NameCensus.

UK surname

Ousey

A toponymic English surname derived from a location near Newark in Nottinghamshire.

In the 1881 census there were 160 people recorded with the Ousey surname, ranking it #14,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 125, ranked #26,827, down from #14,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Manchester and Mottram-in-Longdendale. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, South Hams and Southwark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ousey is 215 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 21.9%.

1881 census count

160

Ranked #14,860

Modern count

125

2016, ranked #26,827

Peak year

1891

215 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ousey had 160 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016, ranked #26,827.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 215 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Ousey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ousey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ousey 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 63 #22,069
1861 historical 111 #19,429
1881 historical 160 #14,860
1891 historical 215 #14,155
1901 historical 162 #17,271
1911 historical 153 #17,633
1997 modern 142 #21,856
1998 modern 131 #23,495
1999 modern 132 #23,602
2000 modern 127 #24,121
2001 modern 127 #23,781
2002 modern 130 #23,903
2003 modern 130 #23,672
2004 modern 128 #24,117
2005 modern 124 #24,529
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 115 #26,348
2008 modern 120 #25,922
2009 modern 126 #25,686
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 134 #25,050
2012 modern 128 #25,852
2013 modern 135 #25,395
2014 modern 134 #25,711
2015 modern 127 #26,494
2016 modern 125 #26,827

Geography

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Where Ouseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Manchester, Mottram-in-Longdendale, Stockport and Middleton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, South Hams and Southwark. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Mottram-in-Longdendale Lancashire
4 Stockport Lancashire
5 Middleton Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 004 Bradford
2 Bradford 023 Bradford
3 Bradford 011 Bradford
4 South Hams 008 South Hams
5 Southwark 003 Southwark

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ousey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ousey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ousey, 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 Ousey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ousey 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Ousey is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ousey 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

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

Meaning and origin of Ousey

The surname Ousey is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Ousby or Owsby, which was likely a small village or hamlet in one of the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire or Cumbria.

The name Ousey is believed to be a variant spelling of the Old Norse word "Auðr," which means "wealth" or "prosperity." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in or came from a prosperous area or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Ousey can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, where a William de Ousby is listed as a landowner. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, including Owsby, Ousebi, and Ousby, in records such as the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1327 and the Poll Tax Returns of Lincolnshire from 1379.

One notable bearer of the surname Ousey was John Ousey, a 16th-century English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1569 to 1576.

In the 17th century, the name Ousey can be found in the parish records of Kirkby Lonsdale in Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), where several families with the surname were recorded as living in the area.

Another individual of note was William Ousey, a 17th-century English merchant and philanthropist who was born in London in 1635 and made significant contributions to charitable causes in the city.

During the 18th century, the Ousey family seems to have established itself in various parts of northern England, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in counties such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cumberland.

One prominent figure from this period was Thomas Ousey, a 19th-century English architect and surveyor who was born in Whitehaven, Cumberland, in 1792 and was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ousey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ousey 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 102 Ouseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.54x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 102 5.54x
Cheshire 27 7.89x
Middlesex 15 0.97x
Lincolnshire 8 3.23x
Yorkshire 5 0.33x
Northumberland 1 0.43x
Sussex 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 53 Ouseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 131.78x.

Place Total Index
Ashton Under Lyne 53 131.78x
Dukinfield 14 88.50x
Royton 10 177.62x
Oldham 9 15.15x
Chadderton 8 88.89x
Cleethorpes 8 547.95x
Ardwick 7 42.17x
Shoreditch London 7 10.41x
Stockport 7 39.73x
Stayley 6 153.45x
St Pancras London 5 4.01x
Thornham 4 400.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 10.26x
Gorton 3 17.34x
Mile End Old Town 3 12.25x
Cheetham 2 14.57x
North Meols 2 11.10x
Potter Newton 2 73.80x
Saddleworth 2 16.88x
Droylsden 1 16.67x
Hastings St Mary 1 15.36x
Leeds 1 1.15x
Longbenton 1 10.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 10
James 8
Edwin 5
George 5
Frank 4
John 4
Fred 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Andrew 2
Ernest 2
Henry 2
Philip 2
Thornton 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Ben 1
Buckley 1
Charles 1
Fk. 1
Jas. 1
Jonathan 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Oswald 1
Phillip 1
Ralph 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Ousey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ousey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 160 people were recorded with the Ousey surname. That placed it at #14,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ousey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016. That gives Ousey a modern rank of #26,827.

What does the Ousey surname mean?

A toponymic English surname derived from a location near Newark in Nottinghamshire.

What does the Ousey map show?

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