NameCensus.

UK surname

Plimbley

In the 1881 census there were 48 people recorded with the Plimbley surname, ranking it #26,869 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 117, ranked #28,033, down from #26,869 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Norton-in-the-Moors, Broseley and Wolstanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plimbley is 146 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 143.8%.

1881 census count

48

Ranked #26,869

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

1998

146 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Plimbley had 48 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,869 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 104 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Plimbley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Plimbley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Plimbley 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 15 #30,614
1861 historical 39 #29,099
1881 historical 48 #26,869
1891 historical 74 #27,538
1901 historical 104 #22,310
1911 historical 99 #22,850
1997 modern 59 #31,734
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 146 #22,202
2000 modern 136 #23,155
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 146 #22,302
2003 modern 135 #23,155
2004 modern 125 #24,443
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 128 #24,632
2008 modern 133 #24,350
2009 modern 133 #24,817
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 141 #24,294
2012 modern 129 #25,705
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 127 #26,634
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

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Where Plimbleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Norton-in-the-Moors, Broseley, Wolstanton, Burslem and Ashley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Norton-in-the-Moors Staffordshire
2 Broseley Shropshire
3 Wolstanton Staffordshire
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Ashley Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 008 Newcastle-under-Lyme
2 Stoke-on-Trent 009 Stoke-on-Trent
3 Newcastle-under-Lyme 004 Newcastle-under-Lyme
4 Stoke-on-Trent 005 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 003 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Plimbley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Plimbley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Plimbley, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Plimbley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Plimbley 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Plimbley 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

Plimbley is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Plimbley falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Plimbley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plimbley 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. Staffordshire leads with 45 Plimbleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.48x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 45 28.48x
Shropshire 3 7.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burslem in Staffordshire leads with 35 Plimbleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 772.63x.

Place Total Index
Burslem 35 772.63x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 41.79x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 3 652.17x
Norton In Moors 3 357.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Annie 2
Clara 2
Elizabeth 2
Hannah 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Blanche 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Jane 1
Minnie 1
Sarah 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
John 4
James 2
Joseph 2
Arthur 1
Edward 1
Ellison 1
Frederick 1
Rewben 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Plimbley households.

FAQ

Plimbley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Plimbley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 48 people were recorded with the Plimbley surname. That placed it at #26,869 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Plimbley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Plimbley a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Plimbley map show?

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