NameCensus.

UK surname

Pomeroy

From the French place name "Pommeraie," meaning "apple orchard," likely referring to someone who lived near or tended one.

In the 1881 census there were 814 people recorded with the Pomeroy surname, ranking it #4,595 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,125, ranked #5,239, down from #4,595 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge, West Dorset and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pomeroy is 1,234 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.2%.

1881 census count

814

Ranked #4,595

Modern count

1,125

2016, ranked #5,239

Peak year

2002

1,234 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pomeroy had 814 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,595 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,125 in 2016, ranked #5,239.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,142 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pomeroy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pomeroy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pomeroy 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 408 #5,946
1861 historical 453 #5,718
1881 historical 814 #4,595
1891 historical 903 #4,563
1901 historical 1,033 #4,629
1911 historical 1,142 #4,088
1997 modern 1,167 #4,830
1998 modern 1,222 #4,811
1999 modern 1,231 #4,811
2000 modern 1,214 #4,848
2001 modern 1,197 #4,806
2002 modern 1,234 #4,779
2003 modern 1,170 #4,907
2004 modern 1,191 #4,840
2005 modern 1,178 #4,836
2006 modern 1,138 #4,982
2007 modern 1,129 #5,072
2008 modern 1,136 #5,083
2009 modern 1,159 #5,099
2010 modern 1,201 #5,041
2011 modern 1,193 #5,010
2012 modern 1,148 #5,095
2013 modern 1,160 #5,139
2014 modern 1,157 #5,175
2015 modern 1,151 #5,154
2016 modern 1,125 #5,239

Geography

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Where Pomeroys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge, West Dorset, Cornwall and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 008 Torridge
2 West Dorset 003 West Dorset
3 Cornwall 039 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 036 Cornwall
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 014 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pomeroy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pomeroy

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

Pomeroy is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pomeroy falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pomeroy

The surname Pomeroy has its origins in the village of Pomeroy, located in the Ille-et-Vilaine department of Brittany, France. The name is derived from the Old French words "pomme" meaning apple, and "roi" meaning king or chief, suggesting that the place name may have originally referred to an apple orchard owned by a prominent individual.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Pomeroy can be found in the Domesday Book, a detailed survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This record lists a Norman knight named Ralphe de la Pomeraie, who held lands in Devonshire, England, indicating that the family had already established itself in England by the late 11th century.

In the 12th century, Sir Henry de Pomeroy accompanied King Richard I on the Third Crusade to the Holy Land, and his exploits are documented in several contemporary chronicles. Another notable member of the family was Sir Thomas Pomeroy (1370-1416), who served as a knight of the shire for Devon and fought in the Wars of the Roses.

During the English Civil War, Sir Edward Pomeroy (1619-1672) was a staunch Royalist and fought alongside King Charles I. He was later forced to sell his estates to pay fines imposed by the Parliamentarians.

In the 18th century, John Pomeroy (1718-1789) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Massachusetts, and his descendants played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War. One of his sons, Seth Pomeroy (1706-1777), was a renowned military leader who participated in the Battles of Bunker Hill and Saratoga.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir George Pomeroy-Colley (1835-1881), a British army officer who served in various campaigns across the British Empire, including the Second Anglo-Afghan War and the First Boer War, where he was killed in action at the Battle of Majuba Hill.

Throughout its history, the Pomeroy surname has been subject to various spellings, including Pomeraie, Pomeraye, Pomraye, and Pommeroy, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the regions where the name was prevalent.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pomeroy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pomeroy 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. Devon leads with 230 Pomeroys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.63x.

