NameCensus.

UK surname

Orme

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "elm tree."

In the 1881 census there were 2,506 people recorded with the Orme surname, ranking it #1,786 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,297, ranked #2,063, down from #1,786 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, London parishes and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton, Derby and South Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Orme is 3,572 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.6%.

1881 census count

2,506

Ranked #1,786

Modern count

3,297

2016, ranked #2,063

Peak year

1999

3,572 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Orme had 2,506 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,786 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,297 in 2016, ranked #2,063.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,331 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Orme surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Orme surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Orme 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 1,500 #1,918
1861 historical 1,292 #2,206
1881 historical 2,506 #1,786
1891 historical 2,259 #2,068
1901 historical 2,986 #1,873
1911 historical 3,331 #1,567
1997 modern 3,414 #1,896
1998 modern 3,516 #1,918
1999 modern 3,572 #1,903
2000 modern 3,513 #1,932
2001 modern 3,459 #1,921
2002 modern 3,541 #1,918
2003 modern 3,449 #1,922
2004 modern 3,406 #1,943
2005 modern 3,338 #1,956
2006 modern 3,335 #1,961
2007 modern 3,322 #1,991
2008 modern 3,328 #2,006
2009 modern 3,374 #2,032
2010 modern 3,417 #2,041
2011 modern 3,371 #2,039
2012 modern 3,298 #2,044
2013 modern 3,333 #2,056
2014 modern 3,343 #2,063
2015 modern 3,314 #2,059
2016 modern 3,297 #2,063

Geography

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Where Ormes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, London parishes, St Werburgh and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Halton, Derby, South Staffordshire and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Halton 011 Halton
2 Derby 012 Derby
3 South Staffordshire 005 South Staffordshire
4 Halton 012 Halton
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Orme

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Orme

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Orme 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

Orme is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Orme falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Orme

The surname Orme is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a topographic name, derived from the Old English word "holm" or "holme," meaning a small island or a river meadow. The name was likely initially given to someone who lived near such a geographic feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Orme" and "Orm." This suggests that the name was already in use during the late 11th century in various parts of England.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Orme was particularly prevalent in the counties of Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. It is possible that the name may have originated from the place name "Holme," which can be found in several locations across these regions, such as Holme-on-Spalding Moor in Yorkshire or Holme in Cumbria.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Orme include Robert Orme (1728-1801), a British historian and writer who authored works on the military history of British India. Another notable figure was Sir John Orme (1810-1889), a British politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Shropshire.

In the 16th century, records show the presence of the Orme family in the town of Wilmslow, Cheshire. One member, Thomas Orme (c. 1560-1626), was a prominent local landowner and benefactor who donated funds for the construction of almshouses in the town.

Moving forward to the 17th century, we find John Orme (1621-1677), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Archdeacon of Barnstaple. He authored several religious works and was known for his sermons and theological writings.

