NameCensus.

UK surname

Plester

In the 1881 census there were 179 people recorded with the Plester surname, ranking it #13,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 266, ranked #16,094, down from #13,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Deddington, Lighthorne and Warkworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Conwy, Cherwell and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plester is 311 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.6%.

1881 census count

179

Ranked #13,787

Modern count

266

2016, ranked #16,094

Peak year

1998

311 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Plester had 179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 266 in 2016, ranked #16,094.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 267 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Plester surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Plester surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Plester 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 127 #14,547
1861 historical 155 #14,881
1881 historical 179 #13,787
1891 historical 188 #15,609
1901 historical 251 #13,102
1911 historical 267 #12,360
1997 modern 277 #14,253
1998 modern 311 #13,550
1999 modern 302 #13,895
2000 modern 299 #13,937
2001 modern 292 #13,967
2002 modern 293 #14,203
2003 modern 287 #14,219
2004 modern 291 #14,138
2005 modern 272 #14,742
2006 modern 272 #14,834
2007 modern 265 #15,295
2008 modern 261 #15,597
2009 modern 265 #15,756
2010 modern 270 #15,896
2011 modern 270 #15,754
2012 modern 278 #15,333
2013 modern 281 #15,487
2014 modern 276 #15,788
2015 modern 276 #15,673
2016 modern 266 #16,094

Geography

Back to top

Where Plesters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Deddington, Lighthorne, Warkworth, London parishes and Banbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Conwy, Cherwell, Warwick and Solihull. 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 Deddington Oxfordshire
2 Lighthorne Warwickshire
3 Warkworth Oxfordshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Banbury Oxfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Conwy 015 Conwy
2 Cherwell 006 Cherwell
3 Cherwell 005 Cherwell
4 Warwick 008 Warwick
5 Solihull 014 Solihull

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Plester

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Plester

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Plester is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Plester 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

Plester 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 Plester 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 Plester, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Plester families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plester 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. Oxfordshire leads with 45 Plesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.50x.

County Total Index
Oxfordshire 45 41.50x
Northamptonshire 34 20.59x
Middlesex 28 1.59x
Warwickshire 28 6.32x
Surrey 12 1.40x
Kent 7 1.17x
Yorkshire 7 0.40x
Buckinghamshire 6 5.65x
Essex 5 1.44x
Lancashire 3 0.14x
Cheshire 2 0.52x
Berkshire 1 0.76x
Leicestershire 1 0.51x
Worcestershire 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warkworth in Northamptonshire leads with 15 Plesters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1006.71x.

Place Total Index
Warkworth 15 1006.71x
Upper Heyford 12 5217.39x
Birmingham 10 6.78x
Aynho 8 2352.94x
Hackney London 8 8.13x
Barford St Michael 7 3888.89x
Bicester Market End 7 351.76x
Floore 7 1129.03x
Lighthorne 7 3181.82x
Maidstone 7 39.24x
Buckingham 6 277.78x
Clerkenwell London 6 14.48x
Holbeck 6 52.04x
Neithrop 6 164.84x
Ratcliffe London 6 61.86x
Camberwell 5 4.46x
Mile End Old Town 5 18.04x
Battersea 4 6.19x
Edgbaston 4 29.13x
Aston 3 2.46x
Barford St John 3 6000.00x
Broughton 3 857.14x
Elsenham 3 1071.43x
Middleton Stoney 3 1666.67x
Sambourn 3 937.50x
Stoneton 3 30000.00x
Deddington 2 169.49x
Everton 2 3.01x
Stockport 2 10.03x
Stoke Newington London 2 14.62x
Abingdon St Helen 1 25.97x
Barking 1 9.86x
Bermondsey 1 1.91x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.31x
Claines 1 15.90x
Clitheroe 1 16.31x
Daventry 1 42.74x
Ecclesfield 1 7.84x
Epsom 1 23.98x
Hazeleigh 1 1428.57x
Leek Wootten 1 416.67x
Lower Heyford 1 312.50x
Melton Mowbray 1 28.57x
Streatham 1 7.67x
Wroxton 1 250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 9
Alice 8
Mary 8
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 6
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Hannah 4
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Challes 1
Eliz 1
Elizth. 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Infant 1
Lousia 1
Martha 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1
Rosina 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
John 10
Thomas 8
George 7
James 6
Henry 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Frank 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Fredk. 2
Samuel 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Alick 1
Andrew 1
Charle 1
Earnest 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jermiah 1
Jessie 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Walter 1
Wm.Ths. 1

FAQ

Plester surname: questions and answers

How common was the Plester surname in 1881?

In 1881, 179 people were recorded with the Plester surname. That placed it at #13,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Plester surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 266 in 2016. That gives Plester a modern rank of #16,094.

What does the Plester map show?

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