NameCensus.

UK surname

Perriam

In the 1881 census there were 185 people recorded with the Perriam surname, ranking it #13,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 237, ranked #17,418, down from #13,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Topsham, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bridgend, Wakefield and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Perriam is 275 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.1%.

1881 census count

185

Ranked #13,506

Modern count

237

2016, ranked #17,418

Peak year

1911

275 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Perriam had 185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 237 in 2016, ranked #17,418.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 275 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Perriam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Perriam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Perriam 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 154 #12,668
1861 historical 147 #15,539
1881 historical 185 #13,506
1891 historical 181 #16,065
1901 historical 209 #14,712
1911 historical 275 #12,123
1997 modern 231 #16,049
1998 modern 246 #15,864
1999 modern 251 #15,751
2000 modern 241 #16,146
2001 modern 237 #16,048
2002 modern 239 #16,332
2003 modern 239 #16,093
2004 modern 243 #16,004
2005 modern 248 #15,721
2006 modern 247 #15,860
2007 modern 241 #16,341
2008 modern 258 #15,732
2009 modern 263 #15,843
2010 modern 260 #16,343
2011 modern 256 #16,383
2012 modern 249 #16,572
2013 modern 255 #16,551
2014 modern 252 #16,822
2015 modern 237 #17,413
2016 modern 237 #17,418

Geography

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Where Perriams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Topsham, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea and Budleigh, East. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bridgend, Wakefield, Cheshire East, Caerphilly and Cardiff. 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 Topsham Devon
2 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
3 London parishes London 3
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Budleigh, East Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bridgend 007 Bridgend
2 Wakefield 040 Wakefield
3 Cheshire East 031 Cheshire East
4 Caerphilly 013 Caerphilly
5 Cardiff 031 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Perriam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Perriam

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Perriam is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Perriam is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Perriam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Perriam 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 123 Perriams recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.74x.

County Total Index
Devon 123 32.74x
Middlesex 24 1.33x
Glamorgan 15 4.77x
Somerset 5 1.72x
Derbyshire 4 1.42x
Lincolnshire 4 1.39x
Gloucestershire 3 0.85x
Hampshire 3 0.81x
Surrey 2 0.23x
Essex 1 0.28x
Lancashire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Littleham in Devon leads with 29 Perriams recorded in 1881 and an index of 1054.55x.

Place Total Index
Littleham 29 1054.55x
Withycombe Rawleigh 28 1428.57x
Exeter Holy Trinity 12 816.33x
Little Hempston 11 7857.14x
Limehouse London 8 40.38x
Holy Trinity 6 759.49x
Ilfracombe 6 155.04x
Cogan 5 1063.83x
Exeter St Mary Major 5 221.24x
Hackney London 5 4.94x
Roath 5 35.04x
Topsham 5 282.49x
Tormoham 5 31.47x
Boston 4 45.71x
Ilkeston 4 50.51x
Llandaff 4 38.28x
Ottery St Mary 3 121.95x
Painswick 3 120.00x
Penselwood 3 1153.85x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 10.37x
St Pancras London 3 2.07x
Stoke Newington London 3 21.34x
Willesden 3 17.64x
Cheddar 2 136.99x
Exeter Heavitree 2 71.43x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 23.26x
Farnham 2 29.24x
Fulham London 2 7.64x
Holdenhurst 2 20.62x
Cullompton 1 60.98x
Dartmouth Townstall 1 65.36x
Halstead 1 24.04x
Kirkdale 1 2.78x
Llansamlet Lower 1 35.21x
Newton St Cyres 1 188.68x
Otterton 1 166.67x
Portsea 1 1.38x
Venn Ottery 1 1428.57x
Wolborough 1 21.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 7
Mary 5
Eliza 4
Alice 3
Caroline 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Louisa 3
Susan 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Bessie 2
Dorcas 2
Ella 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Mahala 2
Maria 2
Rhoda 2
Rose 2
Rosina 2
Annette 1
Beatrice 1
Charlotte 1
Dora 1
Edith 1
Elizzabeth 1
Emala 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Kathleen 1
Laura 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Miltida 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Nelly 1
Robert 1
Thirza 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 13
George 11
Frederick 7
John 7
Henry 6
Albert 5
Richard 5
Alfred 4
Harry 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
James 2
Alfr.J. 1
Clement 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fortimatus 1
Fred 1
Hector 1
Michael 1
Reginald 1
Stanley 1
Tom 1
Wallace 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Perriam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Perriam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 185 people were recorded with the Perriam surname. That placed it at #13,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Perriam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 237 in 2016. That gives Perriam a modern rank of #17,418.

What does the Perriam map show?

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