NameCensus.

UK surname

Price

An English occupational surname for a person who determined the cost of goods or commodities.

In the 1881 census there were 52,361 people recorded with the Price surname, ranking it #53 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 73,540, ranked #56, down from #53 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Merthyr Tydfil. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Price is 75,739 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.4%.

1881 census count

52,361

Ranked #53

Modern count

73,540

2016, ranked #56

Peak year

1999

75,739 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Price had 52,361 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #53 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 73,540 in 2016, ranked #56.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 69,620 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Price surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Price surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Price 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 36,786 #48
1861 historical 37,094 #54
1881 historical 52,361 #53
1891 historical 56,402 #54
1901 historical 64,136 #54
1911 historical 69,620 #45
1997 modern 72,183 #55
1998 modern 75,296 #55
1999 modern 75,739 #55
2000 modern 75,356 #55
2001 modern 73,348 #54
2002 modern 74,724 #54
2003 modern 72,751 #54
2004 modern 72,560 #55
2005 modern 71,372 #55
2006 modern 71,470 #55
2007 modern 71,899 #55
2008 modern 72,289 #55
2009 modern 74,215 #56
2010 modern 75,597 #56
2011 modern 74,756 #56
2012 modern 73,143 #56
2013 modern 74,324 #56
2014 modern 74,782 #56
2015 modern 73,927 #56
2016 modern 73,540 #56

Geography

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Where Prices are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Merthyr Tydfil and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 015 Powys
2 Powys 014 Powys
3 Powys 020 Powys
4 Powys 011 Powys
5 Powys 012 Powys

Forenames

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First names often paired with Price

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Price

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Price 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

Price is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Price

The surname PRICE is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "pris" or "prys," meaning "prize" or "reward." It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a prize officer or someone who acted as a valuer or assessor.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname PRICE can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert le Pris, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1238. Another early example is William le Prys, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

The PRICE surname is found in various historical records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "le Pris" and "le Prys." It is also recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, where it is spelled "Pryse."

In the 14th century, the surname PRICE began to appear in its modern spelling. One of the earliest instances of this was John Price, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1317.

Over the centuries, the PRICE surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the most famous was Sir John Prise (c. 1501-1555), a Welsh politician and historian who served as Secretary to the Council of the Marches of Wales under King Henry VIII. Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Price (c. 1518-1582), a Welsh Roman Catholic martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Richard Price (1623-1691) was a prominent English philosopher and theologian who served as a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell. His work, "A Treatise on Moral Evil," published in 1678, was influential in the development of moral philosophy.

The PRICE surname was also associated with some important figures in the American colonies. One such individual was Ezekiel Price (c. 1730-1790), a Baptist minister and writer who founded the First Baptist Church of Boston in 1765.

Another notable bearer of the PRICE surname was Richard Price (1723-1791), a Welsh moral philosopher and nonconformist preacher who advocated for American independence and was a close friend of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.

