NameCensus.

UK surname

Powe

Derived from the Welsh ap Hywel, meaning "son of Hywel," a personal name meaning "eminent" or "prominent."

In the 1881 census there were 151 people recorded with the Powe surname, ranking it #15,419 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 337, ranked #13,552, up from #15,419 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St Bees and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge, Caerphilly and Copeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Powe is 350 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 123.2%.

1881 census count

151

Ranked #15,419

Modern count

337

2016, ranked #13,552

Peak year

2014

350 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Powe had 151 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,419 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 337 in 2016, ranked #13,552.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 289 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Powe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Powe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Powe 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 227 #10,749
1881 historical 151 #15,419
1891 historical 192 #15,383
1901 historical 212 #14,611
1911 historical 289 #11,738
1997 modern 343 #12,349
1998 modern 345 #12,649
1999 modern 347 #12,696
2000 modern 346 #12,670
2001 modern 316 #13,258
2002 modern 321 #13,378
2003 modern 328 #13,026
2004 modern 336 #12,848
2005 modern 308 #13,590
2006 modern 292 #14,148
2007 modern 301 #14,022
2008 modern 308 #13,882
2009 modern 327 #13,599
2010 modern 340 #13,498
2011 modern 333 #13,577
2012 modern 338 #13,304
2013 modern 343 #13,372
2014 modern 350 #13,263
2015 modern 348 #13,221
2016 modern 337 #13,552

Geography

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Where Powes are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Torridge, Caerphilly, Copeland and Swansea. 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 St Bees Cumberland
3 London parishes London 1
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 001 Torridge
2 Caerphilly 015 Caerphilly
3 Torridge 004 Torridge
4 Copeland 005 Copeland
5 Swansea 011 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Powe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Powe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Powe, 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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Powe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Powe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Powe is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Powe is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Powe

The surname POWE is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the late medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name such as Powe in Devonshire or a similar location.

This surname may have evolved from the Old English word "paw," which referred to a raised or elevated place, suggesting that the earliest bearers of the name lived near a hill or raised ground. Alternatively, some scholars propose that POWE could be a variant spelling of the French surname "Pouhe," derived from the Old French word "poue," meaning a hillock or small hill.

One of the earliest known recorded instances of the POWE surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Thomas de la Powe. This suggests that the surname was already established in England by the 13th century.

Among the notable historical figures who bore the POWE surname was John Powe (c. 1520 - 1585), an English cleric and academic who served as the President of St John's College, Oxford, from 1576 until his death. Another prominent individual was Richard Powe (1628 - 1679), an English lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles II.

In the 16th century, records show a family of Powes residing in the village of Compton Pauncefoot, Somerset. This may be an early example of the surname's association with a specific location.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Royalist soldier named Captain Thomas Powe (c. 1610 - 1660) fought for King Charles I and was captured by Parliamentary forces at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

Another notable figure was John Powe (1691 - 1758), an English merchant and philanthropist from Bristol, who made significant charitable donations to various causes during his lifetime.

Throughout history, the POWE surname has also appeared with various spellings, such as Pow, Pou, and Poue, reflecting the linguistic and regional variations that were common in earlier centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Powe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Powe 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. Devon leads with 46 Powes recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.91x.

County Total Index
Devon 46 14.91x
Cumberland 32 25.07x
Middlesex 21 1.42x
Somerset 14 5.87x
Lancashire 11 0.63x
Glamorgan 9 3.49x
Gloucestershire 7 2.41x
Surrey 6 0.83x
Essex 2 0.68x
Channel Islands 1 2.28x
Northumberland 1 0.45x
Royal Navy 1 5.66x
Yorkshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 10 Powes recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.79x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 10 16.79x
Swansea Town 9 42.53x
Newton Abbot St Mary 8 308.88x
Taunton St James 8 229.89x
Moresby 7 1428.57x
Preston Quarter 7 195.53x
St Pancras London 7 5.87x
Bedminster 6 26.75x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 21.91x
Exeter St Paul 6 983.61x
Hensingham 6 576.92x
Whitehaven 6 88.24x
Wolborough 6 153.85x
Bideford 5 151.06x
Chelsea London 5 11.19x
Hammersmith London 5 13.69x
Northam 5 222.22x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 21.03x
Beckermet St John 4 1250.00x
Caterham 4 125.39x
Aveley 2 408.16x
Cadeleigh 2 1666.67x
Lambeth 2 1.55x
Plymouth Charles The 2 14.71x
St George Hanover 2 10.34x
All Hallows Staining 1 1111.11x
Barnstaple 1 20.66x
Bradford 1 2.81x
Bristol St Augustine 1 21.32x
Ealing 1 7.55x
Elswick 1 5.68x
Everton 1 1.78x
Exeter St David 1 37.88x
Exeter St Leonard 1 119.05x
Gosforth 1 161.29x
Huntshaw 1 1000.00x
Royal Navy 1 6.62x
St Bees 1 169.49x
St Lawrence 1 83.33x
Topsham 1 68.49x
Tormoham 1 7.66x
Winkleigh 1 161.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 7
Ann 6
Eliza 5
Clara 4
Hannah 4
Alice 3
Jane 3
Margt. 3
Eleanor 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Isabella 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Dinah 1
Elenor 1
Ellen 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Florances 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Mirian 1
Roseannah 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 11
John 11
Albert 7
William 6
Thomas 4
Alfred 3
James 3
Edward 2
Matthew 2
Robert 2
Abraham 1
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Chas.H. 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Mathew 1
Michael 1
Reginald 1
Sidney 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Powe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Powe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 151 people were recorded with the Powe surname. That placed it at #15,419 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Powe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 337 in 2016. That gives Powe a modern rank of #13,552.

What does the Powe surname mean?

Derived from the Welsh ap Hywel, meaning "son of Hywel," a personal name meaning "eminent" or "prominent."

What does the Powe map show?

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