NameCensus.

UK surname

Pointer

An occupational surname for a person who trained hunting dogs or operated a piece of equipment called a pointer.

In the 1881 census there were 1,264 people recorded with the Pointer surname, ranking it #3,224 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,508, ranked #4,102, down from #3,224 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Margate and Birchington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Norwich, Isle of Wight and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pointer is 1,681 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.3%.

1881 census count

1,264

Ranked #3,224

Modern count

1,508

2016, ranked #4,102

Peak year

1999

1,681 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pointer had 1,264 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,224 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,508 in 2016, ranked #4,102.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,657 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pointer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pointer surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pointer 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 941 #2,950
1861 historical 795 #3,460
1881 historical 1,264 #3,224
1891 historical 1,265 #3,415
1901 historical 1,576 #3,271
1911 historical 1,657 #2,947
1997 modern 1,625 #3,645
1998 modern 1,675 #3,679
1999 modern 1,681 #3,694
2000 modern 1,665 #3,705
2001 modern 1,611 #3,752
2002 modern 1,642 #3,749
2003 modern 1,578 #3,819
2004 modern 1,545 #3,897
2005 modern 1,504 #3,951
2006 modern 1,520 #3,919
2007 modern 1,518 #3,956
2008 modern 1,497 #4,039
2009 modern 1,499 #4,123
2010 modern 1,548 #4,086
2011 modern 1,507 #4,141
2012 modern 1,491 #4,117
2013 modern 1,525 #4,099
2014 modern 1,525 #4,122
2015 modern 1,492 #4,162
2016 modern 1,508 #4,102

Geography

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Where Pointers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Margate, Birchington, Wellow, West and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Norwich, Isle of Wight, Aylesbury Vale and Broadland. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Margate Kent
3 Birchington Kent
4 Wellow, West Hampshire
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Norwich 003 Norwich
2 Isle of Wight 009 Isle of Wight
3 Aylesbury Vale 010 Aylesbury Vale
4 Broadland 004 Broadland
5 Broadland 009 Broadland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pointer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pointer

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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Pointer is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Pointer 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

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

Meaning and origin of Pointer

The surname Pointer is of English origin, and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is an occupational name given to someone who worked as a pointer, someone who repaired or maintained hunting hounds' tails by docking or trimming them. The name is derived from the Old English word "punta", meaning to point or dock.

Early examples of the surname can be found in various records from the 13th century onwards. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Robert le Poynter, mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1207. Another early appearance is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1230, where a William Poynter is listed.

The surname is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, although the spelling is slightly different. The entry "Alwinus Pointor" is recorded as a landholder in Nottinghamshire.

Over the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Poynter, Poyntour, Poyntere, and Pointer. Some of these variations can be found in historical records from different regions of England.

One notable bearer of the Pointer surname was John Pointer (c. 1520-1584), an English Protestant reformer and author who wrote several religious works during the Reformation. Another was Richard Pointer (c. 1600-1667), an English MP who represented Ipswich in the Long Parliament.

In the 18th century, John Pointer (1737-1801) was a prominent English engraver and painter, known for his landscapes and portraits. He was a member of the Royal Academy.

Moving into the 19th century, Samuel Pointer (1805-1870) was an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Paul in Wilton Place.

Finally, one of the more recent historical figures with this surname was Sir James Pointer (1876-1954), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as Governor of Bermuda from 1933 to 1938.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pointer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pointer 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. Norfolk leads with 284 Pointers recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.94x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 284 14.94x
Kent 244 5.79x
Hampshire 141 5.57x
Middlesex 117 0.95x
Surrey 69 1.15x
Berkshire 46 4.96x
Lancashire 40 0.27x
Wiltshire 28 2.56x
Northumberland 26 1.41x
Staffordshire 26 0.62x
Cambridgeshire 21 2.68x
Yorkshire 21 0.17x
Sussex 19 0.91x
Bedfordshire 18 2.81x
Devon 17 0.66x
Worcestershire 17 1.05x
Warwickshire 15 0.48x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.84x
Buckinghamshire 12 1.61x
Cornwall 12 0.86x
Hertfordshire 12 1.41x
Essex 9 0.37x
Gloucestershire 9 0.37x
Dorset 7 0.86x
Suffolk 7 0.47x
Cheshire 6 0.22x
Northamptonshire 6 0.52x
Derbyshire 5 0.26x
Leicestershire 4 0.29x
Somerset 4 0.20x
Durham 3 0.08x
Channel Islands 2 0.55x
Lincolnshire 2 0.10x
Oxfordshire 2 0.26x
Isle of Man 1 0.44x
Shropshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birchington in Kent leads with 31 Pointers recorded in 1881 and an index of 525.42x.

