NameCensus.

UK surname

Orpen

A topographic surname referring to someone living near an aspen tree grove.

In the 1881 census there were 114 people recorded with the Orpen surname, ranking it #18,324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 152, ranked #23,516, down from #18,324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Middlesbrough and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Orpen is 157 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.3%.

1881 census count

114

Ranked #18,324

Modern count

152

2016, ranked #23,516

Peak year

2011

157 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Orpen had 114 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016, ranked #23,516.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Orpen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Orpen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Orpen 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 67 #25,342
1881 historical 114 #18,324
1891 historical 109 #22,701
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 124 #23,669
1998 modern 134 #23,202
1999 modern 142 #22,607
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 133 #23,132
2002 modern 123 #24,735
2003 modern 123 #24,497
2004 modern 131 #23,756
2005 modern 129 #23,963
2006 modern 136 #23,378
2007 modern 137 #23,590
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 140 #24,033
2010 modern 145 #24,031
2011 modern 157 #22,574
2012 modern 156 #22,645
2013 modern 146 #24,107
2014 modern 154 #23,439
2015 modern 148 #23,934
2016 modern 152 #23,516

Geography

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Where Orpens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a, St Anne Limehouse 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 County Durham, Middlesbrough, Bath and North East Somerset and North Devon. 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 George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
4 St Anne Limehouse London (East Districts)
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 048 County Durham
2 Middlesbrough 009 Middlesbrough
3 County Durham 025 County Durham
4 Bath and North East Somerset 010 Bath and North East Somerset
5 North Devon 005 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Orpen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Orpen

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Orpen 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

Orpen 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

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

Meaning and origin of Orpen

The surname ORPEN has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Irish word "orbán," meaning a small portion or inheritance of land. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who held a small portion of land.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, dating back to the 13th century. In this text, the name is spelled "Ó hOrbáin," which translates to "descendant of Orbán."

During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, many Anglo-Norman families settled in various parts of the country, and it is likely that the name ORPEN became anglicized during this period. The earliest recorded instance of the name in its current spelling dates back to the 14th century in County Kilkenny, where a family by the name of Orpen held lands and property.

Notable individuals with the surname ORPEN include John Orpen (1619-1696), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Ardfert in the Irish House of Commons. Another prominent figure was Robert Milliken Orpen (1785-1857), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1853 until his death.

In the artistic realm, Sir William Orpen (1878-1931) was a renowned Irish portrait painter and official war artist during World War I. His works are held in prestigious collections worldwide, including the Tate Gallery in London and the National Gallery of Ireland.

Another notable bearer of the name was John Herbert Orpen (1857-1929), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Whitehall Court and the Sloane Court East Mansions.

The name ORPEN has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Orpensmount in County Kilkenny and Orpen's Grove in County Laois, further reinforcing its historical connection to the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Orpen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Orpen 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. Essex leads with 28 Orpens recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.54x.

County Total Index
Essex 28 12.54x
Middlesex 25 2.21x
Kent 18 4.66x
Northamptonshire 8 7.52x
Leicestershire 7 5.58x
Devon 5 2.12x
Durham 5 1.49x
Lancashire 5 0.37x
Oxfordshire 5 7.16x
Cambridgeshire 3 4.19x
Sussex 2 1.05x
Warwickshire 2 0.70x
Channel Islands 1 2.98x
Norfolk 1 0.57x
Royal Navy 1 7.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George In East in Middlesex leads with 8 Orpens recorded in 1881 and an index of 103.90x.

Place Total Index
St George In East 8 103.90x
Leicester St Margaret 7 22.88x
Roade 7 2500.00x
Lexden 6 666.67x
Rivenhall 6 2222.22x
Chipping Norton 5 308.64x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 34.29x
Mamhead 5 6250.00x
Rochester St Margaret 5 122.85x
Chester All Sts 4 2222.22x
St Lawrence 4 150.94x
Toxteth Park 4 8.80x
Ulcombe 4 1600.00x
Fingrinhoe 3 2307.69x
South Shoebury 3 333.33x
St Andrew Holborn 3 78.13x
St Marythe Less 3 681.82x
St Peters 3 167.60x
Atherstone 2 136.99x
Chiswick 2 32.36x
Colchester St Mary At 2 253.16x
Hastings All Sts 2 111.11x
St George Hanover 2 13.54x
St Pancras London 2 2.20x
West Bergholt 2 476.19x
Aighton Bailey 1 153.85x
Chelsea London 1 2.93x
Colchester St Botolph 1 52.63x
Gillingham 1 12.56x
Hackney London 1 1.58x
Hammersmith London 1 3.59x
Hampstead London 1 5.68x
Heybridge 1 153.85x
Islington London 1 0.91x
Kettering 1 23.26x
Lee 1 17.83x
Methwold 1 178.57x
Royal Navy 1 8.67x
Shoreditch London 1 2.04x
St Helier 1 9.17x
Westminster St 1 23.98x
Westminster St John 1 7.26x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Orpen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Orpen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 114 people were recorded with the Orpen surname. That placed it at #18,324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Orpen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016. That gives Orpen a modern rank of #23,516.

What does the Orpen surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone living near an aspen tree grove.

What does the Orpen map show?

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