NameCensus.

UK surname

Offer

A surname derived from the occupation of making or delivering offers.

In the 1881 census there were 680 people recorded with the Offer surname, ranking it #5,298 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 677, ranked #7,926, down from #5,298 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bishops Cannings and St Philip and Jacob. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Kensington and Chelsea and Carrick North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Offer is 845 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.4%.

1881 census count

680

Ranked #5,298

Modern count

677

2016, ranked #7,926

Peak year

1911

845 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Offer had 680 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,298 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 677 in 2016, ranked #7,926.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 845 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Offer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Offer surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Offer 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 494 #5,061
1861 historical 467 #5,562
1881 historical 680 #5,298
1891 historical 721 #5,469
1901 historical 799 #5,654
1911 historical 845 #5,249
1997 modern 720 #7,082
1998 modern 735 #7,218
1999 modern 721 #7,354
2000 modern 718 #7,364
2001 modern 684 #7,497
2002 modern 692 #7,585
2003 modern 680 #7,568
2004 modern 680 #7,575
2005 modern 666 #7,643
2006 modern 661 #7,713
2007 modern 656 #7,806
2008 modern 662 #7,800
2009 modern 673 #7,876
2010 modern 697 #7,805
2011 modern 686 #7,811
2012 modern 679 #7,800
2013 modern 684 #7,881
2014 modern 691 #7,860
2015 modern 667 #8,026
2016 modern 677 #7,926

Geography

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Where Offers are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Kensington and Chelsea, Carrick North, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Bishops Cannings Wiltshire
3 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Urchfont Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 019 Wiltshire
2 Kensington and Chelsea 010 Kensington and Chelsea
3 Carrick North South Ayrshire
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 019 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 Bath and North East Somerset 016 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Offer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Offer

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Offer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Offer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Offer is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Offer 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

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

Meaning and origin of Offer

The surname Offer is an English occupational name derived from the Middle English word "offren", meaning "to offer or present". It is believed to have originated in the 14th century and was likely given to someone whose occupation involved offering goods or services for sale.

In medieval times, the name was often spelled as "Offrer" or "Offrere". One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, which mentions a Thomas Offrer.

Offer is also thought to be related to the Old English word "offrian", which has the same meaning. This word can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic root "uz-fraun-jan", meaning "to raise up" or "to offer".

The name Offer was particularly common in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire in England. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of the name may have been stallholders or market traders who offered their wares for sale.

One notable historical figure with the surname Offer was Sir John Offer (c. 1560-1628), an English politician and member of Parliament for Southwark during the reign of King James I. He was known for his support of the Puritan cause and his opposition to the policies of the Duke of Buckingham.

Another individual of note was Richard Offer (1739-1814), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Simonburn in Northumberland. He wrote several works on theology and religious topics.

In the 17th century, the name Offer appeared in the parish records of Bakewell in Derbyshire, where a family with the surname was recorded as residing in the village of Offerton (derived from the Old English "Offra's tun", meaning "Offra's farm").

John Offer (1767-1837) was a British naval officer who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was present at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and later became a Rear Admiral.

