire, Teignbridge and Telford and Wrekin. 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 Trowbridge Wiltshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Paddington London (West Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Battersea London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bridgend 002 Bridgend
2 Bridgend 001 Bridgend
3 Wiltshire 054 Wiltshire
4 Teignbridge 017 Teignbridge
5 Telford and Wrekin 016 Telford and Wrekin

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oborn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oborn

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Oborn 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

Oborn is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Oborn

The surname Oborn has its origins in England, likely emerging in the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from a place name, potentially related to the Old English words "ofer" meaning "river bank" and "burna" meaning "stream." This suggests that the name may have originated from a location near a river or stream bank.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a Roger Oburne is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279 also contain a reference to a Thomas de Obburn, indicating the name's presence in different parts of England during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, records show an Edward Oborne born in Wiltshire in 1545, further solidifying the name's English roots. The parish records of Harwell, Berkshire, also mention a John Oborn who was married in 1578.

Notable individuals with the surname Oborn include Samuel Oborn (1714-1782), a British clergyman and author who published several religious works. Another significant figure was William Oborn (1786-1859), a British architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Moving into the 19th century, James Oborn (1815-1895) was a prominent English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes. His works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious venues during his lifetime.

In the field of science, George Oborn (1808-1882) was a British botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and cultivation techniques.

Another notable individual was Charles Oborn (1846-1923), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Hampshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century, participating in several notable matches.

While the surname Oborn is not among the most common in England, it has a long and rich history, with records spanning several centuries and individuals making valuable contributions in various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oborn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oborn 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. Somerset leads with 39 Oborns recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.56x.

County Total Index
Somerset 39 16.56x
Middlesex 30 2.05x
Surrey 25 3.51x
Gloucestershire 18 6.27x
Wiltshire 9 6.96x
Devon 5 1.64x
Dorset 5 5.21x
Glamorgan 5 1.96x
Lancashire 5 0.29x
Kent 4 0.80x
Berkshire 2 1.82x
Hampshire 2 0.67x
Warwickshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Battersea in Surrey leads with 14 Oborns recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.01x.

Place Total Index
Battersea 14 26.01x
Bishops Lydeard 9 1500.00x
Bisley 9 346.15x
Bristol St George 9 67.82x
Paddington London 8 14.87x
Charterhouse Hinton 7 2500.00x
Ashwick 6 1578.95x
Kensington London 5 6.15x
Liverpool 5 4.74x
St Marylebone London 5 6.40x
Swansea Town 5 23.93x
Wincanton 5 413.22x
Deptford St Paul 4 10.39x
Fovant 4 1428.57x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 17.05x
Walcot 4 31.90x
Winterborne Stickland 4 1666.67x
Worplesdon 4 465.12x
Reigate Foreign 3 38.86x
St George Hanover 3 15.71x
Teffont Evias 3 5000.00x
Hornsey 2 10.81x
Penge 2 21.39x
St Paul Covent Garden 2 136.99x
Tintinhull 2 1000.00x
Aston 1 0.98x
Bradford On Avon 1 24.15x
Camberwell 1 1.07x
Frome 1 17.76x
Guildford St Mary 1 113.64x
Hampstead London 1 4.39x
Holdenhurst 1 12.71x
Kingston Lisle 1 588.24x
Long Ashton 1 85.47x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 16.21x
Newton Ferrers 1 285.71x
Poplar London 1 3.62x
South Perrott 1 666.67x
Sparkford 1 769.23x
St Pancras London 1 0.85x
St Thomas Winchester 1 47.17x
Taunton St James 1 29.15x
Wargrave 1 106.38x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 1 52.63x
Westbury 1 33.11x
Westminster St 1 18.55x
Willesden 1 7.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 5
Alice 4
Annie 4
Elizabeth 4
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Maria 4
Emily 3
Emma 3
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Anna 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Ella 1
Ellenorah 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Janie 1
Julia 1
Lydia 1
M.A. 1
Pamela 1
Rhoda 1
Rosa 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
George 7
Thomas 7
William 6
Henry 5
Alfred 3
James 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Arthur 2
Elisha 2
Frederick 2
Saml. 2
Albert 1
Alphonso 1
Archibald 1
Aurthur 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Cornelious 1
Cornelius 1
Frank 1
Geo.J. 1
Harry 1
Heber 1
Hyram 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Tho. 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Oborn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oborn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 151 people were recorded with the Oborn surname. That placed it at #15,419 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oborn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016. That gives Oborn a modern rank of #28,515.

What does the Oborn surname mean?

Habitational name from any of several minor place names derived from Old English, meaning "someone who lived by a river bank".

What does the Oborn map show?

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