NameCensus.

UK surname

Paylor

An English surname derived from the Old French word "peilier" meaning "stone or tile worker."

In the 1881 census there were 137 people recorded with the Paylor surname, ranking it #16,358 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 503, ranked #9,950, up from #16,358 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Norton, Whitby and Brancepeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Darlington, Scarborough and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Paylor is 542 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 267.2%.

1881 census count

137

Ranked #16,358

Modern count

503

2016, ranked #9,950

Peak year

2010

542 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Paylor had 137 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,358 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 503 in 2016, ranked #9,950.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 260 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Paylor surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Paylor surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Paylor 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 114 #15,716
1861 historical 205 #11,769
1881 historical 137 #16,358
1891 historical 249 #12,813
1901 historical 228 #13,929
1911 historical 260 #12,561
1997 modern 479 #9,615
1998 modern 496 #9,658
1999 modern 495 #9,731
2000 modern 484 #9,873
2001 modern 478 #9,783
2002 modern 494 #9,718
2003 modern 491 #9,612
2004 modern 500 #9,529
2005 modern 482 #9,685
2006 modern 499 #9,500
2007 modern 495 #9,642
2008 modern 507 #9,540
2009 modern 525 #9,501
2010 modern 542 #9,461
2011 modern 528 #9,572
2012 modern 504 #9,803
2013 modern 516 #9,783
2014 modern 500 #10,077
2015 modern 508 #9,891
2016 modern 503 #9,950

Geography

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Where Paylors are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Norton, Whitby, Brancepeth, Thirsk and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Darlington, Scarborough, Hartlepool and York. 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 Norton Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Brancepeth Durham
4 Thirsk Yorkshire, North Riding
5 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Darlington 015 Darlington
2 Scarborough 003 Scarborough
3 Hartlepool 008 Hartlepool
4 Scarborough 001 Scarborough
5 York 009 York

Forenames

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First names often paired with Paylor

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Paylor

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Paylor, 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 Paylor surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Paylor 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Paylor is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Paylor 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

Paylor falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Paylor is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Paylor, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Paylor

The surname Paylor originated in England during the late medieval period, specifically in the counties of Warwickshire and Gloucestershire. It is derived from the Old English words 'payl' meaning 'a person who works with spades or shovels' and 'or' meaning 'a maker or worker'. Thus, the surname Paylor likely referred to an occupation involving digging or excavation work.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Paylor can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1332, which mentions a Thomas le Paylour. The suffix 'our' was later dropped, leading to the modern spelling of Paylor. Another early reference is in the Court Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1384, which mentions a John Paylour.

The Paylor surname is also linked to the village of Pailton in Warwickshire. The name Pailton is derived from the Old English words 'payl' and 'tun', meaning 'the settlement of the diggers or excavators'. It's likely that some Paylor families originated from this village or took their name from it.

In the 16th century, the Paylor surname appears in various records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1524, which mentions a Thomas Paylor. Another notable mention is in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1572, where a John Paylor is recorded.

Some notable individuals with the surname Paylor throughout history include:

1. William Paylor (c. 1550-1620), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Houghton Conquest in Bedfordshire.

2. Richard Paylor (1604-1677), an English politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Southwark from 1654 to 1659.

3. Elizabeth Paylor (1670-1738), an English landowner and philanthropist from Warwickshire who donated funds for the construction of a school and almshouses in the village of Pailton.

4. John Paylor (1715-1795), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the latter part of the 18th century and participated in several battles during the American Revolutionary War.

5. Thomas Paylor (1789-1861), an English entrepreneur and industrialist from Gloucestershire who founded a successful textile manufacturing business in the early 19th century.

The Paylor surname has a rich history rooted in the occupational and geographical origins of medieval England, and its bearers have contributed to various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Paylor families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Paylor 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. Yorkshire leads with 97 Paylors recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.49x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 97 7.49x
Durham 18 4.63x
Lancashire 4 0.26x
Glamorgan 3 1.32x
Kent 3 0.67x
Monmouthshire 3 3.17x
Staffordshire 2 0.45x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.83x
Bedfordshire 1 1.48x
Surrey 1 0.16x
Warwickshire 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thirsk in Yorkshire leads with 12 Paylors recorded in 1881 and an index of 805.37x.

Place Total Index
Thirsk 12 805.37x
Holbeck 10 116.55x
Norton In Malton 10 636.94x
Whitby 10 229.36x
York St Giles In 7 573.77x
Darlington 6 39.97x
Leeds 6 8.20x
Willington 6 266.67x
Aldborough In Great 5 2173.91x
Cattal 5 6250.00x
Dishforth 5 3571.43x
Batley 4 32.49x
Little Ouseburn 4 3636.36x
Thirkleby In Thirsk 4 3333.33x
Aberavon 3 143.54x
Bury 3 16.93x
Normanby In 3 86.71x
St Peters 3 145.63x
Upper Llanvrechva 3 204.08x
Westoe 3 13.61x
East Stamford Bridge 2 1111.11x
Knaresborough 2 98.52x
Sedgley 2 12.20x
Shildon 2 64.10x
Yeadon 2 68.49x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 4.42x
Birmingham 1 0.91x
Boroughbridge 1 232.56x
Burnley 1 7.66x
Clifton In York 1 36.90x
Goldsborough 1 1000.00x
Hartlepool 1 18.08x
New Malton 1 64.52x
Newington 1 2.07x
Stotfold 1 76.92x
Topcliffe 1 370.37x
York St Mary 1 18.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Elizabeth 7
Sarah 6
Jane 5
Ann 4
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Louisa 2
Ruth 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Dorothy 1
Emma 1
Faith 1
Hannah 1
Hannar 1
Harriet 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lillian 1
Matilda 1
Miria 1
Phoeba 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
George 11
Thomas 7
William 6
James 4
Charles 3
Edward 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Hary 1
Jno 1
Jonathan 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Tom 1
Vince 1
Vincent 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Paylor surname: questions and answers

How common was the Paylor surname in 1881?

In 1881, 137 people were recorded with the Paylor surname. That placed it at #16,358 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Paylor surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 503 in 2016. That gives Paylor a modern rank of #9,950.

What does the Paylor surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old French word "peilier" meaning "stone or tile worker."

What does the Paylor map show?

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