NameCensus.

UK surname

Post

An occupational surname referring to a messenger, courier, or gatekeeper.

In the 1881 census there were 342 people recorded with the Post surname, ranking it #8,902 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 395, ranked #11,991, down from #8,902 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and East Grinstead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rother, Wealden and Hastings.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Post is 473 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.5%.

1881 census count

342

Ranked #8,902

Modern count

395

2016, ranked #11,991

Peak year

1911

473 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Post had 342 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,902 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 395 in 2016, ranked #11,991.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 473 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Post surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Post surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Post 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 196 #10,573
1861 historical 176 #13,335
1881 historical 342 #8,902
1891 historical 339 #10,089
1901 historical 450 #8,700
1911 historical 473 #8,179
1997 modern 376 #11,533
1998 modern 391 #11,539
1999 modern 389 #11,678
2000 modern 371 #12,052
2001 modern 372 #11,855
2002 modern 376 #11,989
2003 modern 363 #12,096
2004 modern 374 #11,843
2005 modern 358 #12,176
2006 modern 360 #12,198
2007 modern 371 #12,053
2008 modern 377 #12,014
2009 modern 397 #11,793
2010 modern 398 #12,039
2011 modern 387 #12,142
2012 modern 396 #11,807
2013 modern 392 #12,100
2014 modern 406 #11,865
2015 modern 405 #11,800
2016 modern 395 #11,991

Geography

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Where Posts are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Rother, Wealden, Hastings and Three Rivers. 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 East Grinstead Sussex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Battersea London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rother 001 Rother
2 Wealden 014 Wealden
3 Rother 003 Rother
4 Hastings 001 Hastings
5 Three Rivers 008 Three Rivers

Forenames

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First names often paired with Post

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Post

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

Post is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Post

The surname "Post" is of German and Dutch origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old High German word "bosta," meaning a post or pillar, which was often used to mark boundaries or to support structures.

The name first appeared in areas of what is now modern-day Germany and the Netherlands, particularly in the regions of Westphalia and Rhineland. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval documents and records from these areas, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest known references to the name "Post" is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, which mentions a person named "Conrad Post" in a document dated 1282.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Liber Radicum, a register of landowners in the Duchy of Brabant (now part of Belgium and the Netherlands), where a person named "Henricus Post" was listed as a landowner in the village of Herentals in 1368.

During the 15th century, the name "Post" began to spread to other parts of Europe, particularly to England and Scotland, where it was sometimes anglicized to "Poste" or "Postle." One notable figure from this period was John Poste (c. 1470-1540), a medieval English scholar and author who wrote a famous treatise on logic.

In the 16th century, the name "Post" appeared in the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), which played a significant role in the colonization of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). One of the earliest recorded VOC employees with this surname was Adriaen Jacobsz Post (c. 1580-1650), who served as a ship's captain and explorer for the company.

Another notable figure from this period was Pieter Post (1608-1669), a Dutch architect and sculptor who is considered one of the key figures in the development of Dutch Classicism. He designed several notable buildings in the Netherlands, including the Mauritshuis in The Hague.

As the name spread across Europe and beyond, it was adopted by various families and individuals, some of whom became prominent in their respective fields. For example, Emily Post (1872-1960) was an American author and etiquette expert who wrote several influential books on manners and social conduct.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Post families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Post 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. Kent leads with 108 Posts recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.57x.

County Total Index
Kent 108 9.57x
Surrey 46 2.86x
Sussex 45 8.07x
Middlesex 39 1.18x
Lincolnshire 23 4.35x
Gloucestershire 15 2.31x
Essex 13 1.99x
Renfrewshire 11 4.29x
Somerset 9 1.69x
Buckinghamshire 3 1.50x
Dorset 3 1.38x
Glamorgan 3 0.52x
Hampshire 3 0.44x
Warwickshire 3 0.36x
Yorkshire 3 0.09x
Durham 2 0.20x
Lancashire 2 0.05x
Leicestershire 2 0.55x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.45x
Derbyshire 1 0.19x
Devon 1 0.15x
Hertfordshire 1 0.44x
Staffordshire 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. Willesborough in Kent leads with 32 Posts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1056.11x.

