NameCensus.

UK surname

Pim

A Dutch surname originating as a diminutive of the given name Peter.

In the 1881 census there were 194 people recorded with the Pim surname, ranking it #13,097 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 106, ranked #29,927, down from #13,097 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Marlow, Little, Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle and Stoke St Gregory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Reading, Brighton and Hove and Havant.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pim is 227 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 45.4%.

1881 census count

194

Ranked #13,097

Modern count

106

2016, ranked #29,927

Peak year

1851

227 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pim had 194 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,097 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016, ranked #29,927.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 227 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pim surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pim surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pim 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 227 #9,448
1881 historical 194 #13,097
1891 historical 2 #34,436
1901 historical 118 #20,721
1997 modern 137 #22,301
1998 modern 147 #21,935
1999 modern 141 #22,702
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 130 #23,457
2002 modern 135 #23,398
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 118 #25,317
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 112 #26,415
2007 modern 111 #26,954
2008 modern 110 #27,391
2009 modern 117 #26,927
2010 modern 121 #27,005
2011 modern 115 #27,634
2012 modern 102 #29,902
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 106 #29,927

Geography

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Where Pims are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Marlow, Little, Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle, Stoke St Gregory, Mark, Chapel Allerton, Weare, East Brent, South Brent and Wedmore. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Reading, Brighton and Hove, Havant, Burnley and North Devon. 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 Marlow, Little Buckinghamshire
2 Weston-super-Mare, Kewstoke, Worle Somerset
3 Stoke St Gregory Somerset
4 Mark, Chapel Allerton, Weare, East Brent, South Brent Somerset
5 Wedmore Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Reading 011 Reading
2 Brighton and Hove 025 Brighton and Hove
3 Havant 015 Havant
4 Burnley 009 Burnley
5 North Devon 012 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pim

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pim

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Pim 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

Pim is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pim falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pim

The surname Pim originated in the Netherlands, where it first appeared in historical records in the early 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "pimp," meaning a small shoot or bud, which may have been used as a nickname for someone small or slight in stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pim can be found in the Dutch baptismal records from the city of Leiden, where a man named Adriaen Pietersz Pim was baptized in 1546. The name Pim also appears in various other Dutch records from that period, including tax rolls and legal documents.

In the 17th century, the Pim name began to spread beyond the Netherlands as Dutch settlers and traders migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. Jan Pim, a Dutch merchant born in 1620, was among the early settlers of New Netherland (later New York) and is recorded as having owned property in what is now Brooklyn.

A notable figure bearing the Pim surname was Jonathan Pim, an Irish Quaker and prominent merchant who lived in the 18th century (1719-1788). He was a successful businessman and landowner in County Antrim, Ireland, and was involved in the linen trade.

Another significant individual with the Pim surname was Bedford Pim (1826-1886), a British naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the mid-19th century. He was also involved in the search for the missing Franklin expedition.

In the field of literature, one of the most notable figures with the Pim surname was Bedrich Pim (1906-1961), a Czech poet and translator who was part of the avant-garde literary movement in the early 20th century.

The Pim name has also been associated with various places and locations over the years. For example, Pim's Lane in London was named after a family who lived in the area in the 17th century, and Pim's Creek in Australia was named after an early settler named John Pim.

Overall, while not an extremely common surname, the Pim name has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its Dutch origins in the 16th century. It has been borne by notable individuals in various fields, including business, exploration, and literature, and has left its mark on various place names around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pim families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pim 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 29 Pims recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.51x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 29 1.51x
Somerset 25 8.08x
Surrey 21 2.24x
Glamorgan 19 5.68x
Devon 18 4.50x
Gloucestershire 16 4.25x
Lancashire 15 0.66x
Sussex 11 3.40x
Essex 8 2.11x
Oxfordshire 8 6.74x
Yorkshire 8 0.42x
Hampshire 7 1.78x
Buckinghamshire 4 3.44x
Cheshire 3 0.71x
Channel Islands 1 1.76x
Pembrokeshire 1 1.64x
Royal Navy 1 4.37x
Suffolk 1 0.43x
Worcestershire 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 13 Pims recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.59x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 13 10.59x
Stoke St Gregory 12 1276.60x
Chelsea London 10 17.27x
Cowley 8 216.22x
West Ham 8 9.55x
St Pancras London 7 4.53x
Bristol St George 6 34.42x
Llanwonno 6 49.92x
Swansea Higher 6 171.92x
Brighton 5 7.65x
Bristol St James St Paul 5 39.78x
Crediton 5 131.93x
Llandaff 5 44.92x
Westbury On Trym 5 39.15x
Cliviger 4 312.50x
Landkey 4 1025.64x
Lindfield 4 291.97x
Maghull 4 421.05x
Weare 4 930.23x
Wycombe 4 46.19x
Bermondsey 3 5.24x
Kensington London 3 2.81x
Paddington London 3 4.25x
Scarborough 3 17.34x
Sculcoates 3 9.94x
Southampton St Mary 3 12.11x
Tranmere 3 19.24x
Wedmore 3 149.25x
West Derby 3 4.50x
Battersea 2 2.83x
Hatherleigh 2 200.00x
Liverpool 2 1.44x
Lodsworth 2 444.44x
Millbrook 2 20.16x
St Marylebone London 2 1.95x
Swansea Town 2 7.29x
Walcot 2 12.14x
Wandsworth 2 10.81x
Westbury 2 512.82x
Aldershot 1 7.58x
Barrow In Furness 1 3.22x
Bratton Clovelly 1 250.00x
Broughton In Salford 1 4.80x
Colebrooke 1 212.77x
Exeter St Lawrence 1 333.33x
Farringdon 1 500.00x
Fulham London 1 3.59x
Hutton 1 434.78x
Islington London 1 0.54x
Morchard Bishop 1 120.48x
Pannal 1 54.64x
Pembroke St Michael 1 113.64x
Preston 1 500.00x
Royal Navy 1 5.11x
South Brent 1 192.31x
Southampton All Sts 1 14.79x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 2.59x
St George Hanover 1 3.99x
St James Dukes Place 1 243.90x
St Peter Port 1 9.50x
Stoke Rivers 1 769.23x
Tormoham 1 5.91x
Worcester St Nicholas 1 84.03x
York St Mary 1 12.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 9
Ann 6
Eliza 5
Ellen 5
Sarah 5
Charlotte 4
Jane 4
Sophia 4
Alice 3
Fanny 3
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Rhoda 2
Susan 2
Anna 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
Caroline 1
Christian 1
Clera 1
Daisy 1
Dora 1
Dorthea 1
Eleanor 1
Elizebeth 1
Emily 1
Emley 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Flora 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Priscilla 1
S. 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 10
Charles 9
Henry 8
James 5
Edward 3
Edwin 3
Frederick 3
George 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Robert 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Bedford 1
E.H. 1
Enoch 1
Geo.William 1
H.Bedford 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jacob 1
Jeremiah 1
Jesse 1
Mathew 1
Phillip 1
Sidney 1
Thamas 1
Thomas 1
Thoms 1

FAQ

Pim surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pim surname in 1881?

In 1881, 194 people were recorded with the Pim surname. That placed it at #13,097 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pim surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016. That gives Pim a modern rank of #29,927.

What does the Pim surname mean?

A Dutch surname originating as a diminutive of the given name Peter.

What does the Pim map show?

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