NameCensus.

UK surname

Pope

An occupational surname referring to a clergyman, priest, or someone who worked for the Catholic Church.

In the 1881 census there were 10,286 people recorded with the Pope surname, ranking it #417 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,640, ranked #509, down from #417 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, West Somerset and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pope is 13,475 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.9%.

1881 census count

10,286

Ranked #417

Modern count

12,640

2016, ranked #509

Peak year

1911

13,475 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pope had 10,286 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #417 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,640 in 2016, ranked #509.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13,475 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pope surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pope surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pope 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 7,048 #396
1861 historical 6,332 #441
1881 historical 10,286 #417
1891 historical 10,559 #419
1901 historical 12,280 #428
1911 historical 13,475 #361
1997 modern 12,793 #475
1998 modern 13,297 #474
1999 modern 13,380 #474
2000 modern 13,353 #471
2001 modern 13,034 #472
2002 modern 13,247 #477
2003 modern 12,790 #482
2004 modern 12,767 #480
2005 modern 12,422 #493
2006 modern 12,343 #496
2007 modern 12,310 #503
2008 modern 12,363 #508
2009 modern 12,603 #509
2010 modern 12,873 #509
2011 modern 12,636 #509
2012 modern 12,470 #509
2013 modern 12,848 #501
2014 modern 12,889 #508
2015 modern 12,750 #508
2016 modern 12,640 #509

Geography

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Where Popes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lambeth and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, West Somerset, Sefton, King's Lynn and West Norfolk 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 008 Caerphilly
2 West Somerset 003 West Somerset
3 Sefton 021 Sefton
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 023 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pope

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pope

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pope is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pope 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

Pope falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pope

The surname POPE is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is a occupational name derived from the Middle English word "pope," which was a title used for a priest or the leader of the Christian church.

The name likely originated from areas where the ecclesiastical authority of the Pope was particularly strong, such as in parts of southern England. It may have initially been used as a nickname for someone who worked closely with the church or held a position of authority within the clergy.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, one of the earliest surviving public records in England, a man named Roger Pope is mentioned as holding land in Gloucestershire. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 13th century.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname POPE. However, it does mention several individuals with the first name "Pope," indicating that the title was in use at the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname POPE can be found in the 13th century. In 1275, a man named Walter Pope was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire. This document was a financial record kept by the English Exchequer.

Another early example is Sir Thomas Pope (c. 1507-1559), a prominent figure in Tudor England. He was the founder of Trinity College, Oxford, and served as a member of Parliament and a privy councillor under King Henry VIII and Queen Mary I.

Other notable individuals with the surname POPE include:

