NameCensus.

UK surname

Patience

A virtuous attribute describing one who demonstrates calmness and composure under difficult circumstances.

In the 1881 census there were 561 people recorded with the Patience surname, ranking it #6,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,004, ranked #5,786, up from #6,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tarbat, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Black Isle South, Tain and Seaboard.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Patience is 1,042 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.0%.

1881 census count

561

Ranked #6,174

Modern count

1,004

2016, ranked #5,786

Peak year

2000

1,042 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Patience had 561 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,004 in 2016, ranked #5,786.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 798 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Patience surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Patience surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Patience 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 425 #5,746
1861 historical 401 #6,399
1881 historical 561 #6,174
1891 historical 663 #5,863
1901 historical 798 #5,664
1911 historical 374 #9,770
1997 modern 942 #5,755
1998 modern 1,007 #5,642
1999 modern 1,027 #5,593
2000 modern 1,042 #5,499
2001 modern 1,003 #5,568
2002 modern 1,035 #5,538
2003 modern 1,009 #5,550
2004 modern 996 #5,619
2005 modern 1,007 #5,515
2006 modern 1,016 #5,487
2007 modern 1,024 #5,503
2008 modern 1,015 #5,583
2009 modern 1,010 #5,716
2010 modern 1,018 #5,798
2011 modern 1,005 #5,799
2012 modern 1,006 #5,710
2013 modern 1,023 #5,720
2014 modern 1,023 #5,750
2015 modern 1,002 #5,797
2016 modern 1,004 #5,786

Geography

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Where Patiences are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tarbat, London parishes, Edinburgh, South Weald and Romford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Black Isle South, Tain, Seaboard, Inverness Muirtown and Drylaw. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Tarbat Ross And Cromarty
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 South Weald Essex
5 Romford Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Black Isle South Highland
2 Tain Highland
3 Seaboard Highland
4 Inverness Muirtown Highland
5 Drylaw City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Patience

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Patience

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Patience surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Patience household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Patience is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Patience is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Patience

The surname Patience originates from England, where it first appeared in the late 16th century. It is an English locational surname derived from the parish of Pattishall in Northamptonshire, which itself is derived from the Old English words "pæþ" meaning path and "halh" meaning nook or corner of land. The name essentially means "the dweller at the corner of land by the path."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Patience can be found in the Norfolk Musters of 1638, which lists one William Patience as a resident of the county. The Hearth Tax records of 1674 also mention a John Patience living in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

In the 17th century, the surname Patience was also found in various church records across England. For example, the baptism of Joane Patience was recorded in St. Mary's Church, Whitechapel, London, in 1623. The marriage of Richard Patience and Elizabeth Smyth was recorded in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham, in 1691.

Notable individuals with the surname Patience include Sir John Patience (1597-1672), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1662. Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Patience (1725-1805), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, the surname Patience was found across various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire. One notable individual from this period was William Patience (1828-1897), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in Croydon.

Another prominent bearer of the surname was Sir James Patience (1841-1917), a British businessman and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1891. He was also a noted philanthropist and supported various educational and charitable causes during his lifetime.

Overall, the surname Patience has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in the English countryside and its bearers leaving their mark in various fields, including politics, business, and architecture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Patience families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Patience 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. Ross-shire leads with 225 Patiences recorded in 1881 and an index of 150.53x.

County Total Index
Ross-shire 225 150.53x
Essex 82 7.63x
Middlesex 40 0.73x
Hampshire 31 2.78x
Kent 25 1.35x
Lanarkshire 18 1.02x
Midlothian 15 2.06x
Hertfordshire 14 3.73x
Yorkshire 14 0.26x
Berkshire 12 2.94x
Dorset 11 3.08x
Morayshire 10 11.82x
Inverness-shire 8 4.92x
Wiltshire 8 1.66x
Northumberland 7 0.86x
Renfrewshire 7 1.66x
Sussex 6 0.65x
Oxfordshire 5 1.49x
Surrey 5 0.19x
Lancashire 3 0.05x
Buteshire 2 6.06x
Angus 1 0.20x
Devon 1 0.09x
Durham 1 0.06x
Lincolnshire 1 0.11x
Nairnshire 1 6.02x
Norfolk 1 0.12x
Northamptonshire 1 0.20x
Royal Navy 1 1.54x
Shetland 1 1.80x
Sutherland 1 2.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Avoch in Ross-shire leads with 184 Patiences recorded in 1881 and an index of 5822.78x.

