NameCensus.

UK surname

Provis

In the 1881 census there were 196 people recorded with the Provis surname, ranking it #13,006 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 209, ranked #19,009, down from #13,006 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Camborne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Swansea and The Vale of Glamorgan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Provis is 285 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.6%.

1881 census count

196

Ranked #13,006

Modern count

209

2016, ranked #19,009

Peak year

1911

285 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Provis had 196 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,006 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 209 in 2016, ranked #19,009.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 285 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Provis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Provis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Provis 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 196 #10,573
1861 historical 170 #13,763
1881 historical 196 #13,006
1891 historical 236 #13,278
1901 historical 237 #13,574
1911 historical 285 #11,837
1997 modern 228 #16,211
1998 modern 234 #16,404
1999 modern 228 #16,790
2000 modern 233 #16,524
2001 modern 231 #16,365
2002 modern 230 #16,730
2003 modern 224 #16,859
2004 modern 220 #17,129
2005 modern 215 #17,334
2006 modern 223 #17,036
2007 modern 227 #17,041
2008 modern 228 #17,146
2009 modern 232 #17,293
2010 modern 228 #17,844
2011 modern 211 #18,630
2012 modern 201 #19,147
2013 modern 216 #18,543
2014 modern 217 #18,645
2015 modern 206 #19,208
2016 modern 209 #19,009

Geography

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Where Provis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Camborne, Kenwyn, Tregavethan and Woolwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Swansea, The Vale of Glamorgan and Isle of Wight. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Camborne Cornwall
4 Kenwyn, Tregavethan Cornwall
5 Woolwich London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 003 Cornwall
2 Swansea 030 Swansea
3 The Vale of Glamorgan 007 Vale of Glamorgan
4 The Vale of Glamorgan 013 Vale of Glamorgan
5 Isle of Wight 001 Isle of Wight

Forenames

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First names often paired with Provis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Provis

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Provis 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

Provis is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Provis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Provis 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. Cornwall leads with 44 Provis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.54x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 44 20.54x
Wiltshire 29 17.33x
Gloucestershire 17 4.58x
Kent 13 2.01x
Somerset 13 4.27x
Glamorgan 12 3.64x
Hampshire 11 2.84x
Middlesex 11 0.58x
Surrey 10 1.08x
Lancashire 9 0.40x
Berkshire 8 5.63x
Buckinghamshire 5 4.37x
Monmouthshire 3 2.19x
Oxfordshire 2 1.71x
Shropshire 2 1.22x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.83x
Cheshire 1 0.24x
Midlothian 1 0.39x
Worcestershire 1 0.40x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kenwyn in Cornwall leads with 20 Provis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 357.14x.

Place Total Index
Kenwyn 20 357.14x
Camborne 19 215.18x
Camberwell 8 6.62x
Newland 8 256.41x
Cardiff St John 7 65.06x
Withington 7 96.82x
Woolwich 7 29.35x
Bristol St Augustine 6 100.17x
Liddiard Millicent 6 1052.63x
Box 5 349.65x
Corsham 5 204.92x
Portsea 5 6.58x
South Brent 5 980.39x
Tonbridge 5 21.48x
Warblington 5 324.68x
West Lockinge 5 10000.00x
Bremhill 4 533.33x
Frome 4 54.95x
Gwennap 4 99.01x
Aylesbury 3 59.17x
Hackney London 3 2.83x
Heddington 3 1304.35x
Shoreditch London 3 3.66x
Trevethin 3 23.22x
Ystradyfodwg 3 10.38x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 2 59.17x
Chiswick 2 19.34x
Ellesmere 2 71.17x
Kingston Lisle 2 909.09x
St Giles In Fields 2 30.63x
Walcot 2 12.33x
Whitchurch 2 112.36x
Wooburn 2 126.58x
Bathwick 1 29.67x
Bollington In 1 26.88x
Bristol Temple 1 40.98x
Bromham 1 133.33x
Bromsgrove 1 12.02x
Calne 1 28.99x
Cholsey 1 89.29x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.80x
Christian Malford 1 196.08x
Cowley 1 27.40x
Devizes St John 1 79.37x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.98x
Fareham 1 21.46x
Liverpool 1 0.73x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 12.55x
Melksham 1 34.36x
Mirfield 1 9.72x
Newington 1 1.43x
Papworth Everard 1 1250.00x
Penge 1 8.27x
Ramsgate 1 9.49x
Shifford 1 2000.00x
St Endellion 1 135.14x
St Martin In Fields 1 8.83x
Yatton Keynell 1 294.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Sarah 11
Ellen 8
Elizabeth 7
Eliza 6
Ann 5
Emma 4
Jane 3
Jessie 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Emily 2
Livinia 2
Sophia 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Cath. 1
Catherine 1
Dina 1
Dora 1
Edith 1
Ethel 1
Fannie 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Hetty 1
Kate 1
Lydia 1
Margrate 1
Maria 1
Marina 1
Minnie 1
Nelly 1
Priscilla 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
Charles 8
George 7
John 6
Henry 5
Thomas 5
Frederick 4
Edward 3
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Frank 3
Robert 3
Alfred 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Cuthbert 1
Edith 1
Ernest 1
Ethelbert 1
Fred. 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Hy. 1
Jonathon 1
Lionel 1
Matthew 1
Nelson 1
Nicholas 1
Samual 1
Samuel 1
Sydney 1
Walter 1
Wilton 1

FAQ

Provis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Provis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 196 people were recorded with the Provis surname. That placed it at #13,006 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Provis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 209 in 2016. That gives Provis a modern rank of #19,009.

What does the Provis map show?

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