NameCensus.

UK surname

Pound

An English occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a keeper of animal enclosures or pinfolds.

In the 1881 census there were 1,430 people recorded with the Pound surname, ranking it #2,914 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,630, ranked #3,816, down from #2,914 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, South Hams and Malvern Hills.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pound is 1,833 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.0%.

1881 census count

1,430

Ranked #2,914

Modern count

1,630

2016, ranked #3,816

Peak year

1911

1,833 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pound had 1,430 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,914 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,630 in 2016, ranked #3,816.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,833 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pound surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pound surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Pound 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 929 #2,975
1861 historical 936 #2,959
1881 historical 1,430 #2,914
1891 historical 1,404 #3,101
1901 historical 1,720 #3,010
1911 historical 1,833 #2,690
1997 modern 1,719 #3,466
1998 modern 1,765 #3,516
1999 modern 1,767 #3,537
2000 modern 1,735 #3,582
2001 modern 1,689 #3,598
2002 modern 1,734 #3,594
2003 modern 1,675 #3,628
2004 modern 1,660 #3,652
2005 modern 1,608 #3,722
2006 modern 1,614 #3,712
2007 modern 1,630 #3,711
2008 modern 1,616 #3,763
2009 modern 1,659 #3,765
2010 modern 1,707 #3,747
2011 modern 1,676 #3,763
2012 modern 1,624 #3,791
2013 modern 1,659 #3,786
2014 modern 1,663 #3,806
2015 modern 1,629 #3,834
2016 modern 1,630 #3,816

Geography

Back to top

Where Pounds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, London parishes and Ludlow St Lawrence. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, South Hams, Malvern Hills and Purbeck. 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 Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin Devon
3 London parishes London 1
4 Ludlow St Lawrence Shropshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 038 Shropshire
2 South Hams 007 South Hams
3 Malvern Hills 001 Malvern Hills
4 South Hams 011 South Hams
5 Purbeck 005 Purbeck

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Pound

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Pound

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

Pound 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

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

Meaning and origin of Pound

The surname Pound is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "pund," which referred to an enclosure or pound for confining stray animals. As a surname, it likely originated as a topographic name for someone who lived near such an enclosure or worked as a keeper of the pound.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Pound can be found in various medieval records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a Richard de la Punde is mentioned in Oxfordshire. The Domesday Book of 1086 also contains references to places with names like Pundestoc and Pundfald, which are believed to be related to the surname.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Pund, Pound, and Punde, reflecting the evolving spelling conventions of the time. One notable early bearer of the name was John Pound, a member of the English Parliament who represented Somerset in 1325.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Pound became more widespread across England. Notable individuals with this surname include Ezra Pound, an influential American poet and critic born in 1885, and Sir Jonathon Pound, a British naval officer and explorer who was born in 1768 and played a crucial role in the colonization of Australia.

Other notable figures bearing the Pound surname include Jesse Pound, an American politician and lawyer born in 1853, and Roscoe Pound, a renowned legal scholar and educator who served as the Dean of Harvard Law School and was born in 1870.

