NameCensus.

UK surname

Povey

An English locational surname referring to someone from a place named Povy.

In the 1881 census there were 1,810 people recorded with the Povey surname, ranking it #2,405 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,758, ranked #1,805, up from #2,405 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Northfleet and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gwynedd, Wrexham and Reading.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Povey is 3,928 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 107.6%.

1881 census count

1,810

Ranked #2,405

Modern count

3,758

2016, ranked #1,805

Peak year

1999

3,928 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Povey had 1,810 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,405 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,758 in 2016, ranked #1,805.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,199 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Povey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Povey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Povey 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 1,104 #2,545
1861 historical 931 #2,981
1881 historical 1,810 #2,405
1891 historical 2,024 #2,280
1901 historical 2,755 #2,017
1911 historical 3,199 #1,627
1997 modern 3,717 #1,743
1998 modern 3,865 #1,745
1999 modern 3,928 #1,731
2000 modern 3,890 #1,738
2001 modern 3,816 #1,735
2002 modern 3,892 #1,742
2003 modern 3,793 #1,755
2004 modern 3,772 #1,756
2005 modern 3,747 #1,749
2006 modern 3,705 #1,769
2007 modern 3,709 #1,780
2008 modern 3,716 #1,784
2009 modern 3,775 #1,805
2010 modern 3,798 #1,833
2011 modern 3,748 #1,830
2012 modern 3,727 #1,803
2013 modern 3,849 #1,782
2014 modern 3,861 #1,784
2015 modern 3,788 #1,797
2016 modern 3,758 #1,805

Geography

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Where Poveys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Northfleet 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 Gwynedd, Wrexham and Reading. 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 Northfleet Kent
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gwynedd 011 Gwynedd
2 Wrexham 008 Wrexham
3 Wrexham 006 Wrexham
4 Wrexham 020 Wrexham
5 Reading 017 Reading

Forenames

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First names often paired with Povey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Povey

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

Povey 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

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

Meaning and origin of Povey

The surname Povey is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "pofe," meaning a small enclosed area or a hut. It is believed to have originated in the county of Staffordshire during the early medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

In its earliest recorded form, the name was spelled as "Povy" or "Povey." The first known reference to the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1292, which mention a person named William Povy. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 13th century.

The surname Povey is thought to have derived from a place name, possibly referring to a small hamlet or settlement where the original bearers of the name resided. However, no definitive records of such a place have been found, leading to the belief that the name may have been descriptive, referring to someone who lived in a small, enclosed dwelling.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Povey can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from 1327, which mention a John Povey. This indicates that the name had spread to neighboring counties by the 14th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Povey throughout history include:

1. Thomas Povey (c. 1613-1705), an English merchant and writer who served as the governor of the Leeward Islands from 1665 to 1667. 2. Richard Povey (1640-1706), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Essex. 3. John Povey (1723-1783), an English watchmaker and inventor who developed a chronometer for use in navigation. 4. Charles Povey (1739-1810), an English artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings. 5. William Povey (1792-1875), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Polytechnic Institution.

While the surname Povey is not among the most common in England, it has persisted over the centuries and can be found in various regions of the country, particularly in the West Midlands and surrounding areas where it likely originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Povey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Povey 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. Staffordshire leads with 292 Poveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.89x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 292 4.89x
Lancashire 184 0.88x
Middlesex 175 0.99x
Berkshire 161 12.13x
Cheshire 156 4.00x
Kent 131 2.17x
Surrey 127 1.47x
Warwickshire 93 2.09x
Gloucestershire 66 1.90x
Hampshire 52 1.43x
Shropshire 51 3.34x
Sussex 48 1.61x
Oxfordshire 36 3.30x
Glamorgan 27 0.88x
Wiltshire 26 1.66x
Derbyshire 25 0.90x
Essex 23 0.66x
Northumberland 19 0.72x
Nottinghamshire 18 0.76x
Denbighshire 14 2.10x
Somerset 14 0.49x
Flintshire 10 2.10x
Yorkshire 8 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.65x
Lincolnshire 7 0.25x
Northamptonshire 7 0.42x
Cornwall 6 0.30x
Hertfordshire 6 0.49x
Worcestershire 5 0.22x
Caernarfonshire 4 0.56x
Herefordshire 4 0.55x
Stirlingshire 4 0.61x
Devon 2 0.05x
Suffolk 2 0.09x
Channel Islands 1 0.19x
Norfolk 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 0.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Northfleet in Kent leads with 73 Poveys recorded in 1881 and an index of 137.32x.

