NameCensus.

UK surname

Pethers

An English habitational surname derived from a place name in Norfolk.

In the 1881 census there were 50 people recorded with the Pethers surname, ranking it #26,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 193, ranked #20,039, up from #26,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Acton, Greenwich and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Thurrock and Swale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pethers is 194 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 286.0%.

1881 census count

50

Ranked #26,587

Modern count

193

2016, ranked #20,039

Peak year

2014

194 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pethers had 50 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016, ranked #20,039.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 121 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Pethers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pethers surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pethers 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 33 #27,390
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 50 #26,587
1891 historical 75 #27,414
1901 historical 104 #22,310
1911 historical 121 #20,336
1997 modern 174 #19,231
1998 modern 186 #18,918
1999 modern 183 #19,248
2000 modern 180 #19,425
2001 modern 169 #19,912
2002 modern 174 #19,971
2003 modern 160 #20,789
2004 modern 167 #20,367
2005 modern 174 #19,783
2006 modern 178 #19,666
2007 modern 174 #20,166
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 178 #20,486
2010 modern 184 #20,521
2011 modern 186 #20,217
2012 modern 185 #20,223
2013 modern 188 #20,352
2014 modern 194 #20,097
2015 modern 185 #20,641
2016 modern 193 #20,039

Geography

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Where Pethers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Acton, Greenwich, London parishes and Plumstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Thurrock, Swale, Waltham Forest and Wiltshire. 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 Acton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Greenwich London (South Districts)
3 London parishes London 1
4 Plumstead London (South Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 006 Herefordshire, County of
2 Thurrock 001 Thurrock
3 Swale 005 Swale
4 Waltham Forest 019 Waltham Forest
5 Wiltshire 037 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pethers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pethers

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Pethers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Pethers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Pethers is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Pethers 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

Pethers falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pethers 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 Pethers, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pethers

The surname Pethers is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the place name "Pethers" or a similar variation. Some sources suggest that the name may have its origins in the Old English words "pæth" or "paedh," meaning a path or track, combined with a personal name or other descriptive element.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pethers can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1275, where it appears as "Petrus de Pethers." This entry suggests that the name was already established in that region by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Pethers surname appeared in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a William Pethers was listed as a taxpayer. This evidence further solidifies the name's presence in the Worcestershire area during that time.

Notable individuals bearing the Pethers surname include John Pethers (c. 1560-1628), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Compton Beauchamp in Berkshire. Thomas Pethers (c. 1610-1672) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1672, representing Ludlow in Shropshire.

Another prominent figure was Richard Pethers (1679-1746), a British architect known for his work on several parish churches in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. His notable projects include the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Northleach, completed in 1719.

In the 18th century, William Pethers (1722-1794) was an English clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Boxted in Essex. He published several religious works, including "The Doctrine of Regeneration" in 1768.

The Pethers surname also has connections to place names in England. For instance, the village of Pethers Bridge in Worcestershire likely derived its name from the Pethers family who may have resided in the area or owned land there.

While the surname Pethers may not be among the most common in modern times, its historical roots and connections to various regions of England provide a glimpse into the rich tapestry of English naming traditions and local heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pethers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pethers 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. Middlesex leads with 18 Pethers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 18 3.36x
Kent 16 8.74x
Channel Islands 5 31.47x
Surrey 5 1.91x
Derbyshire 3 3.57x
Somerset 3 3.47x
Berkshire 2 4.97x
Suffolk 1 1.53x
Sussex 1 1.11x
Yorkshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Greenwich in Kent leads with 13 Pethers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 152.22x.

Place Total Index
Greenwich 13 152.22x
Hammersmith London 7 52.99x
St Peter Port 5 170.07x
Fulham London 4 51.41x
Kensington London 4 13.41x
Plumstead 3 49.18x
Ripley 3 288.46x
Draycot Moor 2 5000.00x
Frimley 2 270.27x
Islington London 2 3.85x
Newington 2 10.10x
Uphill 2 1666.67x
Calton 1 10000.00x
East Molesey 1 163.93x
Hove 1 25.19x
Lowestoft 1 32.36x
St Pancras London 1 2.32x
Winscombe 1 434.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Mary 3
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Alice 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Sarah 1
Soph 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 4
George 4
John 4
Thomas 4
William 3
Francis 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Emma 1
Frank 1
Henry 1
James 1
Jesse 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1

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 Pethers households.

FAQ

Pethers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pethers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 50 people were recorded with the Pethers surname. That placed it at #26,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pethers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 193 in 2016. That gives Pethers a modern rank of #20,039.

What does the Pethers surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name in Norfolk.

What does the Pethers map show?

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