Place Total Index
Birchington 31 525.42x
West Wellow 25 1024.59x
Margate St John Baptist 22 28.49x
Norwich St Clement 22 99.86x
Drayton 21 798.48x
Horsham St Faith 21 662.46x
St Lawrence 21 72.44x
Sprowston 20 238.38x
St Peters 19 97.39x
Stone In Dartford 19 175.60x
East Ruston 18 638.30x
East Wellow 18 1333.33x
Lambeth 18 1.67x
St Marylebone London 18 2.73x
Romsey Extra 16 106.17x
Terrington St Clement 15 174.83x
Worstead 15 460.12x
Briningham 14 1272.73x
Foulden 14 717.95x
Leighton Buzzard 14 50.85x
Southampton St Mary 13 8.16x
Hempstead 12 677.97x
Ombersley 12 133.48x
West Malling 12 126.45x
Bentworth 11 466.10x
Horton Kirby 11 168.71x
Kensington London 11 1.60x
Worksop 11 22.26x
Newport 10 72.78x
Poplar London 10 4.29x
Bexley 9 24.14x
Brill 9 164.23x
Glandford Cum Bayfield 9 2000.00x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 9 15.78x
Southfleet 9 230.77x
Twickenham 9 16.98x
Battersea 8 1.76x
Binham 8 396.04x
Burslem 8 6.69x
Chatteris 8 40.06x
Cowpen 8 18.89x
Docking 8 133.78x
Southampton All Sts 8 18.40x
Tottenham 8 4.06x
Audley 7 16.96x
Birmingham 7 0.67x
Brighton 7 1.67x
Cornwood 7 142.28x
Freefolk Manor 7 1166.67x
Heigham 7 6.86x
Kirkdale 7 2.84x
Lanreath 7 292.89x
North Mimms 7 130.60x
Norwich St Augustine 7 91.38x
Norwich St James 7 46.95x
Portsea 7 1.41x
Shaftesbury St Peter 7 184.70x
St Peter Cambridge 7 266.16x
St Thomas Winchester 7 39.13x
Sutton Wick 7 472.97x
Basingstoke 6 20.59x
Briston 6 166.67x
Bromley London 6 2.21x
Frindsbury 6 37.76x
Fring 6 810.81x
Haddenham 6 81.52x
Higham 6 105.45x
Holywell 6 63.42x
Islington London 6 0.50x
Marcham 6 180.18x
Newington 6 1.31x
Radcliffe 6 8.49x
Ramsgate 6 8.72x
Rugby 6 14.23x
Speldhurst 6 27.95x
Swinton In Rotherham 6 18.52x
Walcott 6 1176.47x
Wallsend 6 10.29x
Warrington 6 3.45x
Faversham 5 12.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 64
Elizabeth 59
Sarah 38
Ann 24
Eliza 21
Emma 21
Alice 20
Ellen 20
Jane 17
Charlotte 15
Emily 15
Florence 14
Maria 12
Fanny 11
Louisa 11
Frances 10
Hannah 10
Caroline 9
Edith 9
Harriet 9
Annie 8
Martha 7
Agnes 6
Anna 6
Minnie 6
Harriett 5
Henrietta 5
Lucy 5
Sophia 5
Susan 5
Anne 4
Georgina 4
Isabella 4
Kate 4
Margaret 4
Abigail 3
Amy 3
Catherine 3
Clara 3
Elizebeth 3
Esther 3
Lydia 3
Rebecca 3
Rose 3
Susanna 3
Ada 2
Betsy 2
Dora 2
Lily 2
Maryann 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 77
George 69
John 61
James 50
Thomas 43
Charles 39
Henry 33
Robert 28
Arthur 20
Alfred 14
Albert 13
Edward 12
Harry 12
Samuel 12
Frederick 10
Joseph 10
Walter 8
Ernest 7
Wm. 7
Francis 6
Benjamin 5
Edwin 5
Frank 5
Herbert 5
Richard 5
Augustus 4
Christopher 4
Daniel 3
Fred 3
Horace 3
Philip 3
Charlie 2
Chas. 2
Edmund 2
Fredrick 2
Jeremiah 2
Oliver 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
S.J. 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Benjaman 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Edwd. 1
Giles 1
Gorge 1
H. 1
Wyndham 1

FAQ

Pointer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pointer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,264 people were recorded with the Pointer surname. That placed it at #3,224 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pointer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,508 in 2016. That gives Pointer a modern rank of #4,102.

What does the Pointer surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who trained hunting dogs or operated a piece of equipment called a pointer.

What does the Pointer map show?

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