NameCensus.

UK surname

Powrie

From a Scottish place name, derived from the Gaelic words "pobhuill" meaning "people" and "reidh" meaning "field".

In the 1881 census there were 274 people recorded with the Powrie surname, ranking it #10,362 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 378, ranked #12,393, down from #10,362 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Errol, Kinfauns and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Letham, East Lindsey and Auchtermuchty and Gateside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Powrie is 395 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.0%.

1881 census count

274

Ranked #10,362

Modern count

378

2016, ranked #12,393

Peak year

2010

395 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Powrie had 274 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,362 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 378 in 2016, ranked #12,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 369 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Powrie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Powrie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Powrie 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 174 #11,590
1861 historical 187 #12,690
1881 historical 274 #10,362
1891 historical 292 #11,351
1901 historical 369 #10,040
1911 historical 60 #26,808
1997 modern 328 #12,758
1998 modern 357 #12,372
1999 modern 360 #12,371
2000 modern 372 #12,020
2001 modern 361 #12,102
2002 modern 375 #12,018
2003 modern 368 #11,963
2004 modern 359 #12,222
2005 modern 349 #12,390
2006 modern 368 #11,990
2007 modern 379 #11,854
2008 modern 366 #12,285
2009 modern 367 #12,501
2010 modern 395 #12,105
2011 modern 378 #12,363
2012 modern 365 #12,547
2013 modern 377 #12,449
2014 modern 377 #12,535
2015 modern 376 #12,446
2016 modern 378 #12,393

Geography

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Where Powries are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Errol, Kinfauns, London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Letham, East Lindsey, Auchtermuchty and Gateside, Wiltshire and Lunan. 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 Errol Perth
2 Kinfauns Perth
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Letham Perth and Kinross
2 East Lindsey 006 East Lindsey
3 Auchtermuchty and Gateside Fife
4 Wiltshire 045 Wiltshire
5 Lunan Angus

Forenames

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First names often paired with Powrie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Powrie

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Powrie 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

Powrie is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Powrie falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Powrie

The surname Powrie has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged sometime around the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the lands of Powrie in the parish of Meigle, near Dundee in Angus. The name is believed to have evolved from the Gaelic words "Poll Reidh," meaning "smooth stream" or "smooth pool."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Powrie can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls documenting those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his conquest of Scotland. In these rolls, a certain "Willelmus de Powry" is listed, indicating the presence of the Powrie name in that region during the late 13th century.

The Powrie surname also appears in various Scottish historical records, such as the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland and the Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland. For instance, in 1488, a "Thomas Powry" is mentioned as a landowner in the parish of Meigle, further solidifying the name's connection to that area.

One notable individual bearing the Powrie surname was John Powrie (c. 1561-1633), a Scottish clergyman who served as the minister of Meigle from 1594 until his death. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation in Scotland and played a role in the religious debates of that era.

Another historical figure was Sir William Powrie (c. 1570-1634), a Scottish landowner and political figure who served as a Lord of Session in the Court of Session, Scotland's supreme civil court. He held the lands of Powrie and was involved in various legal and political matters during the reign of King James VI and I.

In the 18th century, James Powrie (1715-1796) was a notable Scottish philosopher and academic. He served as the Professor of Oriental Languages at the University of St Andrews and made contributions to the study of Hebrew and other ancient languages.

Moving into the 19th century, David Powrie (1800-1879) was a Scottish botanist and naturalist who studied the flora of Scotland and made significant contributions to the field of plant taxonomy. He was a Fellow of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh and published several works on Scottish plants.

Throughout its history, the Powrie surname has maintained a strong presence in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Angus and Perthshire. While the name has spread to other parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to the lands and people of medieval Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Powrie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Powrie 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. Angus leads with 137 Powries recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.94x.

County Total Index
Angus 137 55.94x
Perthshire 46 38.77x
Midlothian 27 7.62x
Middlesex 14 0.53x
Surrey 12 0.93x
Lanarkshire 8 0.94x
Stirlingshire 8 8.21x
Renfrewshire 7 3.42x
Inverness-shire 2 2.53x
Lancashire 2 0.06x
Warwickshire 2 0.30x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.71x
East Lothian 1 2.86x
Fife 1 0.64x
Northumberland 1 0.25x
Ross-shire 1 1.38x
Sussex 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 62 Powries recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.81x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 62 67.81x
Liff Benvie 40 107.58x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 15 10.53x
Newtyle 11 1325.30x
Abernethy 10 645.16x
Lambeth 10 4.34x
Coupar Angus 9 387.93x
St Ninians 8 82.82x
Edinburgh St Stephens 7 100.43x
Kinfauns 7 1296.30x
Alyth 6 188.09x
Errol 6 272.73x
Glasgow 5 3.29x
Hammersmith London 5 7.68x
North Leith 5 30.51x
Perth East Church 5 44.68x
Perth Middle Church 5 112.11x
Mains 4 192.31x
Paisley High Church 4 24.52x
St George In East 4 22.25x
St Vigeans 4 30.26x
Abbey 3 9.60x
Islington London 3 1.17x
Rhynd 3 1111.11x
Birmingham 2 0.90x
Camberwell 2 1.18x
Inverness 2 10.07x
Lochee 2 91.74x
Maryhill 2 11.95x
Monifieth 2 23.12x
Rescobie 2 322.58x
Annan 1 19.92x
Brighton 1 1.11x
Caputh 1 53.48x
Dunbar 1 20.37x
Everton 1 1.00x
Govan 1 0.47x
Kincardine 1 74.63x
Kinnoull 1 32.05x
Kirkdale 1 1.90x
Nesbit In Castle Ward 1 5000.00x
Perth St Pauls 1 36.36x
Perth West Church 1 17.76x
St Andrews 1 14.04x
St Pancras London 1 0.47x
Tannadice 1 87.72x
Tottenham 1 2.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Marian 2
Matilda 2
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Lizzie 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 4
James 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
George 1
John 1
Robert 1
Tommy 1
W. 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Powrie households.

FAQ

Powrie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Powrie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 274 people were recorded with the Powrie surname. That placed it at #10,362 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Powrie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 378 in 2016. That gives Powrie a modern rank of #12,393.

What does the Powrie surname mean?

From a Scottish place name, derived from the Gaelic words "pobhuill" meaning "people" and "reidh" meaning "field".

What does the Powrie map show?

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