Place Total Index
Avoch 184 5822.78x
Tarbat 17 481.59x
Islington London 12 2.27x
Rosskeen 12 170.45x
Govan 11 2.53x
Buckland Newton 10 625.00x
Gravesend 9 57.25x
Shelley 9 2432.43x
Edinburgh Greenside 8 83.07x
Millbrook 8 28.47x
St Albans St Peter 8 63.19x
Brentwood 7 106.87x
Hornchurch 7 132.83x
Leeds 7 2.30x
Navestock 7 451.61x
South Weald 7 76.09x
St George Hanover 7 9.85x
Theydon Bois 7 429.45x
West Greenock 7 9.25x
Earsdon 6 91.05x
High Ongar 6 303.03x
Hunslet 6 7.13x
Margate St John Baptist 6 17.64x
Maryhill 6 17.41x
Portsea 6 2.74x
Reading St Mary 6 18.33x
St Bartholomew Hyde 6 224.72x
Chelsea London 5 3.05x
Dyke 5 215.52x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 1.70x
Great Hadham 5 206.61x
Horsham 5 28.04x
Inverness 5 12.23x
Strood 5 47.21x
Woodford 5 41.12x
Barking 4 12.72x
Britford 4 125.79x
Forres 4 44.99x
Greenstead 4 254.78x
Kensington London 4 1.32x
Newbury 4 30.56x
Romford 4 23.56x
Southampton St Mary 4 5.70x
Tain 4 70.67x
Alverstoke 3 7.43x
Beauchamp Roothing 3 697.67x
Burford 3 102.74x
Daviot Dunlichity 3 128.21x
Leyton Low 3 13.74x
Maddington 3 400.00x
Mile End Old Town 3 3.49x
St Andrew Holborn 3 16.26x
Chipping Ongar 2 108.11x
Cromarty 2 50.00x
Fortrose 2 219.78x
Rothesay 2 12.52x
Shaw Cum Donnington 2 152.67x
Shenfield 2 71.68x
Sittingbourne 2 13.63x
Stoke Newington London 2 4.72x
Auldearn 1 41.15x
Aythorpe Roothing 1 222.22x
Crawley 1 117.65x
Croydon 1 0.68x
East Grinstead 1 7.70x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 5.39x
Heigham 1 2.23x
Knockbain 1 28.57x
Menmuir 1 70.92x
Newcastle On Tyne 1 114.94x
Northfleet 1 6.11x
Paddington London 1 0.50x
Penge 1 2.88x
Rosemarkie 1 61.35x
Shoreditch London 1 0.42x
South Shields 1 6.93x
Upminster 1 44.84x
Waltham Holy Cross 1 9.96x
Walthamstow 1 2.59x
Woolvercot 1 72.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 23
George 17
John 11
Henry 10
Thomas 10
James 9
Charles 6
Harry 6
Arthur 3
Francis 3
Fredrick 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
David 2
Frederick 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alexr.B. 1
Alf.Henry 1
Archibald 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
Josiah 1
Kathleen 1
L.J. 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Tom 1
Will 1
Wm.Fredk. 1
Wm.Jos. 1

FAQ

Patience surname: questions and answers

How common was the Patience surname in 1881?

In 1881, 561 people were recorded with the Patience surname. That placed it at #6,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Patience surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,004 in 2016. That gives Patience a modern rank of #5,786.

What does the Patience surname mean?

A virtuous attribute describing one who demonstrates calmness and composure under difficult circumstances.

What does the Patience map show?

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