Another notable figure was Samuel Orme (1787-1860), a British Baptist minister and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects and was a prominent figure in the Baptist community of his time.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the surname have been observed, such as Orm, Orem, and Ormes. However, the core form of "Orme" has remained consistent, reflecting the surname's enduring ties to its English origins and topographic roots.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Orme families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Orme 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. Lancashire leads with 497 Ormes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.72x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 497 1.72x
Derbyshire 410 10.74x
Cheshire 295 5.48x
Staffordshire 284 3.45x
Middlesex 200 0.82x
Leicestershire 194 7.17x
Warwickshire 177 2.88x
Yorkshire 102 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 77 2.34x
Surrey 48 0.40x
Sussex 38 0.92x
Kent 23 0.28x
Northamptonshire 18 0.78x
Worcestershire 18 0.57x
Lanarkshire 17 0.22x
Berkshire 14 0.76x
Hampshire 11 0.22x
Angus 10 0.44x
Renfrewshire 8 0.42x
Shropshire 8 0.38x
Essex 6 0.12x
Gloucestershire 5 0.10x
Northumberland 5 0.14x
Anglesey 4 0.93x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.61x
Durham 4 0.06x
Bedfordshire 2 0.16x
Glamorgan 2 0.05x
Midlothian 2 0.06x
Norfolk 2 0.05x
Rutland 2 1.12x
Somerset 2 0.05x
Suffolk 2 0.07x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.07x
Devon 1 0.02x
Herefordshire 1 0.10x
Hertfordshire 1 0.06x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Monmouthshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.34x
Stirlingshire 1 0.11x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 103 Ormes recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.03x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 103 5.03x
Macclesfield 59 24.66x
Wolverhampton 56 8.85x
Litchurch 48 31.24x
Aston 47 2.78x
Derby St Werburgh 45 20.41x
Glossop Dale 39 21.81x
Ashby De La Zouch 37 59.03x
Denby 36 309.01x
Great Crosby 36 45.63x
Blackfordby 35 405.56x
West Derby 35 4.13x
Oldham 34 3.64x
West Bromwich 34 7.21x
Runcorn 30 24.17x
Derby St Peter 29 23.85x
Everton 29 3.14x
Manchester 29 2.23x
Ashton Under Lyne 27 4.27x
Shoreditch London 27 2.55x
Chester St Mary On Hill 26 56.30x
Burton Upon Trent 25 12.98x
Leicester St Margaret 25 3.79x
Bootle Cum Linacre 24 10.44x
Bromley London 23 4.29x
Gorton 21 7.72x
Hartshorn 20 138.60x
Nottingham St Mary 20 2.35x
Walsall Foreign 20 4.70x
Church Gresley 19 31.28x
Lambeth 19 0.89x
Bethnal Green London 18 1.70x
Salford 18 2.11x
Stockport 18 6.50x
Sutton In Macclesfield 18 32.22x
Enfield 17 10.62x
Rainow 17 158.58x
Hurdsfield 16 48.31x
Loughborough 16 13.04x
Toxteth Park 16 1.63x
Ardwick 15 5.75x
Brighton 15 1.81x
Stoke Upon Trent 15 1.72x
Bollington In 14 29.22x
Dukinfield 14 5.63x
Harborne 14 5.31x
Leicester St Mary 14 6.41x
Newington 14 1.55x
Shirland 14 49.02x
Heanor 13 22.77x
Hulme 13 2.15x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 13 11.58x
Tranmere 13 6.57x
Broughton In Salford 12 4.54x
Chorlton On Medlock 12 2.61x
Codnor Loscoe 12 39.68x
Congleton 12 12.90x
St Anne Soho London 12 8.62x
Basford 11 7.26x
Glasgow 11 0.79x
Kings Norton 11 3.85x
Leeds 11 0.81x
Pendleton In Salford 11 3.19x
Poplar London 11 2.39x
Preston 11 1.42x
Rushall 11 22.71x
Selston 11 29.96x
Acton 10 6.99x
Lewisham 10 2.25x
Mancetter 10 56.53x
St Martin In Fields 10 6.85x
Wednesfield 10 8.25x
Willenhall 10 6.49x
Belper 9 12.16x
Bradford 9 1.54x
Edmonton 9 4.58x
Hunslet 9 2.39x
Liverpool 9 0.51x
New Windsor 9 14.62x
Wigginton Hopwas Hays 9 329.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 185
Sarah 119
Elizabeth 95
Ann 50
Alice 43
Ellen 42
Annie 40
Hannah 40
Eliza 39
Emma 38
Martha 31
Jane 30
Emily 23
Margaret 23
Louisa 20
Harriet 17
Clara 16
Edith 16
Maria 15
Catherine 14
Harriett 14
Frances 13
Agnes 12
Lucy 12
Ada 10
Charlotte 10
Phoebe 10
Caroline 9
Kate 9
Anne 8
Fanny 8
Florence 7
Lizzie 7
Lydia 7
Rose 7
Selina 7
Sophia 7
Amy 6
Bertha 6
Esther 6
Minnie 6
Ruth 6
Amelia 5
Beatrice 5
Elizth. 5
Evelyn 5
Mabel 5
Rebecca 5
Jessie 4
Rosa 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 147
John 136
George 100
Thomas 84
James 68
Joseph 66
Henry 51
Charles 42
Samuel 32
Alfred 30
Edward 29
Arthur 26
Richard 26
Frederick 22
Albert 17
Robert 16
Herbert 15
Harry 14
Walter 14
Edwin 12
David 10
Ernest 10
Frank 9
Peter 9
Wm. 8
Benjamin 7
Thos. 7
Aaron 6
Francis 6
Isaac 6
Stephen 6
Sidney 5
Daniel 4
Harold 4
Philip 4
Alexander 3
Elijah 3
Fred 3
Jesse 3
Louis 3
Phillip 3
Christopher 2
Frederic 2
Fredrick 2
Leonard 2
Matthew 2
Ralph 2
Roger 2
Saml. 2
Wright 2

FAQ

Orme surname: questions and answers

How common was the Orme surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,506 people were recorded with the Orme surname. That placed it at #1,786 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Orme surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,297 in 2016. That gives Orme a modern rank of #2,063.

What does the Orme surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "elm tree."

What does the Orme map show?

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