NameCensus.

UK surname

Ovey

In the 1881 census there were 45 people recorded with the Ovey surname, ranking it #27,314 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #27,314 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ovey is 121 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 126.7%.

1881 census count

45

Ranked #27,314

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

1997

121 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ovey had 45 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,314 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 77 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Ovey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ovey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ovey 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 18 #30,094
1861 historical 30 #30,188
1881 historical 45 #27,314
1891 historical 70 #28,073
1901 historical 57 #27,846
1911 historical 77 #25,106
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 120 #24,793
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 117 #25,324
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 118 #25,358
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 117 #25,448
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 112 #26,415
2007 modern 111 #26,954
2008 modern 108 #27,684
2009 modern 105 #28,815
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 106 #29,740
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Oveys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 010 North Devon
2 North Devon 012 North Devon
3 North Devon 011 North Devon
4 North Devon 007 North Devon
5 North Devon 008 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ovey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ovey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ovey, 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 Ovey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Ovey 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Ovey is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ovey 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

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

1881 census detail

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Ovey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ovey 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. Devon leads with 15 Oveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.42x.

County Total Index
Devon 15 16.42x
Lancashire 9 1.73x
Middlesex 8 1.82x
Surrey 6 2.81x
Norfolk 4 5.93x
Gloucestershire 2 2.32x
Hampshire 1 1.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnstaple in Devon leads with 15 Oveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1048.95x.

Place Total Index
Barnstaple 15 1048.95x
Lambeth 6 15.68x
Crumpsall 5 406.50x
Paddington London 5 31.00x
Newton 4 99.75x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 4 1176.47x
Cheltenham 2 30.12x
St Marylebone London 2 8.54x
Bethnal Green London 1 5.25x
Pamber 1 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Ada 1
Aden... 1
Ann 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.J. 1
Emily 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Martilda 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Richard 3
Charles 2
George 2
William 2
Ernest 1
Esmond 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Walter 1
Wm.T. 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 Ovey households.

FAQ

Ovey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ovey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 45 people were recorded with the Ovey surname. That placed it at #27,314 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ovey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Ovey a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Ovey map show?

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