NameCensus.

UK surname

Powers

An Irish occupational surname derived from an Anglo-Norman word referring to a poor man or pauper.

In the 1881 census there were 1,229 people recorded with the Powers surname, ranking it #3,295 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,906, ranked #3,336, down from #3,295 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedgley, London parishes and Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North West Leicestershire, Barnsley and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Powers is 1,961 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.1%.

1881 census count

1,229

Ranked #3,295

Modern count

1,906

2016, ranked #3,336

Peak year

2010

1,961 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Powers had 1,229 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,295 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,906 in 2016, ranked #3,336.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,473 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Powers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Powers surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Powers 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 734 #3,582
1861 historical 729 #3,734
1881 historical 1,229 #3,295
1891 historical 1,145 #3,720
1901 historical 1,357 #3,697
1911 historical 1,473 #3,271
1997 modern 1,853 #3,252
1998 modern 1,912 #3,275
1999 modern 1,905 #3,313
2000 modern 1,868 #3,346
2001 modern 1,841 #3,325
2002 modern 1,880 #3,331
2003 modern 1,858 #3,297
2004 modern 1,829 #3,348
2005 modern 1,825 #3,325
2006 modern 1,813 #3,349
2007 modern 1,808 #3,388
2008 modern 1,839 #3,369
2009 modern 1,908 #3,329
2010 modern 1,961 #3,327
2011 modern 1,925 #3,343
2012 modern 1,845 #3,412
2013 modern 1,864 #3,431
2014 modern 1,910 #3,383
2015 modern 1,901 #3,362
2016 modern 1,906 #3,336

Geography

Back to top

Where Powers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedgley, London parishes and Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North West Leicestershire, Barnsley, Dudley, Walsall and Hinckley and Bosworth. 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 Sedgley Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth Cambridgeshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North West Leicestershire 013 North West Leicestershire
2 Barnsley 002 Barnsley
3 Dudley 008 Dudley
4 Walsall 033 Walsall
5 Hinckley and Bosworth 014 Hinckley and Bosworth

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Powers

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Powers

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Powers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Powers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Powers 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

Powers is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Powers falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Powers is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Powers, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Powers

The surname Powers has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "poure," meaning a poor or humble person. Initially, it may have been used as a descriptive nickname for someone of modest means or humble status.

The name Powers is thought to have first appeared in historical records in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Poure," which was later anglicized to "Powers."

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John Powers, who was born in Warwickshire, England, in the late 13th century. He was a prominent landowner and served as a local magistrate during the reign of King Edward I.

The Powers family later spread across various regions of England, with branches settling in counties such as Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Oxfordshire. Notable individuals with the surname include William Powers (1542-1608), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Peterborough during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another significant figure was Sir Thomas Powers (1605-1661), a renowned military commander who fought on the Parliamentarian side during the English Civil War. He played a crucial role in the Battle of Naseby in 1645 and was later appointed as the Governor of Shrewsbury.

In the 18th century, the Powers family gained prominence in Ireland, where they established themselves as landowners and prominent members of the gentry class. One notable member was John Powers (1720-1786), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Parliament, who represented County Waterford.

As the Powers surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, it also became associated with various place names and localities. For example, Powers Court in Kent, England, was named after the Powers family who held the estate in the 16th century.

While the surname Powers is of English origin, it has since been adopted by families in other parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant populations of British descent, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Powers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Powers 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. Warwickshire leads with 219 Powers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.28x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 219 7.28x
Middlesex 194 1.63x
Lancashire 118 0.83x
Surrey 65 1.12x
Staffordshire 64 1.59x
Worcestershire 63 4.05x
Leicestershire 42 3.18x
Cambridgeshire 41 5.43x
Bedfordshire 38 6.16x
Berkshire 35 3.91x
Gloucestershire 33 1.41x
Hampshire 31 1.27x
Yorkshire 30 0.25x
Oxfordshire 25 3.40x
Dorset 19 2.43x
Kent 16 0.39x
Northamptonshire 15 1.34x
Lincolnshire 14 0.73x
Derbyshire 13 0.70x
Durham 11 0.31x
Cheshire 10 0.38x
Lanarkshire 10 0.26x
Somerset 10 0.52x
Essex 9 0.38x
Monmouthshire 9 1.04x
Norfolk 9 0.49x
Hertfordshire 8 0.97x
Pembrokeshire 8 2.11x
Renfrewshire 8 0.87x
Ayrshire 5 0.56x
East Lothian 5 3.17x
Midlothian 5 0.31x
Shropshire 5 0.49x
Cumberland 4 0.39x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.25x
Perthshire 4 0.75x
Wiltshire 4 0.38x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.42x
Devon 3 0.12x
Sussex 3 0.15x
Fife 2 0.28x
West Lothian 2 1.11x
Brecknockshire 1 0.42x
Channel Islands 1 0.28x
Glamorgan 1 0.05x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.58x
Suffolk 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. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 65 Powers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.85x.

