NameCensus.

UK surname

Pipes

An occupational surname referring to a player of pipe instruments or a maker of pipes or tubes.

In the 1881 census there were 207 people recorded with the Pipes surname, ranking it #12,555 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 400, ranked #11,879, up from #12,555 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Alkmund, Burton-on-Trent and Easingwold. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, South Derbyshire and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pipes is 467 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 93.2%.

1881 census count

207

Ranked #12,555

Modern count

400

2016, ranked #11,879

Peak year

2000

467 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pipes had 207 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,555 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 400 in 2016, ranked #11,879.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 443 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pipes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pipes surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Pipes 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 176 #11,489
1861 historical 245 #10,057
1881 historical 207 #12,555
1891 historical 337 #10,133
1901 historical 287 #12,001
1911 historical 443 #8,611
1997 modern 456 #9,971
1998 modern 464 #10,169
1999 modern 465 #10,202
2000 modern 467 #10,144
2001 modern 457 #10,113
2002 modern 451 #10,429
2003 modern 425 #10,765
2004 modern 422 #10,838
2005 modern 414 #10,899
2006 modern 411 #10,998
2007 modern 408 #11,203
2008 modern 416 #11,121
2009 modern 414 #11,407
2010 modern 424 #11,449
2011 modern 431 #11,155
2012 modern 428 #11,092
2013 modern 426 #11,350
2014 modern 431 #11,308
2015 modern 409 #11,713
2016 modern 400 #11,879

Geography

Back to top

Where Pipes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Alkmund, Burton-on-Trent, Easingwold, St Mary Bishopshill Senior and St Werburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, South Derbyshire, Hambleton and York. 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 St Alkmund Derbyshire
2 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
3 Easingwold Yorkshire, North Riding
4 St Mary Bishopshill Senior Yorkshire, East Riding
5 St Werburgh Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 039 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 South Derbyshire 007 South Derbyshire
3 Hambleton 010 Hambleton
4 York 006 York
5 South Derbyshire 006 South Derbyshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Pipes

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Pipes

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pipes 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

Pipes 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

Pipes falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pipes

The surname PIPES is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English word "pipe", referring to a maker or seller of pipes or tubes. The name was particularly prevalent in areas of England where pipe-making or related trades were common, such as London, Somerset, and Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the PIPES surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Richard Pipe is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer during the medieval period.

Another early reference to the PIPES name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a William le Pipere. The use of the prefix "le" before an occupational surname was common practice in medieval times.

In the 14th century, the PIPES surname is documented in several historical records, including the Poll Tax of Yorkshire from 1379, which mentions a John Pypere. The variant spelling "Pypere" reflects the evolution of the name over time.

One notable individual with the PIPES surname was Sir Richard Pipes (1523-1599), an English courtier and soldier who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He was knighted in 1588 for his military service.

Another significant figure was Reverend John Pipes (1670-1736), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Horsmonden in Kent. He published several works on theology and sermons during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, William Pipes (1720-1789) was a prominent English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary-le-Strand.

The PIPES surname also has connections to place names, such as Pipe Ridware in Staffordshire and Pipe Aston in Derbyshire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals with the PIPES surname who resided or held property there.

Other notable individuals with the PIPES surname include William Pipes (1825-1899), a British painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and genre scenes, and John Pipes (1905-1992), an American football player and coach who played for the Chicago Cardinals and coached at several universities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Pipes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pipes 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. Derbyshire leads with 77 Pipes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.36x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 77 24.36x
Yorkshire 52 2.60x
Staffordshire 12 1.76x
Leicestershire 10 4.47x
Warwickshire 9 1.77x
Norfolk 8 2.58x
Nottinghamshire 8 2.94x
Essex 6 1.51x
Wiltshire 6 3.36x
Lancashire 5 0.21x
Worcestershire 5 1.90x
Middlesex 4 0.20x
Suffolk 2 0.81x
Surrey 2 0.20x
East Lothian 1 3.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Derby St Alkmund in Derbyshire leads with 18 Pipes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 190.07x.

Place Total Index
Derby St Alkmund 18 190.07x
Scarborough 11 60.51x
Bagby 10 5263.16x
Derby St Peter 9 89.37x
Derby St Werburgh 9 49.32x
York St Mary 9 108.56x
Easingwold 8 567.38x
Filby 8 2000.00x
Melbourne 8 370.37x
Willington 8 2222.22x
Aston 7 4.99x
Burton Upon Trent 7 43.89x
Church Gresley 7 139.17x
Maddington 6 2142.86x
Alfreton 5 52.08x
Belgrave 5 99.01x
Tamworth 5 137.36x
Waltham Holy Cross 5 134.05x
Blackwell 4 258.06x
Bridlington 4 87.34x
Bulwell 4 67.57x
Leicester St Margaret 4 7.33x
Lenton 4 62.40x
Pendlebury 4 79.05x
Claines 3 41.44x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 7.37x
Flawith 3 6000.00x
Derby St Michael 2 303.03x
Kirkby Moorside 2 157.48x
Litchurch 2 15.72x
St Clement Danes 2 61.16x
Stapenhill 2 42.46x
Stradbroke 2 240.96x
Aylestone 1 56.50x
Birdsall 1 454.55x
Camberwell 1 0.78x
Chaddesden 1 238.10x
Colchester St Mary At 1 70.92x
Dunbar 1 26.67x
Evesham All Sts 1 81.30x
Hornsey 1 3.92x
Lambeth 1 0.57x
Leamington Priors 1 7.98x
Littleover 1 185.19x
Nuneaton 1 16.95x
Pendleton In Salford 1 3.50x
Shardlow 1 166.67x
St Pancras London 1 0.62x
Tholthorpe 1 714.29x
Worcester St Nicholas 1 80.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 10
George 9
James 8
Joseph 6
Charles 4
Herbert 4
Robert 4
Thomas 4
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
David 2
Albert 1
Alf. 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Edward 1
Ephraim 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Ambrose 1
Henery 1
Henry 1
Jno.George 1
Jno.W. 1
Jonathon 1
Lewis 1
Richard 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Pipes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pipes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 207 people were recorded with the Pipes surname. That placed it at #12,555 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pipes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 400 in 2016. That gives Pipes a modern rank of #11,879.

What does the Pipes surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a player of pipe instruments or a maker of pipes or tubes.

What does the Pipes map show?

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