In addition to these individuals, the surname Pound has been associated with various place names, such as Poundbury in Dorset and Poundstock in Cornwall, further reflecting its topographic origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Pound families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pound 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 251 Pounds recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.80x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 251 1.80x
Devon 148 5.10x
Surrey 140 2.06x
Kent 121 2.55x
Hampshire 95 3.33x
Worcestershire 92 5.06x
Shropshire 67 5.57x
Wiltshire 52 4.22x
Gloucestershire 46 1.68x
Berkshire 44 4.21x
Staffordshire 43 0.91x
Yorkshire 43 0.31x
Somerset 40 1.78x
Sussex 34 1.45x
Lancashire 32 0.19x
Glamorgan 22 0.91x
Herefordshire 19 3.33x
Cornwall 18 1.14x
Warwickshire 18 0.51x
Derbyshire 17 0.78x
Essex 16 0.58x
Oxfordshire 16 1.86x
Durham 11 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.83x
Leicestershire 7 0.45x
Bedfordshire 6 0.83x
Dorset 6 0.66x
Monmouthshire 5 0.50x
Royal Navy 3 1.81x
Cheshire 2 0.07x
Cumberland 2 0.17x
Radnorshire 2 1.78x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.11x
Norfolk 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 37 Pounds recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.05x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 37 3.05x
Bideford 31 99.81x
St Pancras London 30 2.68x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 29 11.27x
Tenbury 25 251.00x
Ludlow St Lawrence 21 87.72x
Camberwell 19 2.14x
Hillingdon 17 38.28x
Mile End Old Town 17 7.73x
Birmingham 15 1.28x
Clerkenwell London 15 4.56x
Newington 15 2.92x
Stratton St Margaret 15 79.37x
Ashbury 14 429.45x
Sheffield 14 3.19x
Shoreditch London 14 2.32x
Boxley 13 178.08x
Dartmouth Townstall 13 110.08x
Hackney London 13 1.66x
Kensington London 13 1.68x
Leeds 13 1.67x
Sherborne St John 13 423.45x
Stoke Damerel 13 6.41x
Castle Cary 12 122.83x
Islington London 12 0.89x
Reading St Mary 12 14.33x
Richmond 12 12.62x
St Luke London 12 5.37x
Portsmouth 11 16.73x
Brighton 10 2.11x
Cleobury Mortimer 10 131.75x
Millbrook 10 13.91x
Rochford 10 653.59x
Swindon 10 10.46x
Thornham 10 323.62x
Westminster St John 10 5.89x
Dartford 9 18.52x
Dartmouth St Savior 9 260.12x
Dartmouth St Saviour 9 108.70x
Eastham 9 559.01x
Highworth 9 57.14x
Maidstone 9 6.36x
Romsey Infra 9 93.07x
Tottenham 9 4.06x
Bethnal Green London 8 1.32x
Croydon 8 2.12x
Downe 8 304.18x
Farnham 8 15.16x
Hougham 8 28.31x
Milton Damerel 8 352.42x
Bayton 7 346.53x
Brampton 7 22.97x
Chippenham 7 27.10x
Garston 7 14.35x
Gillingham 7 7.14x
Kingsbridge 7 96.02x
Merthyr Tydfil 7 3.00x
Newton Abbot St Nicholas 7 117.85x
Pensax 7 308.37x
Portsea 7 1.25x
Rolleston 7 193.91x
Stoke Trister 7 348.26x
Tipton 7 4.86x
Upper Mitton 7 171.57x
Whatlington 7 388.89x
Bitterley 6 126.05x
Deptford St Paul 6 1.64x
Eastrop 6 895.52x
Hyssington 6 400.00x
Lindridge 6 130.43x
Ombersley 6 59.23x
Ore 6 34.32x
Rock 6 82.53x
Sidmouth 6 36.14x
Southampton St John 6 205.48x
Southwark St Saviour 6 8.38x
St Marylebone London 6 0.81x
Swansea Town 6 3.02x
Walthamstow 6 6.06x
Wortley In Bramley 6 5.49x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 104
William 93
George 49
Thomas 47
James 45
Charles 35
Henry 32
Edward 21
Alfred 14
Samuel 14
Frederick 13
Arthur 12
Richard 12
Robert 12
Joseph 9
Albert 7
Edwin 7
Philip 7
Harry 6
Phillip 6
Daniel 5
Ernest 5
Stephen 5
Thos. 5
Walter 5
Francis 4
Frank 4
Herbert 4
Wm. 4
Percy 3
Sidney 3
Steward 3
Ambrose 2
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Jesse 2
Mark 2
Norman 2
Peter 2
Saml. 2
Will. 2
Willm. 2
Charls 1
Christofer 1
Jonathan 1
Josep 1
Wm.S. 1

FAQ

Pound surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pound surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,430 people were recorded with the Pound surname. That placed it at #2,914 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pound surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,630 in 2016. That gives Pound a modern rank of #3,816.

What does the Pound surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who worked as a keeper of animal enclosures or pinfolds.

What does the Pound map show?

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