NameCensus.

UK surname

Pearch

A habitational surname derived from a place name.

In the 1881 census there were 103 people recorded with the Pearch surname, ranking it #19,410 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 114, ranked #28,515, down from #19,410 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bebbington, Seal and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derby, South Derbyshire and North Hertfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pearch is 163 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.7%.

1881 census count

103

Ranked #19,410

Modern count

114

2016, ranked #28,515

Peak year

1891

163 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pearch had 103 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,410 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016, ranked #28,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 163 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pearch surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pearch surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pearch 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 60 #22,584
1861 historical 108 #19,856
1881 historical 103 #19,410
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 126 #19,970
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 115 #24,834
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 117 #25,362
2000 modern 122 #24,698
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 115 #25,749
2003 modern 111 #26,091
2004 modern 103 #27,503
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 102 #28,664
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 115 #27,634
2012 modern 112 #28,174
2013 modern 111 #28,856
2014 modern 114 #28,608
2015 modern 114 #28,478
2016 modern 114 #28,515

Geography

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Where Pearchs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bebbington, Seal, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derby, South Derbyshire, North Hertfordshire, Thanet and Tunbridge Wells. 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 Bebbington Cheshire
2 Seal Kent
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derby 009 Derby
2 South Derbyshire 001 South Derbyshire
3 North Hertfordshire 005 North Hertfordshire
4 Thanet 015 Thanet
5 Tunbridge Wells 002 Tunbridge Wells

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pearch

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pearch

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pearch, 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 Pearch surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pearch 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pearch is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Pearch is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pearch falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pearch is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pearch

The surname Pearch is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the Old English word "pearroc," which means an enclosed area or a small field. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked on a small farm or enclosure.

The earliest known record of the Pearch surname dates back to the mid-13th century in the county of Gloucestershire. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a man named William Pearch is listed as a landowner in the village of Slaughter. This provides strong evidence that the name was already established in this region by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Pearch surname appears in various forms, including Perrych, Perrich, and Perche, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation at that time. A notable example is John Perche, who was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the reign of Edward III (1312-1377).

The Pearch surname is also found in early parish records and tax rolls, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where a Robert Pearch is listed as a taxpayer in the county of Somerset. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by the early 14th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several individuals with the Pearch surname achieved prominence. One notable figure was William Pearch (c. 1540-1599), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Ipswich. Another was John Pearch (1560-1638), a Church of England clergyman who became the Archdeacon of Surrey in 1624.

In the 18th century, the Pearch surname is associated with several notable figures, including Thomas Pearch (1738-1805), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War, and Samuel Pearch (1768-1835), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.

Throughout its history, the Pearch surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Surrey. While the name has undergone slight variations in spelling over the centuries, its essential meaning and connection to the Old English word "pearroc" have remained intact.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pearch families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pearch 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. Kent leads with 41 Pearchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.96x.

County Total Index
Kent 41 11.96x
Sussex 12 7.08x
Durham 10 3.35x
Lancashire 8 0.67x
Surrey 8 1.63x
Cheshire 7 3.16x
Middlesex 7 0.70x
Essex 6 3.03x
Dorset 1 1.52x
Glamorgan 1 0.57x
Somerset 1 0.62x
Yorkshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tonbridge in Kent leads with 17 Pearchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 137.54x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 17 137.54x
Hastings St Clement 11 691.82x
Liverpool 7 9.67x
Aylesford 6 631.58x
Monkwearmouth 6 209.79x
Seal 6 1090.91x
Tranmere 6 73.62x
West Ham 5 11.42x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 30.89x
Horton Kirby 4 754.72x
St Marylebone London 4 7.46x
Newington 3 8.08x
Charlton Next Woolwich 2 56.02x
Maidstone 2 19.59x
Mereworth 2 714.29x
Bexley 1 33.00x
Birkenhead 1 5.66x
Borden 1 232.56x
Dorking 1 30.40x
Fordington 1 70.42x
Hastings St Mary 1 23.70x
Isleworth 1 22.37x
Lambeth 1 1.14x
Manchester 1 1.87x
Poplar London 1 5.27x
St Pancras London 1 1.24x
Streatham 1 13.42x
Swansea St Thomas 1 56.82x
Wandsworth 1 10.34x
White Roothing 1 666.67x
Wimbledon 1 18.18x
Winscombe 1 227.27x
Wortley In Bramley 1 12.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Mary 5
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Emily 2
Isabel 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Sarah 2
Agness 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
E.A. 1
Ellen 1
Elsie 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
M. 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Henry 5
Thomas 5
William 5
Alfred 3
Charles 3
George 3
Harry 3
Robert 3
Arthur 2
Ernest 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Benjamin 1
Frederick 1
G.E. 1
H.R. 1
H.T.S. 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
J.H. 1
Montague 1
W.B. 1

FAQ

Pearch surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pearch surname in 1881?

In 1881, 103 people were recorded with the Pearch surname. That placed it at #19,410 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pearch surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016. That gives Pearch a modern rank of #28,515.

What does the Pearch surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name.

What does the Pearch map show?

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