NameCensus.

UK surname

Plowright

In the 1881 census there were 745 people recorded with the Plowright surname, ranking it #4,925 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 596, ranked #8,758, down from #4,925 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, King's Lynn St Margaret and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Somerset, Rushcliffe and Kettering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Plowright is 914 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.0%.

1881 census count

745

Ranked #4,925

Modern count

596

2016, ranked #8,758

Peak year

1911

914 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Plowright had 745 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,925 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 596 in 2016, ranked #8,758.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 914 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Plowright surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Plowright surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Plowright 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 518 #4,834
1861 historical 453 #5,718
1881 historical 745 #4,925
1891 historical 763 #5,228
1901 historical 849 #5,366
1911 historical 914 #4,886
1997 modern 629 #7,868
1998 modern 641 #7,986
1999 modern 638 #8,074
2000 modern 645 #7,982
2001 modern 623 #8,048
2002 modern 642 #8,032
2003 modern 622 #8,099
2004 modern 610 #8,246
2005 modern 613 #8,142
2006 modern 598 #8,302
2007 modern 600 #8,358
2008 modern 599 #8,428
2009 modern 603 #8,569
2010 modern 618 #8,587
2011 modern 614 #8,526
2012 modern 605 #8,550
2013 modern 607 #8,662
2014 modern 612 #8,667
2015 modern 600 #8,738
2016 modern 596 #8,758

Geography

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Where Plowrights are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, King's Lynn St Margaret, London parishes, Deeping, Market and Pinchbeck, Cowbit. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Somerset, Rushcliffe, Kettering, Waverley and Melton. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 Deeping, Market Lincolnshire
5 Pinchbeck, Cowbit Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Somerset 004 West Somerset
2 Rushcliffe 014 Rushcliffe
3 Kettering 003 Kettering
4 Waverley 005 Waverley
5 Melton 001 Melton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Plowright

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Plowright

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Plowright is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Plowright is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Plowright families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Plowright 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. Lincolnshire leads with 114 Plowrights recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.81x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 114 9.81x
Norfolk 100 8.95x
Nottinghamshire 93 9.49x
Northamptonshire 82 12.00x
Leicestershire 65 8.07x
Lancashire 52 0.60x
Middlesex 42 0.58x
Derbyshire 28 2.46x
Yorkshire 27 0.37x
Surrey 24 0.68x
Kent 22 0.89x
Rutland 22 41.23x
Warwickshire 13 0.71x
Cambridgeshire 10 2.17x
Cumberland 7 1.12x
Essex 7 0.49x
Cheshire 6 0.37x
Sussex 5 0.41x
Hampshire 4 0.27x
Midlothian 4 0.41x
Durham 3 0.14x
Northumberland 3 0.28x
Westmorland 3 1.88x
Flintshire 2 1.02x
Lanarkshire 2 0.09x
Dorset 1 0.21x
Hertfordshire 1 0.20x
Staffordshire 1 0.04x
Suffolk 1 0.11x
Wiltshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kings Lynn St Margaret in Norfolk leads with 38 Plowrights recorded in 1881 and an index of 113.26x.

Place Total Index
Kings Lynn St Margaret 38 113.26x
Market Deeping 26 863.79x
Ruddington 20 304.41x
Hallaton 19 1061.45x
South Lynn 18 142.74x
Benefield 16 1367.52x
Great Bowden 16 218.28x
Radford 15 30.14x
Pinchbeck 14 187.92x
Castle Rising 12 1379.31x
Oundle 12 157.07x
Clipsham 11 2000.00x
Langtoft 11 758.62x
Oldham 11 3.95x
Duddington 10 1123.60x
Grantham 10 66.05x
Nottingham St Mary 10 3.95x
Stamford All Sts 10 153.61x
Chesterfield 9 21.10x
Langar 9 849.06x
Market Harborough 9 247.25x
Shoreditch London 9 2.86x
Tonbridge 9 10.06x
Gedney 8 168.78x
Hawton 8 1126.76x
Kettering 8 28.93x
Lambeth 8 1.26x
Sheepshed 8 72.46x
Whalley 8 63.64x
Wiggenhall St Mary 8 462.43x
Buxton 7 72.69x
Croydon 7 3.56x
Maxey 7 463.58x
Medbourne 7 507.25x
Penrith 7 30.29x
Pilton 7 2258.06x
Thrumpton 7 1707.32x
Wyberton 7 434.78x
Comberbach 6 779.22x
Desborough 6 116.96x
Greenstead 6 287.08x
Hampton London 6 50.21x
Holy Trinity 6 3.46x
Lenton 6 26.01x
Barnby On Don 5 364.96x
Battersea 5 1.87x
Birmingham 5 0.82x
Cole Orton 5 335.57x
Edgbaston 5 8.80x
Everton 5 1.82x
Manchester 5 1.29x
Norwich St Giles 5 139.66x
Oakham Deanshold 5 210.08x
Spalding 5 21.68x
St Marylebone London 5 1.29x
Ardsley 4 48.19x
Ardwick 4 5.14x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 6.16x
Castle Bytham 4 245.40x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 2.92x
Deeping St James 4 97.32x
Granby Sutton 4 404.04x
Ketton 4 143.88x
Litchurch 4 8.74x
Littleport 4 45.51x
Monken Hadley 4 137.46x
Rawmarsh 4 15.72x
South Leith 4 3.65x
St Botolph Lincoln 4 47.90x
St George Hanover 4 4.22x
Swaffham 4 44.00x
Alnwick 3 16.14x
Eye 3 91.74x
Greasley 3 13.57x
Hunstanton 3 79.58x
Ockbrook 3 62.11x
Preston 3 14.02x
Rochester St Margaret 3 11.47x
Stanhope 3 13.44x
Sulby 3 1500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 56
Elizabeth 43
Sarah 30
Eliza 15
Annie 14
Emma 14
Jane 14
Alice 11
Ann 9
Ellen 9
Martha 9
Caroline 7
Emily 7
Catherine 6
Louisa 6
Florence 5
Susan 5
Susannah 5
Ada 4
Edith 4
Fanny 4
Frances 4
Hannah 4
Kate 4
Rebecca 4
Agnes 3
Amelia 3
Anna 3
Anne 3
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Harriett 3
Isabella 3
Maria 3
Augusta 2
Charlotte 2
Eleanor 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Lilian 2
Lizzie 2
Margarett 2
Matilda 2
Mirriam 2
Rachel 2
Betsy 1
Elizth.A. 1
Ellenor 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 51
William 47
George 26
Thomas 26
Henry 24
James 24
Charles 19
Edward 13
Robert 12
Joseph 11
Walter 9
Frederick 8
Richard 7
Arthur 6
Samuel 6
Herbert 5
Alfred 4
Isaac 4
Wm. 4
Edmund 3
Harry 3
Willie 3
Ebenezer 2
Fred 2
Askew 1
Augustine 1
Carter 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
Cyril 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Floria 1
Fredk. 1
Geo.H. 1
Horrace 1
Johnathon 1
Jonathan 1
Jonathon 1
Josiah 1
Michael 1
Nicholas 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Saml. 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Plowright surname: questions and answers

How common was the Plowright surname in 1881?

In 1881, 745 people were recorded with the Plowright surname. That placed it at #4,925 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Plowright surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 596 in 2016. That gives Plowright a modern rank of #8,758.

What does the Plowright map show?

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