Finally, Emily Offer (1832-1918) was a British activist and suffragist who campaigned for women's right to vote in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was a prominent member of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Offer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Offer 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. Wiltshire leads with 173 Offers recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.45x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 173 29.45x
Middlesex 112 1.69x
Hampshire 99 7.27x
Gloucestershire 77 5.91x
Surrey 73 2.26x
Somerset 68 6.36x
Essex 12 0.92x
Glamorgan 11 0.95x
Kent 10 0.44x
Devon 8 0.58x
Berkshire 6 1.20x
Staffordshire 5 0.22x
Sussex 5 0.45x
Derbyshire 4 0.38x
Monmouthshire 4 0.83x
Hertfordshire 3 0.66x
Lancashire 3 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.34x
Yorkshire 3 0.05x
Warwickshire 1 0.06x
Worcestershire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 35 Offers recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.44x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 35 5.44x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 31 25.27x
Devizes St James 25 320.10x
Compton Bassett 21 2470.59x
Lambeth 20 3.45x
Trowbridge 16 61.61x
Bishops Cannings 14 642.20x
St Maurice Winchester 14 247.35x
Clapham 13 15.65x
Kingston On Thames 13 16.72x
Bedminster 12 11.94x
Chelsea London 11 5.50x
Kensington London 11 2.98x
Lyncombe Widcombe 11 39.29x
Milford 11 349.21x
Urchfont 11 456.43x
Broughton 10 485.44x
Newington 10 4.08x
Horfield 9 68.65x
West Ham 9 3.11x
Bristol St Augustine 8 38.06x
Hackney London 8 2.15x
Hammersmith London 8 4.89x
Llandaff 8 20.79x
Romsey Extra 8 98.77x
Twerton 8 72.53x
Westerleigh 8 273.97x
Axbridge 7 673.08x
Devizes St John 7 158.73x
Devizes St Mary 7 117.85x
Pewsey 7 162.04x
St Peter Colebrook 7 366.49x
Hendon 6 25.10x
Millbrook 6 17.50x
Moorlinch Stawell 6 1500.00x
Paddington London 6 2.46x
Portbury 6 335.20x
St Faith Winchester 6 94.49x
St Pancras London 6 1.12x
Swindon 6 13.17x
Brighton 5 2.21x
Corsham 5 58.34x
Holdenhurst 5 14.00x
Long Ashton 5 94.34x
Ludgershall 5 446.43x
Norton In Moors 5 42.12x
Paignton 5 47.53x
Salisbury St Martin 5 81.83x
St Andrew Holborn London 5 17.39x
St Lawrence Winchester 5 909.09x
St Thomas Winchester 5 52.03x
Weeke 5 121.36x
Alderbury 4 144.93x
Fisherton Anger 4 36.80x
Hartley 4 689.66x
Ilkeston 4 13.72x
Lingfield 4 63.39x
Penge 4 9.43x
Potterne 4 152.09x
Reading St Giles 4 8.18x
Shepton Mallet 4 33.33x
St Martin In Fields 4 10.06x
Stapleton 4 16.18x
Aberdare 3 3.78x
Arreton 3 68.65x
Bedwellty 3 3.54x
Bermondsey 3 1.52x
Bristol St James St Paul 3 6.91x
Bristol St Michael 3 26.86x
Camberwell 3 0.71x
Chester All Sts 3 285.71x
Hursley 3 94.94x
Northfleet 3 15.02x
South Mimms 3 32.93x
Southampton St Mary 3 3.50x
St Giles Cripplegate 3 34.01x
Stockbridge 3 150.75x
Tichborne 3 394.74x
Walcot 3 5.27x
Winterbourne 3 41.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 33
John 32
James 28
William 28
Charles 20
Henry 20
Thomas 18
Alfred 12
Edward 10
Albert 8
Robert 8
Frederick 7
Walter 7
Frank 6
Harry 6
Joseph 6
Stephen 6
Richard 4
Francis 3
Isaac 3
Samuel 3
Wm. 3
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Herbert 2
Jesse 2
Sidney 2
Stepen 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Charley 1
Charlie 1
Chas.E. 1
Christopher 1
Clifford 1
Edwyn 1
Enoch 1
Frances 1
Geo. 1
Godwin 1
Joshua 1
Lewis 1
Mervin 1
Michael 1
Moria 1
Sheba 1
Sheban 1
Zillah 1

FAQ

Offer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Offer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 680 people were recorded with the Offer surname. That placed it at #5,298 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Offer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 677 in 2016. That gives Offer a modern rank of #7,926.

What does the Offer surname mean?

A surname derived from the occupation of making or delivering offers.

What does the Offer map show?

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