NameCensus.

UK surname

Phelps

Derived from a place name meaning "valley of the pasture" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,973 people recorded with the Phelps surname, ranking it #1,502 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,680, ranked #1,453, up from #1,502 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Blaenau Gwent and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Phelps is 4,900 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.4%.

1881 census count

2,973

Ranked #1,502

Modern count

4,680

2016, ranked #1,453

Peak year

1999

4,900 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Phelps had 2,973 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,502 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,680 in 2016, ranked #1,453.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,758 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Phelps surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Phelps surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Phelps 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 1,576 #1,829
1861 historical 1,102 #2,545
1881 historical 2,973 #1,502
1891 historical 2,317 #2,026
1901 historical 3,686 #1,525
1911 historical 3,758 #1,379
1997 modern 4,751 #1,377
1998 modern 4,890 #1,390
1999 modern 4,900 #1,397
2000 modern 4,861 #1,401
2001 modern 4,733 #1,401
2002 modern 4,799 #1,417
2003 modern 4,680 #1,418
2004 modern 4,657 #1,421
2005 modern 4,611 #1,417
2006 modern 4,596 #1,424
2007 modern 4,613 #1,430
2008 modern 4,623 #1,435
2009 modern 4,703 #1,447
2010 modern 4,775 #1,460
2011 modern 4,803 #1,432
2012 modern 4,650 #1,445
2013 modern 4,732 #1,450
2014 modern 4,740 #1,454
2015 modern 4,697 #1,453
2016 modern 4,680 #1,453

Geography

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Where Phelps' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Blaenau Gwent and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 Blaenau Gwent 009 Blaenau Gwent
3 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
4 Forest of Dean 003 Forest of Dean
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 017 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Phelps

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Phelps

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Phelps is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Phelps is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Phelps falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Phelps

The surname Phelps has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "felep," meaning a maker or seller of felts or woolen cloth. The name was likely adopted by individuals involved in the wool trade or the production of felted materials.

In the Domesday Book, a census survey conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there are records of individuals with the surname Phelps or similar spellings like Felep and Phelep. These early mentions indicate the name's presence in various parts of England during the Norman period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Phelps is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a person named Reginald Phelep is mentioned. Another early record is from the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1208, which includes a reference to a William Phelep.

The surname Phelps has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Phelps Farm in Leicestershire and Phelps Manor in Wiltshire. These place names likely derived from individuals or families who bore the surname and owned or resided in those locations.

Notable individuals with the surname Phelps throughout history include:

1. William Phelps (c.1592-1672), an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of Windsor, Connecticut. 2. Oliver Phelps (1749-1809), an American merchant and land speculator who played a significant role in the settlement of western New York state. 3. John Phelps (1814-1886), an American artist known for his landscape paintings, particularly of the Hudson River Valley. 4. Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward (1844-1911), an American author and pioneer in the field of female writers, best known for her novel "The Gates Ajar." 5. William Lyon Phelps (1865-1943), an American author, critic, and professor of English literature at Yale University, known for his influential works on literature and his popular lecture series.