Place Total Index
Aston 65 7.85x
Birmingham 63 6.29x
Shoreditch London 27 5.23x
Lambeth 24 2.31x
Dudley 22 11.63x
Yardley 21 52.72x
Hinckley 19 60.61x
St Pancras London 18 1.88x
Mile End Old Town 17 9.03x
Bethnal Green London 16 3.09x
West Derby 16 3.87x
Kings Norton 15 10.75x
Rainford 15 98.04x
Fulham London 14 8.10x
Sedgley 14 9.37x
St Marylebone London 13 2.04x
Barwell 12 171.67x
Downham 12 149.63x
Wilburton 12 558.14x
Wolverhampton 12 3.88x
Southill 11 220.00x
Deptford St Paul 10 3.19x
Hackney London 10 1.50x
Hindley 10 16.58x
Poole St James 10 34.01x
Sandy 10 91.91x
Ufton 10 1219.51x
West Bromwich 10 4.34x
Allesley 9 227.85x
Bloxham 9 124.65x
Camberwell 9 1.18x
Haughton 9 43.63x
Kingsclere 9 80.65x
Newbury 9 31.40x
Shaw Cum Donnington 9 313.59x
Andover 8 34.66x
Biggleswade 8 39.58x
Broughton In Salford 8 6.19x
Coveney 8 402.01x
Garston 8 19.16x
Handsworth 8 8.07x
Huddersfield 8 4.65x
Kettering 8 17.64x
Rotherhithe 8 5.43x
Seavington St Mary 8 645.16x
Speen 8 54.64x
St Giles Cripplegate 8 50.57x
Walton Le Dale 8 21.05x
West Dean 8 21.06x
Whitchurch Canonicorum 8 183.91x
Abbey 7 4.97x
Basingstoke 7 24.91x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 6.23x
Edmonton 7 7.29x
Gateshead 7 2.64x
Great Bolton 7 3.74x
Hatfield 7 42.02x
Newbold Pacey 7 454.55x
Prendergast 7 120.90x
Bolehall Glascote 6 47.13x
Cheltenham 6 3.33x
Clifton 6 5.08x
Coundon 6 530.97x
Leicester St Mary 6 5.62x
Pleasley 6 127.66x
Rayleigh 6 110.70x
Solihull 6 27.76x
St Giles In Fields 6 14.60x
Tydd St Mary 6 158.31x
Walpole St Peter 6 129.31x
Wombwell 6 17.42x
Chipping Norton 5 29.38x
Islington London 5 0.43x
Liverpool 5 0.58x
New Monkland 5 4.39x
Paddington London 5 1.14x
Prestonpans 5 47.21x
Putney 5 9.20x
St Luke London 5 2.62x
Warwick St Nicholas 5 22.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 75
John 61
Thomas 57
George 52
James 41
Henry 32
Joseph 25
Charles 18
Edward 17
Arthur 14
Alfred 11
Richard 11
Frederick 10
Walter 9
Frank 7
Robert 7
Albert 6
Ernest 5
Francis 5
Herbert 5
Michael 5
Wm. 5
Thos. 4
Edmund 3
Frederic 3
Fredrick 3
Harry 3
Peter 3
Samuel 3
Stephen 3
Tom 3
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Horace 2
Luke 2
Paterick 2
Patrick 2
Willm. 2
Andrew 1
Bertram 1
Clifford 1
Eli 1
Enoch 1
F. 1
F.George 1
Fitzroy 1
Jas 1
Wm.Fredk. 1

FAQ

Powers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Powers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,229 people were recorded with the Powers surname. That placed it at #3,295 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Powers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,906 in 2016. That gives Powers a modern rank of #3,336.

What does the Powers surname mean?

An Irish occupational surname derived from an Anglo-Norman word referring to a poor man or pauper.

What does the Powers map show?

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