Throughout history, the PRICE surname has been connected to various place names, such as Price's Hill in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Priceleys in Shropshire, England, which was once known as "Preseles" or "Priseles."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Price families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Price 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. Middlesex leads with 3,948 Prices recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.77x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 3,948 0.77x
Staffordshire 3,930 2.28x
Glamorgan 3,832 4.30x
Lancashire 3,682 0.61x
Monmouthshire 3,172 8.58x
Brecknockshire 3,080 30.13x
Shropshire 2,617 5.93x
Worcestershire 2,326 3.48x
Warwickshire 2,324 1.80x
Gloucestershire 2,287 2.28x
Herefordshire 1,823 8.70x
Surrey 1,805 0.72x
Cheshire 1,645 1.46x
Radnorshire 1,576 38.21x
Kent 1,308 0.75x
Yorkshire 1,306 0.26x
Denbighshire 993 5.14x
Flintshire 921 6.70x
Carmarthenshire 843 3.91x
Durham 682 0.45x
Somerset 634 0.77x
Nottinghamshire 582 0.84x
Hampshire 535 0.51x
Essex 447 0.44x
Pembrokeshire 434 2.67x
Leicestershire 424 0.75x
Buckinghamshire 403 1.30x
Caernarfonshire 402 1.94x
Wiltshire 397 0.88x
Derbyshire 356 0.44x
Sussex 316 0.37x
Montgomeryshire 314 2.68x
Devon 307 0.29x
Merionethshire 288 3.08x
Oxfordshire 286 0.91x
Lanarkshire 275 0.17x
Northumberland 245 0.32x
Cardiganshire 197 1.58x
Anglesey 139 1.53x
Suffolk 138 0.22x
Berkshire 131 0.34x
Northamptonshire 110 0.23x
Hertfordshire 105 0.30x
Bedfordshire 103 0.39x
Lincolnshire 100 0.12x
Midlothian 76 0.11x
Cumberland 74 0.17x
Norfolk 69 0.09x
Cambridgeshire 62 0.19x
Channel Islands 41 0.27x
Cornwall 41 0.07x
Royal Navy 34 0.56x
Ayrshire 32 0.08x
Dorset 24 0.07x
Huntingdonshire 24 0.24x
Renfrewshire 23 0.06x
Rutland 22 0.59x
Dunbartonshire 20 0.15x
Angus 19 0.04x
Isle of Man 13 0.14x
Stirlingshire 12 0.06x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 0.09x
Westmorland 7 0.06x
Perthshire 6 0.03x
Morayshire 5 0.06x
Buteshire 4 0.13x
East Lothian 4 0.06x
Argyllshire 3 0.02x
Wigtownshire 3 0.04x
Orkney 2 0.04x
Ross-shire 2 0.01x
Roxburghshire 2 0.02x
West Lothian 2 0.03x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.00x
Banffshire 1 0.01x
Fife 1 0.00x
Inverness-shire 1 0.01x
Nairnshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 1,028 Prices recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.39x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 1,028 2.39x
Merthyr Tydfil 797 9.31x
Aston 792 2.23x
Bedwellty 766 11.74x
Ystradyfodwg 445 5.70x
Aberdare 439 7.18x
Kingswinford 384 6.13x
Wolverhampton 377 2.84x
Islington London 369 0.74x
St Pancras London 362 0.88x
Liverpool 347 0.94x
Lambeth 339 0.76x
Aberystruth 323 9.91x
Trevethin 302 8.65x
Dudley 298 3.67x
Kensington London 289 1.02x
West Bromwich 255 2.58x
Sedgley 237 3.70x
Everton 225 1.16x
St Marylebone London 222 0.81x
Shoreditch London 221 1.00x
West Derby 218 1.23x
Rowley Regis 215 4.47x
Gelligaer 214 10.53x
Stoke Upon Trent 209 1.14x
Abergavenny 204 14.74x
Bethnal Green London 204 0.92x
Cheltenham 193 2.49x
Holywell 193 11.19x
Swansea Town 192 2.63x
Tipton 192 3.63x
Brecknock St John 190 22.04x
West Ham 190 0.85x
Toxteth Park 189 0.92x
Hackney London 185 0.65x
Camberwell 176 0.54x
Wednesbury 175 4.06x
Harborne 171 3.09x
Llanwonno 171 5.35x
Kidderminster Borough 168 4.30x
Manchester 159 0.58x
Portsea 158 0.77x
Battersea 157 0.83x
Llanover 157 12.44x
Wellington 155 6.24x
Burslem 153 3.10x
Birkenhead 152 1.69x
St Woollos 152 3.69x
Mile End Old Town 148 1.83x
Southwark St George Martyr 148 1.44x
Kirkdale 147 1.44x
Hay 146 38.45x
Bedminster 141 1.82x
Paddington London 141 0.75x
Llangunider 140 21.98x
Walsall Foreign 140 1.57x
Llanelly 138 2.84x
Salford 138 0.77x
Builth 134 52.63x
Hammersmith London 134 1.06x
Bilston 133 3.98x
Kings Norton 133 2.22x
Ruabon 132 4.97x
Hulme 129 1.02x
Edgbaston 128 3.20x
Deptford St Paul 127 0.94x
Llanelly 127 10.38x
St George Hanover 126 1.89x
Croydon 123 0.89x
Llangammarch 123 66.56x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 119 1.26x
Llangattock 118 14.17x
Oldbury 118 3.59x
Cardiff St Mary 117 2.39x
Brecknock St David 115 41.88x
Chester St Oswald 111 5.43x
Clerkenwell London 110 0.91x
Nottingham St Mary 109 0.61x
Wolstanton 109 2.08x
Devynnock 108 44.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3,989
Elizabeth 2,393
Sarah 1,942
Ann 1,214
Jane 1,082
Margaret 917
Eliza 729
Ellen 647
Annie 642
Alice 630
Emma 621
Hannah 515
Martha 508
Emily 464
Catherine 381
Anne 377
Caroline 293
Harriet 293
Louisa 287
Maria 275
Fanny 270
Florence 267
Edith 262
Charlotte 224
Ada 212
Clara 200
Frances 173
Esther 169
Lucy 169
Kate 160
Agnes 143
Rachel 137
Susan 133
Harriett 132
Rose 123
Eleanor 120
Matilda 113
Amelia 110
Rebecca 107
Elizth. 100
Amy 98
Julia 88
Sophia 83
Minnie 79
Ruth 77
Laura 76
Margret 76
Isabella 74
Selina 71
Jessie 70

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3,426
John 3,337
Thomas 2,527
James 1,433
George 1,362
Charles 953
David 869
Henry 847
Edward 784
Joseph 723
Richard 602
Robert 439
Alfred 428
Samuel 407
Arthur 406
Frederick 346
Albert 315
Walter 297
Edwin 213
Rees 200
Harry 186
Benjamin 183
Evan 183
Daniel 174
Frank 151
Thos. 149
Ernest 145
Herbert 144
Wm. 135
Francis 129
Isaac 122
Lewis 104
Morgan 71
Peter 71
Hugh 70
Stephen 66
Philip 61
Chas. 56
Geo. 52
Owen 47
Phillip 47
Fred 45
Tom 44
Fredrick 43
Moses 42
Sidney 42
Enoch 39
Edmund 36
Fredk. 35
Willm. 35

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 Price households.

FAQ

Price surname: questions and answers

How common was the Price surname in 1881?

In 1881, 52,361 people were recorded with the Price surname. That placed it at #53 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Price surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 73,540 in 2016. That gives Price a modern rank of #56.

What does the Price surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a person who determined the cost of goods or commodities.

What does the Price map show?

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