NameCensus.

UK surname

Opray

In the 1881 census there were 60 people recorded with the Opray surname, ranking it #25,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 283, ranked #15,359, up from #25,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, Wigton and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Allerdale and Castlehill and Kincaidston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Opray is 312 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 371.7%.

1881 census count

60

Ranked #25,133

Modern count

283

2016, ranked #15,359

Peak year

2010

312 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Opray had 60 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 283 in 2016, ranked #15,359.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 116 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Opray surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Opray surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Opray 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 45 #28,296
1881 historical 60 #25,133
1891 historical 105 #23,241
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 68 #26,050
1997 modern 258 #14,949
1998 modern 277 #14,646
1999 modern 272 #14,912
2000 modern 283 #14,488
2001 modern 279 #14,408
2002 modern 285 #14,483
2003 modern 284 #14,331
2004 modern 274 #14,762
2005 modern 276 #14,579
2006 modern 281 #14,500
2007 modern 285 #14,527
2008 modern 292 #14,403
2009 modern 299 #14,445
2010 modern 312 #14,314
2011 modern 292 #14,863
2012 modern 281 #15,198
2013 modern 282 #15,441
2014 modern 278 #15,692
2015 modern 276 #15,673
2016 modern 283 #15,359

Geography

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Where Oprays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, Wigton, Hull Holy Trinity, Govan Combination and Toxteth Park. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Allerdale, Castlehill and Kincaidston and Wiltshire. 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 St Bees Cumberland
2 Wigton Cumberland
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Toxteth Park Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 004 Copeland
2 Copeland 003 Copeland
3 Allerdale 011 Allerdale
4 Castlehill and Kincaidston South Ayrshire
5 Wiltshire 027 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Opray

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Opray

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Opray surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Opray household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Opray is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Opray is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Opray falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Opray is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Opray, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Opray families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Opray 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. Stirlingshire leads with 8 Oprays recorded in 1881 and an index of 159.05x.

County Total Index
Stirlingshire 8 159.05x
Cumberland 6 51.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Campsie in Stirlingshire leads with 8 Oprays recorded in 1881 and an index of 2857.14x.

Place Total Index
Campsie 8 2857.14x
Whitehaven 5 793.65x
Parton 1 1428.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Jane 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1
Pat. 1
Patrick 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Opray households.

FAQ

Opray surname: questions and answers

How common was the Opray surname in 1881?

In 1881, 60 people were recorded with the Opray surname. That placed it at #25,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Opray surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 283 in 2016. That gives Opray a modern rank of #15,359.

What does the Opray map show?

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