NameCensus.

UK surname

Pervin

An occupational surname derived from the French "parvin", meaning a paver or mason.

In the 1881 census there were 42 people recorded with the Pervin surname, ranking it #27,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 160, ranked #22,694, up from #27,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Loughborough and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Charnwood and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pervin is 170 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 281.0%.

1881 census count

42

Ranked #27,721

Modern count

160

2016, ranked #22,694

Peak year

2010

170 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pervin had 42 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 160 in 2016, ranked #22,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 119 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Pervin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pervin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pervin 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 48 #27,896
1881 historical 42 #27,721
1891 historical 72 #27,804
1901 historical 94 #23,588
1911 historical 119 #20,535
1997 modern 122 #23,917
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 127 #24,125
2000 modern 142 #22,544
2001 modern 139 #22,541
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 137 #22,939
2004 modern 141 #22,689
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 147 #22,221
2007 modern 154 #21,804
2008 modern 165 #21,056
2009 modern 168 #21,290
2010 modern 170 #21,560
2011 modern 161 #22,187
2012 modern 170 #21,379
2013 modern 170 #21,726
2014 modern 168 #22,075
2015 modern 161 #22,599
2016 modern 160 #22,694

Geography

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Where Pervins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Loughborough, Portsmouth, Portsea, Nottingham St Mary and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Charnwood and Caerphilly. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Loughborough Leicestershire
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Charnwood 009 Charnwood
2 Caerphilly 001 Caerphilly
3 Charnwood 010 Charnwood
4 Charnwood 002 Charnwood
5 Charnwood 003 Charnwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pervin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pervin

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Pervin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Pervin 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Pervin is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pervin is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pervin falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pervin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Pervin

The surname PERVIN is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic personal name "Parlan" or "Pàrlain," which possibly meant "little parlor" or "small room."

The earliest known reference to the PERVIN surname dates back to the late 13th century in records from the Scottish Borders region. It is likely that the name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived or worked in a small room or parlor.

In the 14th century, the name PERVIN appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of medieval Scottish homage rolls. One notable bearer of the name during this time was John Pervin, a landowner in Peebleshire, Scotland, who lived around 1350.

The PERVIN surname also has connections to various place names in Scotland, such as Parvinhaugh and Parvinholm, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name over time. These place names are believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "pàrlan," meaning "small room or parlor."

During the 16th century, the PERVIN surname gained prominence in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. One notable bearer of the name from this era was Robert Pervin, a merchant and guild member in Glasgow, who lived from approximately 1520 to 1580.

In the 17th century, the PERVIN surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, including England and Ireland. A notable figure from this period was William Pervin, a Scottish Presbyterian minister who lived from 1610 to 1688 and served as a chaplain in the Scottish army during the English Civil War.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the PERVIN surname made significant contributions in various fields. For example, James Pervin (1740-1815) was a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who worked as a professor at the University of St. Andrews. Another notable bearer of the name was John Pervin (1790-1865), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pervin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pervin 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. Leicestershire leads with 14 Pervins recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.83x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 14 30.83x
Hampshire 9 10.72x
Middlesex 7 1.71x
Lancashire 4 0.82x
Nottinghamshire 4 7.25x
Kent 2 1.43x
Surrey 2 1.00x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Loughborough in Leicestershire leads with 11 Pervins recorded in 1881 and an index of 533.98x.

Place Total Index
Loughborough 11 533.98x
Portsea 9 54.71x
St Marylebone London 5 22.86x
Nottingham St Mary 4 28.01x
Widnes 4 113.96x
Melton Mowbray 3 365.85x
Camberwell 2 7.65x
St Lawrence 2 208.33x
St George In East 1 35.84x
St Lawrence Jewry 1 10000.00x

Top female names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Pervin households.

FAQ

Pervin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pervin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 42 people were recorded with the Pervin surname. That placed it at #27,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pervin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 160 in 2016. That gives Pervin a modern rank of #22,694.

What does the Pervin surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the French "parvin", meaning a paver or mason.

What does the Pervin map show?

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