NameCensus.

UK surname

Powter

In the 1881 census there were 193 people recorded with the Powter surname, ranking it #13,144 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 127, ranked #26,566, down from #13,144 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Shelford, Great and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Uttlesford, South Cambridgeshire and East Hertfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Powter is 209 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 34.2%.

1881 census count

193

Ranked #13,144

Modern count

127

2016, ranked #26,566

Peak year

1891

209 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Powter had 193 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,144 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016, ranked #26,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 209 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Powter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Powter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Powter 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 130 #14,314
1861 historical 133 #16,835
1881 historical 193 #13,144
1891 historical 209 #14,459
1901 historical 189 #15,684
1911 historical 189 #15,488
1997 modern 125 #23,567
1998 modern 132 #23,394
1999 modern 138 #22,983
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 132 #23,230
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 124 #24,378
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 114 #25,837
2006 modern 116 #25,813
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 119 #26,067
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 132 #25,519
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 127 #25,992
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 135 #25,581
2015 modern 131 #25,979
2016 modern 127 #26,566

Geography

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Where Powters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Shelford, Great, Lambeth and Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Uttlesford, South Cambridgeshire, East Hertfordshire and Winchester. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Shelford, Great Cambridgeshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Uttlesford 005 Uttlesford
2 Uttlesford 006 Uttlesford
3 South Cambridgeshire 017 South Cambridgeshire
4 East Hertfordshire 007 East Hertfordshire
5 Winchester 010 Winchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Powter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Powter

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Powter is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Powter is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Powter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Powter 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. Cambridgeshire leads with 67 Powters recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.37x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 67 57.37x
Middlesex 41 2.22x
Essex 27 7.42x
Yorkshire 23 1.26x
Kent 10 1.59x
Surrey 9 1.00x
Hertfordshire 5 3.93x
Huntingdonshire 4 10.93x
Durham 1 0.18x
Staffordshire 1 0.16x
Sussex 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Shelford in Cambridgeshire leads with 36 Powters recorded in 1881 and an index of 5901.64x.

Place Total Index
Great Shelford 36 5901.64x
St Andrewthe Less 13 97.45x
Elsenham 12 4000.00x
St Giles Cambridge 10 662.25x
Constable Burton 6 4285.71x
Lee 6 65.72x
Mile End New Town 6 238.10x
Mile End Old Town 6 20.62x
Shalford 6 1304.35x
Chesterton 5 138.89x
Linthorpe 5 45.87x
Chigwell 4 116.28x
Kensington London 4 3.90x
Leeds 4 3.88x
Oxted 4 370.37x
Westminster St James 4 21.11x
Chatham 3 17.33x
Chelsea London 3 5.40x
Fulham London 3 11.22x
Hackney London 3 2.90x
Hampstead London 3 10.45x
Paddington London 3 4.43x
Tillingham 3 468.75x
Upsall In Thirsk 3 3750.00x
Ware 3 82.42x
Bishop Stortford 2 47.17x
Fen Stanton 2 298.51x
Leyburn 2 327.87x
Little Shelford 2 606.06x
St Anne Soho London 2 18.99x
St Ives 2 105.26x
Stoke Newington London 2 13.93x
Wimbledon 2 19.82x
York St Mary 2 26.42x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.12x
Chelmsford 1 16.03x
Hopton Coton 1 113.64x
Hove 1 7.33x
Leatherhead 1 44.44x
Newington 1 1.47x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 2.70x
St Andrew Holborn 1 16.00x
Stansted Mountfitchet 1 108.70x
Trumpington 1 169.49x
West Malling 1 70.42x
Whitechapel London 1 5.50x
York Marygate St Olave 1 142.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 13
Mary 8
Emma 7
Sarah 7
Alice 5
Eliza 5
Jane 5
Ann 4
Emily 4
Clara 3
Ellen 3
Louisa 3
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Ada 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Charlott 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Harriett 1
Harritt 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Juliet 1
Liddia 1
Lilla 1
Lillie 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
George 8
Robert 6
William 6
Charles 5
Henry 5
James 5
Harry 4
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Arthur 2
Frederick 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Alfred 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Georg 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Langridge 1
Phillip 1
R. 1
Richard 1
Robt.Danl. 1
Simon 1
Sparkes 1
Tom 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Powter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Powter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 193 people were recorded with the Powter surname. That placed it at #13,144 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Powter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016. That gives Powter a modern rank of #26,566.

What does the Powter map show?

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