NameCensus.

UK surname

Oborne

A locational surname referring to a place called Oborne in Dorset, England.

In the 1881 census there were 217 people recorded with the Oborne surname, ranking it #12,188 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 271, ranked #15,874, down from #12,188 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and East and West Lydford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset and Runnymede.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oborne is 380 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.9%.

1881 census count

217

Ranked #12,188

Modern count

271

2016, ranked #15,874

Peak year

1911

380 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oborne had 217 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,188 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 271 in 2016, ranked #15,874.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 380 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Oborne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oborne surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Oborne 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 180 #11,300
1861 historical 162 #14,310
1881 historical 217 #12,188
1891 historical 291 #11,388
1901 historical 299 #11,673
1911 historical 380 #9,655
1997 modern 285 #13,981
1998 modern 297 #13,967
1999 modern 280 #14,630
2000 modern 286 #14,385
2001 modern 271 #14,691
2002 modern 269 #15,044
2003 modern 273 #14,715
2004 modern 256 #15,453
2005 modern 264 #15,085
2006 modern 268 #15,000
2007 modern 269 #15,123
2008 modern 269 #15,260
2009 modern 269 #15,589
2010 modern 272 #15,811
2011 modern 270 #15,754
2012 modern 263 #15,954
2013 modern 277 #15,644
2014 modern 281 #15,583
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 271 #15,874

Geography

Back to top

Where Obornes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, East and West Lydford and East and West Tisbury, Wardour. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset and Runnymede. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 East and West Lydford Somerset
5 East and West Tisbury, Wardour Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 061 Wiltshire
2 Wiltshire 047 Wiltshire
3 Bath and North East Somerset 022 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Runnymede 007 Runnymede
5 Wiltshire 038 Wiltshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Oborne

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Oborne

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

Oborne 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

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

Meaning and origin of Oborne

The surname Oborne is believed to have originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "ofer" and "burna," which together mean "over the stream." This suggests that the name likely originated from a location near a stream or river.

One of the earliest known references to the name Oborne can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as a place name in Somerset, England. This indicates that the surname likely originated from this area and was initially used as a locational surname.

In the 13th century, records show individuals bearing the surname Oborne living in various parts of Somerset and neighboring counties. For instance, a William de Oborne is mentioned in the Cartulary of Muchelney Abbey in Somerset, dated around 1260.

The spelling of the name has evolved over time, with variations such as Oveborne, Overborne, and Overburn appearing in historical records. These variations likely reflected regional dialects and pronunciation differences.

One notable individual with the surname Oborne was John Oborne, a 16th-century English landowner and Member of Parliament for Milborne Port in Somerset. He was born in the early 1500s and lived in the village of Oborne, which likely took its name from the family.

Another significant figure was Thomas Oborne, a 17th-century English clergyman and author. Born in 1614, he served as the rector of Stratton in Dorset and published several works on religious topics.

In the 18th century, the name Oborne appears in various parish records across Somerset and Dorset. For example, a William Oborne was recorded as the vicar of Sherborne in Dorset in 1745.

One of the earliest known emigrations of an individual bearing the Oborne surname occurred in 1635 when Thomas Oborne, a husbandman from Somerset, sailed to Virginia on the ship "Safety."

As the surname spread beyond its original location, it maintained strong ties to the West Country region of England, where many Oborne families continued to reside throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Oborne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oborne 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 75 Obornes recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.53x.

County Total Index
Somerset 75 22.53x
Wiltshire 38 20.78x
Dorset 23 16.95x
Middlesex 23 1.11x
Surrey 21 2.08x
Oxfordshire 13 10.18x
Kent 4 0.57x
Warwickshire 4 0.77x
Buckinghamshire 3 2.40x
Suffolk 3 1.19x
Glamorgan 2 0.56x
Gloucestershire 1 0.25x
Hampshire 1 0.24x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pylle in Somerset leads with 18 Obornes recorded in 1881 and an index of 9473.68x.

Place Total Index
Pylle 18 9473.68x
Seaborough 13 18571.43x
Shaftesbury Holy Trinity 13 1857.14x
Chelsea London 12 19.26x
Ashill 10 3030.30x
Frome 10 125.63x
Cowley 8 200.50x
Fisherton Anger 8 235.99x
Babcary 7 3043.48x
Wardour 7 1296.30x
Warminster 7 174.56x
Bradford On Avon 6 102.39x
Camberwell 6 4.54x
Shaftesbury St Peter 6 952.38x
Donhead St Mary 5 537.63x
North Cheriton 5 3125.00x
Oxford St Ebbe 5 132.98x
St Pancras London 5 3.00x
Aston 4 2.79x
Battersea 4 5.26x
Greenwich 4 12.15x
Lambeth 4 2.22x
Keinton Mandeville 3 789.47x
Orford 3 370.37x
Streatham 3 19.56x
Wimbledon 3 26.53x
Aylesbury 2 36.10x
Misterton 2 425.53x
Mosterton 2 869.57x
Paddington London 2 2.63x
Shaftesbury St James 2 281.69x
St Brides Minor 2 307.69x
Street 2 111.11x
West Lydford 2 1052.63x
Batheaston 1 87.72x
Hampstead London 1 3.10x
Hornsey 1 3.82x
Long Sutton 1 161.29x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.39x
Penge 1 7.57x
Ringwood 1 36.90x
Salisbury St Edmund 1 34.01x
Sedghill 1 714.29x
Semington 1 333.33x
St George Hanover 1 3.71x
St Marylebone London 1 0.91x
Stapleton 1 13.00x
Trowbridge 1 12.38x
Walcot 1 5.64x
Wendover 1 74.07x
West Tisbury 1 178.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 10
William 10
Henry 9
John 7
Alfred 6
Charles 6
James 6
Arthur 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Stephen 3
Thomas 3
Benjaman 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Tom 2
Ben 1
Birtie 1
Burt 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
F.W. 1
Francis 1
Gerrerd 1
Heber 1
Lot 1
Oscar 1
Samuel 1
Sydney 1
Uriah 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Oborne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oborne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 217 people were recorded with the Oborne surname. That placed it at #12,188 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oborne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 271 in 2016. That gives Oborne a modern rank of #15,874.

What does the Oborne surname mean?

A locational surname referring to a place called Oborne in Dorset, England.

What does the Oborne map show?

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