County Total Index
Devon 230 13.63x
Dorset 112 21.05x
Middlesex 85 1.05x
Cornwall 73 7.95x
Hampshire 52 3.13x
Surrey 48 1.22x
Gloucestershire 42 2.64x
Somerset 40 3.07x
Worcestershire 20 1.89x
Monmouthshire 14 2.39x
Channel Islands 13 5.41x
Pembrokeshire 13 5.05x
Lancashire 12 0.12x
Essex 10 0.62x
Staffordshire 10 0.37x
Norfolk 8 0.64x
Wiltshire 7 0.98x
Berkshire 6 0.99x
Cumberland 5 0.72x
Yorkshire 5 0.06x
Cheshire 4 0.22x
Lincolnshire 4 0.31x
Warwickshire 4 0.20x
Durham 3 0.12x
Kent 3 0.11x
Royal Navy 3 3.11x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.19x
Northumberland 1 0.08x
Oxfordshire 1 0.20x
Renfrewshire 1 0.16x
Rutland 1 1.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 40 Pomeroys recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.77x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 40 30.77x
Symondsbury 28 825.96x
Allington 21 443.04x
Southampton St Mary 21 20.10x
Netherbury 18 409.09x
Brixham 16 81.84x
Bethnal Green London 14 3.98x
Battersea 13 4.36x
Stoke Damerel 12 10.16x
Taunton St James 12 63.06x
Camborne 11 29.09x
Hackney London 11 2.42x
Lambeth 11 1.56x
Aldershot 10 17.97x
Bristol St Michael 10 73.37x
Gorran 10 387.60x
Kidderminster Borough 10 16.14x
Stinsford 10 1063.83x
Tottenham 10 7.75x
Combe Raleigh 9 1406.25x
Darlaston 9 23.80x
Hartland 9 171.43x
St Davids 9 154.37x
St Woollos 9 13.76x
Tavistock 9 46.83x
Westbury On Trym 9 16.71x
Colaton Raleigh 8 384.62x
Cropthorne 8 408.16x
Fulham London 8 6.81x
Luppitt 8 479.04x
Menheniot 8 209.97x
Ryme Instrinsica 8 1428.57x
St Marylebone London 8 1.85x
Bristol St George 7 9.52x
Exeter St Sidwell 7 18.12x
Honiton 7 74.95x
Portsea 7 2.15x
Stocklinch Magdalen 7 2500.00x
Totnes 7 70.92x
Walton On Thames 7 38.59x
Wymondham 7 54.95x
Ashburton 6 74.35x
Holdenhurst 6 13.77x
Newton Abbot St Mary 6 42.40x
Northwood 6 25.36x
Trowbridge 6 18.93x
Beaminster 5 84.60x
Bodmin 5 32.94x
Bridport 5 45.66x
Christchurch 5 27.58x
Clifton 5 6.22x
Fordington 5 43.63x
Hammersmith London 5 2.50x
Horfield 5 31.25x
Kilkhampton 5 184.50x
Maker 5 58.96x
Modbury 5 116.01x
Ottery St Mary 5 45.17x
Quethiock 5 370.37x
Radcliffe 5 10.78x
St Martin 5 33.99x
St Sampson 5 46.21x
Wetheral 5 54.11x
Woodbury 5 100.00x
Yeovil 5 18.86x
Barking 4 8.54x
Barnstaple 4 15.10x
East Coker 4 139.86x
Haverfordwest St Thomas 4 77.52x
Langport Eastover 4 211.64x
Liscard 4 12.41x
North Hill 4 136.05x
Plymouth Charles The 4 5.38x
Queen Camel 4 261.44x
Reading St Giles 4 6.70x
Salcombe Regis 4 253.16x
St Budeaux 4 76.19x
Stonehouse East 4 46.73x
Tormoham 4 5.60x
Willesden 4 5.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 52
Elizabeth 36
Sarah 29
Jane 19
Ann 16
Emma 16
Alice 15
Annie 15
Eliza 14
Ellen 10
Emily 9
Kate 8
Maria 8
Harriet 6
Louisa 6
Ada 5
Charlotte 5
Martha 5
Catherine 4
Florence 4
Helen 4
Matilda 4
Susan 4
Bertha 3
Bessie 3
Caroline 3
Edith 3
Eva 3
Fanny 3
Sophia 3
Anna 2
Anne 2
Ethel 2
Everilda 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Hannah 2
Harriett 2
Henrietta 2
Isabel 2
Jeannette 2
Jennetta 2
Lydia 2
M.A. 2
Mabel 2
Marion 2
Minnie 2
Selina 2
C.S. 1
Elizh. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 60
John 42
George 26
James 26
Henry 24
Charles 23
Samuel 13
Thomas 13
Joseph 11
Robert 10
Arthur 9
Richard 9
Edward 8
Walter 8
Albert 7
Frederick 7
Alfred 6
Ernest 5
Philip 5
Ralph 5
Sidney 5
Frank 4
Fred 4
Francis 3
Harry 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Alexander 2
Ambrose 2
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Fredk. 2
Harrison 2
Joshua 2
Leonard 2
Nicholas 2
Alvan 1
Chas. 1
Chas.H. 1
Emanuel 1
Emma 1
Emmanuel 1
Forest 1
Herbert 1
Herbt.Ch. 1
Hugh 1
Infant 1
Wyndham 1

FAQ

Pomeroy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pomeroy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 814 people were recorded with the Pomeroy surname. That placed it at #4,595 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pomeroy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,125 in 2016. That gives Pomeroy a modern rank of #5,239.

What does the Pomeroy surname mean?

From the French place name "Pommeraie," meaning "apple orchard," likely referring to someone who lived near or tended one.

What does the Pomeroy map show?

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