Place Total Index
Northfleet 73 137.32x
Harborne 56 29.27x
West Bromwich 53 15.51x
Birmingham 49 3.30x
Stoke Upon Trent 44 6.95x
Aston 38 3.09x
Warrington 35 14.07x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 33 10.11x
Caversham 29 132.72x
Reading St Giles 26 19.96x
Camberwell 21 1.86x
Chester St John Baptist 20 28.50x
Wolverhampton 20 4.36x
Whitchurch 19 114.11x
Wolstanton 18 9.93x
Hampstead Norris 17 203.84x
Horton 17 130.77x
Toxteth Park 17 2.39x
Shrewsbury St Mary 16 26.54x
Chelsea London 15 2.81x
Deptford St Paul 15 3.22x
Speen 15 69.06x
Bedminster 14 5.23x
Birkenhead 14 4.50x
Bishopstone 14 187.67x
Hatton In Runcorn 14 630.63x
Ashton Under Lyne 13 2.83x
Doveridge 13 308.79x
Lambeth 13 0.84x
St Pancras London 13 0.91x
Weybridge 13 70.31x
Everton 12 1.79x
Hackney London 12 1.21x
Hove 12 9.17x
Kingsclere 12 72.46x
Lewes All Sts 12 101.01x
Swindon 12 9.89x
Ellesmere 11 41.94x
Hendon 11 17.29x
Lambourn 11 83.65x
Reading St Mary 11 10.35x
Thatcham 11 53.76x
Wimbledon 11 11.37x
Wolstanton Oldcott 11 50.88x
Burghfield 10 127.39x
Chester St Oswald 10 14.15x
Hampstead London 10 3.63x
Kingston On Thames 10 4.83x
Newington 10 1.53x
Runcorn 10 11.11x
Walsall Foreign 10 3.24x
West Ham 10 1.30x
Battersea 9 1.38x
Bermondsey 9 1.71x
Bradfield 9 128.02x
Brighton 9 1.50x
Christleton Littleton 9 159.86x
Middle Hulton 9 72.41x
Tilston 9 407.24x
Chatham 8 4.82x
Chirk 8 60.84x
Dartford 8 12.97x
Failsworth 8 16.66x
Kensington London 8 0.81x
Salford 8 1.30x
Thornbury 8 33.74x
Tranmere 8 5.58x
Wednesfield 8 9.11x
Woolwich 8 3.59x
Bristol St James St Paul 7 6.05x
Hanwell 7 22.33x
High Offley 7 142.28x
Hucknall Torkard 7 11.58x
Islington London 7 0.41x
Norwood 7 17.31x
Nottingham St Mary 7 1.14x
Over Hulton 7 117.45x
Shrewsbury St Julian 7 18.52x
St Andrew Holborn 7 11.67x
Willenhall 7 6.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 117
Elizabeth 67
Sarah 57
Ann 38
Ellen 37
Emma 35
Annie 33
Jane 32
Eliza 31
Emily 30
Alice 27
Hannah 25
Martha 23
Caroline 16
Margaret 16
Charlotte 14
Harriet 14
Maria 13
Rose 12
Fanny 11
Louisa 11
Florence 10
Lucy 9
Clara 8
Ada 7
Catherine 7
Anne 6
Edith 6
Frances 6
Susan 6
Agnes 5
Amy 5
Elizth. 5
Rhoda 5
Esther 4
Harriett 4
Kate 4
Lizzie 4
Selina 4
Susannah 4
Amelia 3
Lilly 3
Phoebe 3
Ethel 2
Jemima 2
Laura 2
Lilian 2
Lydia 2
Mabel 2
Winifred 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 125
John 109
George 78
Charles 60
Thomas 60
Joseph 41
Henry 40
James 38
Alfred 25
Arthur 24
Samuel 23
Edward 22
Richard 19
Walter 17
Robert 16
Albert 15
Frederick 12
Edwin 11
Frank 11
Peter 9
Wm. 9
Harry 7
Edwd. 6
Geo. 6
Benjamin 5
David 5
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Chas. 4
Herbert 4
Job 4
Fred 3
Isaac 3
Jas. 3
Mark 3
Philip 3
Thos. 3
Clement 2
Daniel 2
Enoch 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Jesse 2
Joshua 2
Levi 2
Phillip 2
Reuben 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2

FAQ

Povey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Povey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,810 people were recorded with the Povey surname. That placed it at #2,405 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Povey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,758 in 2016. That gives Povey a modern rank of #1,805.

What does the Povey surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to someone from a place named Povy.

What does the Povey map show?

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