NameCensus.

UK surname

Owles

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Owles surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 89, ranked #32,297, down from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leiston with Sizewell, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, Richmond upon Thames and Gwynedd.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Owles is 214 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 48.9%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

89

2016, ranked #32,297

Peak year

1891

214 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Owles had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 89 in 2016, ranked #32,297.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 214 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Owles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Owles surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Owles 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 113 #15,815
1861 historical 116 #18,751
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 214 #14,214
1901 historical 185 #15,892
1911 historical 198 #15,058
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 101 #27,617
2000 modern 102 #27,425
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 98 #28,243
2003 modern 93 #28,829
2004 modern 88 #29,758
2005 modern 90 #29,527
2006 modern 86 #30,425
2007 modern 84 #31,067
2008 modern 81 #31,713
2009 modern 84 #31,842
2010 modern 85 #32,185
2011 modern 86 #32,006
2012 modern 87 #32,180
2013 modern 87 #32,472
2014 modern 92 #32,132
2015 modern 93 #31,972
2016 modern 89 #32,297

Geography

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Where Owles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leiston with Sizewell, London parishes, St Pancras, Ilketshall St Lawrence, Bungay St Mary, Bungay Holy Trinity and Woodbridge. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, Richmond upon Thames, Gwynedd, Cornwall and Ipswich. 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 Leiston with Sizewell Suffolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Ilketshall St Lawrence, Bungay St Mary, Bungay Holy Trinity Suffolk
5 Woodbridge Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 012 North Norfolk
2 Richmond upon Thames 003 Richmond upon Thames
3 Gwynedd 016 Gwynedd
4 Cornwall 023 Cornwall
5 Ipswich 005 Ipswich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Owles

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Owles

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Owles is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Owles 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

Owles falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Owles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Owles 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. Suffolk leads with 46 Owles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.25x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 46 22.25x
Norfolk 42 16.09x
Surrey 22 2.66x
Middlesex 21 1.24x
Kent 15 2.59x
Lancashire 12 0.60x
Durham 4 0.79x
Sussex 3 1.05x
Devon 2 0.57x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.97x
Glamorgan 1 0.34x
Hampshire 1 0.29x
Northumberland 1 0.40x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.44x
Somerset 1 0.37x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bungay St Mary in Suffolk leads with 12 Owles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1176.47x.

Place Total Index
Bungay St Mary 12 1176.47x
Withington 12 184.90x
Bermondsey 10 19.79x
Great Yarmouth 10 46.25x
St Pancras London 10 7.32x
Streatham 10 79.43x
Ipswich St Clement 8 152.09x
Brandon 7 500.00x
Leiston 7 492.96x
Beckenham 6 79.26x
Ketteringham 6 5454.55x
Filby 4 1176.47x
Hingham 4 444.44x
Ipswich St Helen 4 163.27x
Redenhall 4 396.04x
St Andrew Holborn 4 69.57x
Stockton On Tees 4 16.43x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 3 77.32x
Cratfield 3 1034.48x
Fressingfield 3 447.76x
Martham 3 468.75x
Plumstead 3 15.54x
Spexhall 3 2500.00x
Tonbridge 3 14.36x
Banham 2 298.51x
Bishopsteignton 2 298.51x
Eastbourne 2 15.19x
Hampstead London 2 7.57x
Westminster St 2 31.95x
Aberdare 1 4.93x
Badingham 1 256.41x
Bath St Peter St Paul 1 82.64x
Blythburgh 1 208.33x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 16.56x
Chelsea London 1 1.96x
Deptford St Paul 1 2.24x
Heigham 1 7.14x
Hove 1 7.96x
Islington London 1 0.61x
Kirkleatham 1 44.05x
Lambeth 1 0.68x
Lewisham 1 3.24x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 7.64x
Rushall 1 833.33x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 2.93x
St Gregory By St Pauls 1 238.10x
St Helens 1 39.53x
Taplow 1 161.29x
West Leake 1 1111.11x
Weybread 1 250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 8
Henry 5
James 5
Thomas 5
Charles 4
Frederick 4
Edward 3
Alfred 2
Edmund 2
Ernest 2
George 2
Herbert 2
John 2
Percy 2
Samuel 2
Sidney 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Albt.Hearn 1
Allden 1
Allen 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
Cecil 1
Chas.E. 1
Clement 1
Clifford 1
Douglas 1
Edwin 1
Eustace 1
Frank 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Nathan 1
Oscar 1
Rignal 1
Stanley 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Owles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Owles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Owles surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Owles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 89 in 2016. That gives Owles a modern rank of #32,297.

What does the Owles map show?

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