NameCensus.

UK surname

Peverley

A habitational name referring to someone from Peverley in Wiltshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 107 people recorded with the Peverley surname, ranking it #18,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 368, ranked #12,649, up from #18,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Auckland St Andrew and Kirk Leatham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Peverley is 401 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 243.9%.

1881 census count

107

Ranked #18,982

Modern count

368

2016, ranked #12,649

Peak year

1998

401 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Peverley had 107 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 368 in 2016, ranked #12,649.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 242 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Peverley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Peverley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Peverley 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 97 #21,503
1881 historical 107 #18,982
1891 historical 137 #19,501
1901 historical 169 #16,824
1911 historical 242 #13,193
1997 modern 385 #11,314
1998 modern 401 #11,319
1999 modern 387 #11,722
2000 modern 380 #11,837
2001 modern 380 #11,660
2002 modern 382 #11,839
2003 modern 366 #12,010
2004 modern 367 #12,028
2005 modern 374 #11,778
2006 modern 352 #12,396
2007 modern 363 #12,255
2008 modern 370 #12,182
2009 modern 372 #12,383
2010 modern 393 #12,157
2011 modern 401 #11,843
2012 modern 360 #12,673
2013 modern 376 #12,472
2014 modern 386 #12,318
2015 modern 382 #12,322
2016 modern 368 #12,649

Geography

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Where Peverleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Auckland St Andrew, Kirk Leatham, Bishop Wearmouth and Newcastle St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland and Northumberland. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Auckland St Andrew Durham
3 Kirk Leatham Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Bishop Wearmouth Durham
5 Newcastle St John Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 002 Sunderland
2 Sunderland 023 Sunderland
3 Sunderland 031 Sunderland
4 Northumberland 016 Northumberland
5 Sunderland 012 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Peverley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Peverley

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Peverley 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

Peverley is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Peverley 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 Peverley 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Peverley

The Peverley surname is believed to have originated in England, possibly deriving from a place name referring to a location in the medieval period. One theory suggests it comes from the Old English words "pefer" meaning pepper and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, potentially indicating a place where pepper plants grew.

Another hypothesis links the name to the village of Peverell in Dorset, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Peverelle". This place name may have derived from the Norman landowner William Peverell, who held estates in the area after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded instance of the Peverley surname appears to be in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named William Peverel is mentioned. In the 13th century, records show a Richard de Peverlye in Lincolnshire and a John de Peverel in Somerset.

Notable figures with the Peverley surname include Sir Thomas Peverley (1570-1639), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Sandwich. William Peverley (1607-1671) was an English clergyman and author of theological works. Another William Peverley (1731-1809) was a renowned English clockmaker from Lincolnshire.

Moving to the American colonies, John Peverley (1639-1691) was a prominent early settler in New Hampshire, where he served as a member of the provincial assembly. Thomas Peverley (1705-1776) was a soldier and farmer from Massachusetts who fought in the French and Indian War.

Over time, variations in spelling such as Peverill, Peverall, and Peverill emerged, reflecting regional dialect differences and changes in pronunciation. However, the Peverley surname has maintained its distinct identity and can be traced back to its English origins spanning several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Peverley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Peverley 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. Durham leads with 63 Peverleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.29x.

County Total Index
Durham 63 20.29x
Northumberland 20 12.88x
Yorkshire 14 1.35x
Lancashire 8 0.65x
Essex 1 0.49x
Middlesex 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. Eldon in Durham leads with 19 Peverleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3877.55x.

Place Total Index
Eldon 19 3877.55x
Bishopwearmouth 10 37.52x
Brafferton Barmpton 9 9000.00x
Darlington 7 58.38x
Didsbury 7 426.83x
Elswick 7 56.50x
Linthorpe 5 81.04x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 5 245.10x
East Thickley 4 634.92x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 4 43.15x
Shildon 4 160.64x
Westgate 4 41.58x
Kirkleatham 3 214.29x
Northallerton 3 227.27x
Stockton On Tees 3 20.05x
Auckland St Andrew 2 243.90x
Thornaby 2 51.81x
Westoe 2 11.36x
Bromley London 1 4.36x
Colne 1 27.10x
Escomb 1 69.93x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 7.43x
Leyton Low 1 23.87x
Norton 1 87.72x
Swinton In Rotherham 1 36.63x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 10
Robinson 4
George 3
Thomas 3
Charles 2
Christopher 2
Henry 2
Jno. 2
Joseph 2
Ralph 2
Robert 2
Adam 1
Alfred 1
Edward 1
Geo. 1
James 1
Lofthouse 1
Samuel 1
T.Robert 1

FAQ

Peverley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Peverley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 107 people were recorded with the Peverley surname. That placed it at #18,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Peverley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 368 in 2016. That gives Peverley a modern rank of #12,649.

What does the Peverley surname mean?

A habitational name referring to someone from Peverley in Wiltshire, England.

What does the Peverley map show?

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