1. Alexander Pope (1688-1744), an English poet and satirist, best known for his works "The Rape of the Lock" and translations of Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey." 2. John Pope (1822-1892), a career United States Army officer who served as a general during the American Civil War. 3. Nathaniel Pope (1784-1850), an American politician and jurist who served as the Secretary of the Illinois Territory and as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Illinois. 4. William Pope (1803-1879), an English architect who designed numerous churches and public buildings in London and other parts of England during the 19th century. 5. Jane Pope (c. 1566-1614), an English playwright and poet who was one of the first professional female writers in English literature.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pope families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pope 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. Middlesex leads with 1,609 Popes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.60x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,609 1.60x
Kent 741 2.16x
Devon 720 3.44x
Surrey 688 1.40x
Somerset 620 3.83x
Hampshire 566 2.74x
Lancashire 541 0.45x
Staffordshire 444 1.31x
Sussex 428 2.52x
Gloucestershire 416 2.11x
Cornwall 410 3.60x
Dorset 317 4.80x
Berkshire 218 2.88x
Cambridgeshire 198 3.10x
Worcestershire 169 1.29x
Monmouthshire 166 2.28x
Warwickshire 164 0.65x
Yorkshire 148 0.15x
Wiltshire 144 1.62x
Norfolk 135 0.87x
Glamorgan 130 0.74x
Shropshire 123 1.41x
Hertfordshire 110 1.58x
Durham 96 0.32x
Bedfordshire 87 1.67x
Derbyshire 84 0.53x
Essex 84 0.42x
Cheshire 77 0.35x
Aberdeenshire 67 0.72x
Suffolk 66 0.54x
Lincolnshire 59 0.37x
Northamptonshire 47 0.50x
Leicestershire 44 0.39x
Herefordshire 40 0.97x
Huntingdonshire 40 2.00x
Oxfordshire 39 0.63x
Northumberland 35 0.23x
Buckinghamshire 33 0.54x
Lanarkshire 31 0.10x
Cumberland 18 0.21x
Sutherland 17 2.20x
Nottinghamshire 15 0.11x
Angus 14 0.15x
Midlothian 13 0.10x
Channel Islands 12 0.40x
Pembrokeshire 12 0.38x
Fife 11 0.18x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 0.75x
Royal Navy 11 0.92x
Ayrshire 10 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 8 0.19x
Anglesey 6 0.34x
Ross-shire 6 0.22x
Dunbartonshire 5 0.18x
Kincardineshire 3 0.24x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.13x
Denbighshire 2 0.05x
Isle of Man 2 0.11x
Perthshire 2 0.04x
Berwickshire 1 0.08x
Caithness 1 0.07x
Flintshire 1 0.04x
Inverness-shire 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.05x
Stirlingshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 171 Popes recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.74x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 171 4.74x
Islington London 152 1.56x
Camberwell 127 1.97x
Lambeth 121 1.38x
Portsea 102 2.52x
Bermondsey 92 3.07x
St Pancras London 90 1.11x
St Marylebone London 89 1.66x
Hackney London 88 1.56x
St George Hanover 77 5.86x
Folkestone 76 11.40x
Kensington London 76 1.36x
Mile End Old Town 74 4.66x
Bedminster 73 4.79x
Bethnal Green London 70 1.60x
Shoreditch London 67 1.54x
Birmingham 66 0.78x
Paddington London 66 1.78x
Frome 64 16.51x
Brighton 62 1.81x
Hayes 62 60.34x
Tormoham 62 6.99x
Breage 57 54.78x
Plymouth St Andrew 52 3.22x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 50 2.69x
Hammersmith London 50 2.02x
Sherborne 49 25.18x
Clerkenwell London 47 1.98x
Rye 47 29.13x
Southampton St Mary 47 3.62x
Lydd 45 61.18x
Christchurch 44 9.83x
Aberdeen Old Machar 43 2.21x
St Luke London 43 2.66x
Kingswinford 42 3.40x
Okeford Fitzpaine 42 198.77x
Burwash 40 50.79x
Croydon 40 1.47x
Newington 40 1.08x
Ilchester 39 165.68x
Biggleswade 38 22.25x
Poplar London 38 2.00x
St George In East 38 5.55x
West Ham 38 0.87x
Lydiate 36 96.72x
Bristol St George 35 3.83x
Long Sutton 35 115.93x
Falmouth 34 8.43x
Bristol St James St Paul 33 5.01x
Eastbourne 33 4.22x
Battersea 32 0.86x
Chelsea London 32 1.05x
Hampstead London 32 2.04x
Liverpool 32 0.44x
Padstow 32 42.24x
Toxteth Park 32 0.79x
Westbury On Trym 32 4.78x
Wigan 32 1.92x
Plymouth Charles The 31 3.36x
Crediton 30 15.11x
St Woollos 30 3.69x
Tottenham 30 1.87x
Broseley 29 18.76x
Deptford St Paul 29 1.09x
Maidstone 29 2.83x
Tettenhall 29 13.96x
Aston 28 0.40x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 28 10.07x
Hornsey 28 2.20x
Southwark St George Martyr 28 1.38x
Wolstanton 28 2.71x
Hailsham 27 26.28x
Paignton 27 16.93x
Walcot 27 3.13x
Bristol St Paul In 26 4.94x
Exeter St Sidwell 26 5.42x
Newport 26 7.49x
Ringwood 26 19.69x
Tonbridge 26 2.10x
Watford 26 4.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 649
Elizabeth 403
Sarah 325
Jane 188
Ann 178
Eliza 178
Alice 169
Emma 166
Annie 154
Ellen 145
Emily 137
Louisa 88
Martha 82
Caroline 77
Fanny 76
Edith 69
Charlotte 67
Hannah 66
Maria 65
Harriet 60
Margaret 60
Florence 59
Kate 52
Susan 52
Ada 46
Frances 46
Amelia 45
Catherine 42
Jessie 40
Lucy 40
Anne 38
Clara 37
Harriett 35
Agnes 34
Rose 33
Elizth. 28
Matilda 28
Rebecca 25
Sophia 25
Amy 23
Anna 23
Bessie 22
Laura 22
Esther 20
Gertrude 19
Julia 19
Ruth 18
Susannah 18
Isabella 17
Rachel 17

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 653
John 511
George 386
James 329
Thomas 270
Henry 249
Charles 239
Alfred 133
Edward 133
Joseph 132
Frederick 109
Samuel 97
Richard 96
Robert 93
Arthur 90
Albert 86
Walter 73
Harry 70
Edwin 58
Frank 51
Herbert 43
Ernest 38
Francis 35
Stephen 35
Benjamin 29
David 28
Wm. 28
Alexander 22
Fred 20
Daniel 18
Fredrick 17
Peter 16
Thos. 16
Fredk. 14
Jacob 14
Sidney 14
Isaac 12
Tom 12
Andrew 11
Mark 11
Edgar 10
Reginald 10
Sydney 10
Edmund 9
Horace 9
Willm. 9
Abraham 8
Augustus 8
Infant 8
Jesse 8

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 Pope households.

FAQ

Pope surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pope surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10,286 people were recorded with the Pope surname. That placed it at #417 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pope surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,640 in 2016. That gives Pope a modern rank of #509.

What does the Pope surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a clergyman, priest, or someone who worked for the Catholic Church.

What does the Pope map show?

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