NameCensus.

UK surname

Portsmouth

In the 1881 census there were 373 people recorded with the Portsmouth surname, ranking it #8,380 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 615, ranked #8,539, down from #8,380 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kingsclere, Andover, Enham Knights and Upton with Chalvey. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Test Valley and Slough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Portsmouth is 634 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 64.9%.

1881 census count

373

Ranked #8,380

Modern count

615

2016, ranked #8,539

Peak year

2013

634 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Portsmouth had 373 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,380 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 615 in 2016, ranked #8,539.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 622 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Portsmouth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Portsmouth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Portsmouth 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 225 #9,509
1861 historical 275 #9,082
1881 historical 373 #8,380
1891 historical 449 #8,085
1901 historical 538 #7,640
1911 historical 622 #6,652
1997 modern 613 #8,027
1998 modern 617 #8,228
1999 modern 633 #8,132
2000 modern 612 #8,310
2001 modern 616 #8,128
2002 modern 623 #8,228
2003 modern 605 #8,270
2004 modern 601 #8,339
2005 modern 598 #8,288
2006 modern 610 #8,182
2007 modern 609 #8,251
2008 modern 600 #8,417
2009 modern 613 #8,461
2010 modern 632 #8,438
2011 modern 617 #8,500
2012 modern 620 #8,373
2013 modern 634 #8,367
2014 modern 629 #8,473
2015 modern 624 #8,460
2016 modern 615 #8,539

Geography

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Where Portsmouths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kingsclere, Andover, Enham Knights, Upton with Chalvey, London parishes and Harlington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Test Valley and Slough. 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 Kingsclere Hampshire
2 Andover, Enham Knights Hampshire
3 Upton with Chalvey Buckinghamshire
4 London parishes London 1
5 Harlington Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Test Valley 007 Test Valley
2 Slough 013 Slough
3 Test Valley 002 Test Valley
4 Test Valley 005 Test Valley
5 Test Valley 004 Test Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Portsmouth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Portsmouth

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

Portsmouth is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Portsmouth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Portsmouth 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. Hampshire leads with 78 Portsmouths recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.43x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 78 10.43x
Surrey 76 4.28x
Middlesex 69 1.89x
Berkshire 44 16.07x
Buckinghamshire 22 9.97x
Yorkshire 16 0.44x
Staffordshire 13 1.06x
Sussex 8 1.30x
Shropshire 7 2.22x
Worcestershire 7 1.47x
Dorset 6 2.51x
Derbyshire 5 0.88x
Hertfordshire 5 1.99x
Essex 4 0.56x
Wiltshire 4 1.24x
Gloucestershire 3 0.42x
Oxfordshire 2 0.89x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.68x
Durham 1 0.09x
Kent 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 2.30x
Warwickshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Basingstoke in Hampshire leads with 18 Portsmouths recorded in 1881 and an index of 209.30x.

Place Total Index
Basingstoke 18 209.30x
Andover 17 240.79x
Upton Cum Chalvey 14 159.27x
Castleford 11 83.59x
Hackney London 10 4.89x
Long Sutton 10 2500.00x
Shalford 10 507.61x
Chieveley 9 620.69x
Godalming 9 80.43x
Harlington 9 468.75x
Hammersmith London 8 8.90x
Stoke 8 95.35x
Tipton 8 21.21x
Dudley 7 12.09x
Isleworth 7 43.16x
Lambeth 7 2.20x
Madeley 7 60.55x
Stoke Poges 7 260.22x
Sutton 7 54.43x
Bucklebury 6 419.58x
Kingsclere 6 175.44x
Knights Enham 6 3000.00x
Rudgwick 6 428.57x
Southampton St Michael 6 243.90x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 8.17x
Wokingham 6 96.00x
Blandford Forum 5 105.93x
Croydon 5 5.07x
Ealing 5 15.34x
Earley 5 109.65x
Elstree 5 602.41x
Farnham 5 36.18x
Fulham London 5 9.45x
Shinfield 5 310.56x
St Pancras London 5 1.70x
Stapenhill 5 58.82x
Walsall Foreign 5 7.86x
East Bedfont 4 220.99x
Egham 4 36.66x
Hurstbourne Tarrant 4 380.95x
Islington London 4 1.13x
Southwark St Saviour 4 21.33x
West Ham 4 2.52x
Chelsea London 3 2.73x
Newington 3 2.23x
Reading St Giles 3 11.16x
Sherborne St John 3 375.00x
Shoreditch London 3 1.90x
Sutton Courtney 3 265.49x
Winterbourne 3 75.95x
Wombwell 3 28.46x
Bermondsey 2 1.84x
Brighton 2 1.61x
Cobham 2 68.49x
Devizes St James 2 46.62x
Devizes St John 2 82.64x
Guildford Holy Trinity 2 59.00x
Halifax 2 3.77x
Newbury 2 22.81x
Portsea 2 1.36x
Rotherfield Peppard 2 322.58x
St Marylebone London 2 1.03x
Beckenham 1 6.15x
Bentley 1 113.64x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.07x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 3.64x
Great Bookham 1 72.99x
Holdenhurst 1 5.10x
Kensington London 1 0.49x
Langley Marish 1 36.90x
Llanbeblig 1 6.68x
Portsmouth 1 5.81x
Reading St Lawrence 1 17.06x
Royal Navy 1 2.69x
Thatcham 1 23.70x
Twickenham 1 6.39x
Wallingford All Hallows 1 476.19x
West Horsley 1 133.33x
Winkfield 1 22.03x
Yateley 1 70.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Sarah 13
Elizabeth 12
Alice 10
Charlotte 10
Eliza 9
Fanny 9
Emily 7
Jane 7
Caroline 6
Harriet 6
Emma 5
Ann 4
Edith 4
Ellen 4
Florence 3
Harriett 3
Louisa 3
Amelia 2
Annie 2
Betsy 2
Kate 2
Lydia 2
Martha 2
Pheba 2
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Betsey 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Eliz.A.A. 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Euginnia 1
Eve 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Liley 1
Lily 1
Louisia 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Millicent 1
Patience 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 29
James 21
Charles 17
George 16
Henry 16
John 14
Robert 9
Thomas 8
Albert 7
Joseph 5
David 4
Edmund 3
Edward 3
Richard 3
Samuel 3
Alfred 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Sammy 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Charlie 1
Earnest 1
Ernest 1
Ernt. 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Jacob 1
Job 1
Johny 1
Matthew 1
Noah 1
Percival 1
Reginald 1
Robt. 1
Sampson 1
Stephen 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Portsmouth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Portsmouth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 373 people were recorded with the Portsmouth surname. That placed it at #8,380 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Portsmouth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 615 in 2016. That gives Portsmouth a modern rank of #8,539.

What does the Portsmouth map show?

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