While the surname Phelps has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, through migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Phelps families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Phelps 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. Gloucestershire leads with 739 Phelps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.99x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 739 12.99x
Middlesex 375 1.29x
Surrey 224 1.58x
Somerset 200 4.28x
Warwickshire 174 2.38x
Glamorgan 167 3.31x
Pembrokeshire 141 15.29x
Wiltshire 134 5.22x
Monmouthshire 92 4.39x
Worcestershire 88 2.32x
Dorset 62 3.26x
Herefordshire 57 4.79x
Yorkshire 55 0.19x
Lancashire 49 0.14x
Berkshire 43 1.97x
Kent 41 0.41x
Hampshire 38 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 37 0.95x
Lanarkshire 32 0.34x
Oxfordshire 31 1.73x
Devon 26 0.43x
Carmarthenshire 23 1.88x
Staffordshire 19 0.19x
Essex 18 0.31x
Sussex 17 0.35x
Durham 14 0.16x
Brecknockshire 9 1.55x
Norfolk 9 0.20x
Bedfordshire 8 0.53x
Derbyshire 8 0.18x
Northamptonshire 7 0.26x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.29x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.22x
Cumberland 4 0.16x
Argyllshire 3 0.37x
Cheshire 3 0.05x
Lincolnshire 3 0.06x
Royal Navy 3 0.87x
Hertfordshire 2 0.10x
Suffolk 2 0.06x
Westmorland 2 0.31x
Cardiganshire 1 0.14x
Channel Islands 1 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.17x
Merionethshire 1 0.19x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 87 Phelps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.57x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 87 3.57x
Lambeth 67 2.65x
Westbury On Severn East 65 50.53x
Cheltenham 64 14.58x
Aston 62 3.08x
Bisley 58 112.49x
Islington London 55 1.96x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 45 43.22x
Camberwell 40 2.16x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 38 7.09x
Kensington London 34 2.11x
Thorncombe 30 274.22x
Ystradyfodwg 30 6.77x
Cardiff St Mary 28 10.06x
Westbury 25 420.17x
Bristol St George 24 9.12x
Box 23 105.12x
Pembroke St Mary 23 19.37x
Bromley London 22 3.45x
South Hamlet 22 62.50x
St Marylebone London 21 1.36x
St Pancras London 21 0.90x
West Dean 21 22.72x
Aberdare 20 5.77x
Amroth 20 274.35x
Battersea 20 1.87x
Lewisham 20 3.79x
Newington 20 1.87x
Bradford On Avon 19 23.13x
Pershore St Andrew 18 86.12x
Warminster 18 32.02x
Awre 17 145.05x
Normanton 17 19.68x
Putney 17 12.86x
Swindon 17 8.54x
Taynton 17 297.20x
Roch 16 300.75x
Claines 15 14.43x
Horton In Bradford 15 3.34x
Seavington St Mary 15 496.69x
Swansea Town 15 3.62x
Clapham 14 3.86x
Clifton 14 4.87x
Trevethin 14 7.07x
Wokingham 14 28.17x
Avening 13 64.68x
Gloucester St Catherine 13 81.10x
Gloucester St John Baptist 13 35.38x
Hartpury 13 162.91x
Bedwellty 12 3.24x
Bethnal Green London 12 0.95x
Chalgrove 12 234.83x
Harborne 12 3.82x
Linton In Newent 12 130.29x
Ruardean 12 93.31x
Streatham 12 5.57x
Toxteth Park 12 1.03x
Aston Ingham 11 282.05x
Harrow On The Hill 11 18.98x
Holdenhurst 11 7.05x
Ilminster 11 33.72x
Lydney 11 37.45x
Malmesbury St Paul 11 49.84x
Nottingham St Mary 11 1.09x
Puriton 11 146.67x
Upton St Leonards 11 76.12x
Yeovil 11 11.59x
Bristol St Paul In 10 6.60x
Deptford St Paul 10 1.31x
Edgbaston 10 4.41x
Fulham London 10 2.38x
Hampstead London 10 2.21x
Marstow 10 704.23x
Minsterworth 10 240.96x
Monmouth 10 17.98x
Neath 10 9.73x
Poplar London 10 1.83x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 10 26.59x
Westminster St 10 9.35x
Yardley 10 10.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 194
Elizabeth 118
Sarah 96
Jane 50
Emma 48
Ann 47
Emily 47
Annie 44
Eliza 39
Martha 38
Alice 37
Ellen 35
Louisa 34
Hannah 27
Edith 23
Fanny 23
Margaret 23
Caroline 20
Florence 19
Charlotte 18
Maria 17
Harriet 16
Catherine 15
Harriett 15
Anne 14
Clara 14
Lucy 13
Eleanor 11
Julia 11
Kate 11
Susan 11
Ada 10
Amy 10
Frances 9
Maud 8
Minnie 7
Beatrice 6
Bertha 6
Laura 6
Selina 6
Sophia 6
Agnes 5
Anna 5
Esther 5
Gertrude 5
Helen 5
Nellie 5
Rhoda 5
Rosa 5
Victoria 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 191
John 121
Thomas 100
George 98
James 96
Charles 78
Henry 71
Alfred 59
Arthur 38
Joseph 38
Samuel 27
Robert 25
Walter 24
Albert 23
Frederick 23
Edward 21
Edwin 21
Harry 21
Richard 19
Frank 18
Wm. 15
Herbert 14
Philip 10
Benjamin 9
Ernest 9
Jesse 9
Thos. 9
Sidney 8
Daniel 7
Fredk. 7
Oliver 7
Francis 6
Fredrick 6
Leonard 6
Nathaniel 5
Peter 5
Augustus 4
David 4
Isaac 4
Sydney 4
Tom 4
Willie 4
Alexander 3
Andrew 3
Cornelius 3
Edgar 3
Edmund 3
Hy. 3
Percy 3
Wilfred 3

FAQ

Phelps surname: questions and answers

How common was the Phelps surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,973 people were recorded with the Phelps surname. That placed it at #1,502 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Phelps surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,680 in 2016. That gives Phelps a modern rank of #1,453.

What does the Phelps surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "valley of the pasture" in Old English.

What does the Phelps map show?

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