Place Total Index
Willesborough 32 1056.11x
East Grinstead 24 304.18x
Aldington 17 2207.79x
Battersea 10 8.22x
East Greenock 10 41.32x
Lenham 10 444.44x
Bedminster 9 17.99x
Brighton 9 8.00x
Ashford 7 63.69x
Gainsborough 7 56.18x
Horfield 7 107.20x
Kensington London 7 3.81x
Leyton 7 62.28x
Reigate Foreign 7 40.11x
Bethnal Green London 6 4.18x
Ifield 6 258.62x
Rotherhithe 6 14.68x
Scunthorpe 6 252.10x
Great Chart 5 595.24x
Preston Next Faversham 5 188.68x
Wroot 5 1250.00x
Chatham 4 12.89x
Newington 4 3.27x
Paddington London 4 3.29x
Richmond 4 17.71x
West Ham 4 2.78x
Worth 4 98.77x
Aberdare 3 7.59x
Bradwell 3 106.76x
Bristol St Michael 3 53.96x
Bromley London 3 4.12x
Chelsea London 3 3.01x
Clapham 3 7.26x
Eastry 3 192.31x
Faversham 3 27.88x
Islington London 3 0.94x
Kingston On Thames 3 7.75x
Lympne 3 468.75x
St Pancras London 3 1.13x
Wootton Wawen 3 114.07x
Bristol St Augustine 2 19.10x
Camberwell 2 0.95x
Croydon 2 2.24x
Hucknall Under 2 86.96x
Kibworth Harcourt 2 392.16x
Kirton In Lindsey 2 95.24x
Limehouse London 2 5.51x
Manchester 2 1.13x
Margate St John Baptist 2 9.68x
Minster In Thanet 2 85.11x
St Marylebone London 2 1.13x
Trimdon 2 57.47x
Wareham St Martin 2 240.96x
Westminster St John 2 4.97x
Bilsington 1 232.56x
Boxgrove 1 123.46x
Burton Upon Trent 1 3.83x
Chilham 1 62.11x
Clifton 1 3.05x
Epsom 1 12.74x
Folkestone 1 4.57x
Halifax 1 2.08x
Havant 1 29.15x
Hedon 1 90.91x
Holy Trinity 1 1.27x
Lambeth 1 0.35x
Litchurch 1 4.80x
Lynsted 1 68.49x
Manton 1 625.00x
New Romney 1 86.21x
Ospringe 1 71.94x
Petersfield 1 53.76x
Saltwood 1 126.58x
St George Hanover 1 2.32x
Stapleton 1 8.13x
Streatham 1 4.08x
Walthamstow 1 4.26x
Wanstead 1 8.75x
Whitechapel London 1 3.07x
Willoughton 1 169.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 14
Sarah 8
Ellen 6
Emily 6
Harriet 6
Alice 5
Ann 5
Annie 4
Charlotte 4
Emma 4
Jane 4
Catherine 3
Eleanor 3
Eliza 3
Hannah 3
Lilly 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Dove 2
Edith 2
Kate 2
L. 2
Lucy 2
Minnie 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Cassa 1
Catharine 1
Charlott 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.A. 1
Esta 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Henrietta 1
Joannah 1
John 1
Lavinia 1
Lillian 1
Louise 1
Mabel 1
Victorina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
John 18
James 15
Thomas 15
Edward 12
George 9
Alfred 8
Frederick 6
Arthur 5
Charles 5
Richard 5
Henry 4
Joseph 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Robert 2
Solomon 2
Adolphus 1
Archibold 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Hiram 1
Hurbert 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Louis 1
Otto 1
P.William 1
Percy 1
Richd.Jno. 1
Stephen 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Post surname: questions and answers

How common was the Post surname in 1881?

In 1881, 342 people were recorded with the Post surname. That placed it at #8,902 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Post surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 395 in 2016. That gives Post a modern rank of #11,991.

What does the Post surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a messenger, courier, or gatekeeper.

What does the Post map show?

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