NameCensus.

UK surname

Prewer

In the 1881 census there were 113 people recorded with the Prewer surname, ranking it #18,412 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 207, ranked #19,118, down from #18,412 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Horningsheath, Wickhambrook and Whepstead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheltenham, Rochford and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Prewer is 256 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.2%.

1881 census count

113

Ranked #18,412

Modern count

207

2016, ranked #19,118

Peak year

1999

256 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Prewer had 113 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,412 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016, ranked #19,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 169 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Prewer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Prewer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Prewer 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 74 #24,370
1881 historical 113 #18,412
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 135 #19,203
1911 historical 169 #16,564
1997 modern 230 #16,109
1998 modern 253 #15,547
1999 modern 256 #15,557
2000 modern 253 #15,623
2001 modern 240 #15,912
2002 modern 239 #16,332
2003 modern 230 #16,549
2004 modern 233 #16,471
2005 modern 214 #17,378
2006 modern 224 #16,990
2007 modern 223 #17,248
2008 modern 228 #17,146
2009 modern 230 #17,382
2010 modern 230 #17,750
2011 modern 230 #17,578
2012 modern 223 #17,852
2013 modern 225 #18,027
2014 modern 223 #18,279
2015 modern 213 #18,769
2016 modern 207 #19,118

Geography

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Where Prewers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Horningsheath, Wickhambrook, Whepstead, Chevington and Hockham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheltenham, Rochford, South Norfolk and Herefordshire. 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 Horningsheath Suffolk
2 Wickhambrook Suffolk
3 Whepstead Suffolk
4 Chevington Suffolk
5 Hockham Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheltenham 005 Cheltenham
2 Rochford 004 Rochford
3 Cheltenham 006 Cheltenham
4 South Norfolk 014 South Norfolk
5 Herefordshire 017 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Prewer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Prewer

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Prewer is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Prewer 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

Prewer falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Prewer 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 Prewer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Prewer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Prewer 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. Suffolk leads with 57 Prewers recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.45x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 57 42.45x
Essex 14 6.43x
Cambridgeshire 9 12.89x
Middlesex 8 0.73x
Yorkshire 6 0.55x
Gloucestershire 5 2.31x
Kent 5 1.33x
Norfolk 5 2.95x
Somerset 3 1.69x
Surrey 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bury St Edmunds St Mary in Suffolk leads with 22 Prewers recorded in 1881 and an index of 873.02x.

Place Total Index
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 22 873.02x
Whepstead 15 6521.74x
Lee Chapel 12 0.00x
Cheveley 9 3750.00x
Chevington 8 3809.52x
Cheltenham 5 29.98x
Hockham 5 2631.58x
Woolwich 5 36.00x
Hackney London 4 6.47x
Wickhambrook 4 800.00x
Horringer 3 1200.00x
Leeds 3 4.86x
St Pancras London 3 3.38x
Brockley 2 1666.67x
Bury St Edmunds St James 2 55.71x
Holy Trinity 2 7.61x
Taunton St James 2 77.22x
Hessle In Sculcoates 1 104.17x
Ickworth 1 2500.00x
Ilminster 1 80.65x
Mitcham 1 29.50x
South Weald 1 53.76x
Twickenham 1 21.14x
Woodford 1 40.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 6
Alice 3
Emma 3
Mary 3
Betsy 2
Edith 2
Elizabeth 2
Harriett 2
Mabel 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Amealia 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Christiana 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Hannah 1
Helvetia 1
Jane 1
Jestina 1
Kate 1
Minnie 1
Shema 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Prewer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Prewer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 113 people were recorded with the Prewer surname. That placed it at #18,412 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Prewer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016. That gives Prewer a modern rank of #19,118.

What does the Prewer map show?

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