NameCensus.

UK surname

Prowse

An English surname derived from the Old French term "prou", meaning brave or valiant.

In the 1881 census there were 1,360 people recorded with the Prowse surname, ranking it #3,012 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,741, ranked #3,599, down from #3,012 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tormoham with Torquay, London parishes and St Buryan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Prowse is 1,946 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.0%.

1881 census count

1,360

Ranked #3,012

Modern count

1,741

2016, ranked #3,599

Peak year

1999

1,946 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Prowse had 1,360 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,012 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,741 in 2016, ranked #3,599.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,708 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Prowse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Prowse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Prowse 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 784 #3,406
1861 historical 675 #3,977
1881 historical 1,360 #3,012
1891 historical 1,339 #3,253
1901 historical 1,663 #3,095
1911 historical 1,708 #2,874
1997 modern 1,868 #3,226
1998 modern 1,942 #3,229
1999 modern 1,946 #3,252
2000 modern 1,931 #3,255
2001 modern 1,883 #3,260
2002 modern 1,915 #3,291
2003 modern 1,838 #3,336
2004 modern 1,822 #3,362
2005 modern 1,799 #3,370
2006 modern 1,787 #3,395
2007 modern 1,763 #3,471
2008 modern 1,820 #3,402
2009 modern 1,859 #3,415
2010 modern 1,880 #3,451
2011 modern 1,841 #3,460
2012 modern 1,802 #3,477
2013 modern 1,810 #3,519
2014 modern 1,806 #3,542
2015 modern 1,761 #3,580
2016 modern 1,741 #3,599

Geography

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Where Prowses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tormoham with Torquay, London parishes, St Buryan and Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. 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 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Buryan Cornwall
4 London parishes London 2
5 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 067 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 065 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 069 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 070 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 068 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Prowse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Prowse

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Prowse is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Prowse 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

Prowse falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Prowse

The surname Prowse has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "prow," meaning brave or valiant. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who exhibited exceptional courage or bravery.

During the Middle Ages, surnames were often adopted based on physical characteristics, occupations, or places of origin. In the case of Prowse, it is possible that the name was originally associated with individuals who were known for their bravery, either in battle or in other aspects of life.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Prowse surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1230, where it appears as "Prude." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spellings were not yet established.

The Prowse name also appears in various historical records throughout the centuries. For instance, in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a certain Robert Prowde is mentioned. Additionally, the Hearth Tax Returns of Oxfordshire from 1665 list a John Prowse as a resident.

Notable individuals with the Prowse surname include:

1. William Prowse (born around 1540), an English philosopher and mathematician known for his work on logic and the theory of equations.

2. Robert Prowse (1753-1834), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

3. Arthur Prowse (1835-1914), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the mid-19th century.

4. Philip Vaughan Prowse (1868-1940), an English actor and theatre manager who helped popularize the works of George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde.

5. Kathleen Prowse (1900-1981), a Canadian artist and printmaker known for her woodcut and linocut prints depicting scenes from rural life.

The Prowse surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Prowse's Plantation in Somerset and Prowse's Farm in Wiltshire. These place names likely originated from early bearers of the surname who owned or resided in those locations.

While the origins of the Prowse surname can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by descendants of English immigrants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Prowse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Prowse 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. Devon leads with 664 Prowses recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.97x.

County Total Index
Devon 664 23.97x
Cornwall 203 13.48x
Middlesex 135 1.01x
Lancashire 63 0.40x
Surrey 53 0.82x
Dorset 24 2.75x
Wiltshire 24 2.04x
Yorkshire 22 0.17x
Hampshire 21 0.77x
Gloucestershire 20 0.77x
Kent 20 0.44x
Sussex 20 0.89x
Somerset 19 0.89x
Essex 13 0.49x
Durham 10 0.25x
Cambridgeshire 9 1.07x
Staffordshire 8 0.18x
Berkshire 7 0.70x
Suffolk 6 0.37x
Renfrewshire 5 0.48x
Warwickshire 5 0.15x
Royal Navy 4 2.52x
Cumberland 3 0.26x
Cheshire 2 0.07x
Oxfordshire 2 0.24x
Hertfordshire 1 0.11x
Norfolk 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. Tormoham in Devon leads with 69 Prowses recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.88x.

Place Total Index
Tormoham 69 58.88x
St Buryan 53 852.09x
Plymouth St Andrew 50 23.43x
Highweek 40 405.27x
Paul 34 124.22x
Hackney London 29 3.89x
Loddiswell 29 792.35x
Malborough 28 254.31x
Wolborough 28 79.98x
Stoke Damerel 26 13.41x
St Just In Penwith 22 75.27x
Sherford 21 1147.54x
Newton Abbot St Mary 19 81.79x
Tamerton Foliott 18 337.71x
Plymouth Charles The 17 13.93x
West Alvington 17 437.02x
Christow 16 597.01x
Camberwell 15 1.76x
Islington London 15 1.16x
Sancreed 15 351.29x
Liverpool 14 1.46x
Battersea 13 2.66x
Lambeth 13 1.12x
Brixham 12 37.39x
Chudleigh 12 136.36x
Creed Grampound 12 659.34x
Ermington 12 119.17x
Madron 12 98.60x
Exeter St Sidwell 11 17.34x
Fordington 11 58.48x
Ludgvan 11 91.59x
Portsea 11 2.06x
Calne 10 41.27x
Chelsea London 10 2.49x
Diptford 10 331.13x
Dodbrooke 10 181.82x
Ringmore 10 877.19x
St Marylebone London 10 1.41x
St Pancras London 10 0.93x
Toxteth Park 10 1.87x
Ugborough 10 149.25x
Westoe 10 4.46x
Aveton Gifford 9 224.44x
St Agnes 9 42.65x
Stogursey 9 156.52x
Walton On Hill 9 10.52x
West Derby 9 1.95x
West Ham 9 1.55x
West Teignmouth 9 42.47x
Abbots Kerswell 8 402.01x
Barnstaple 8 18.40x
Dartmouth St Petrox 8 200.50x
Maiden Bradley 8 295.20x
Thorverton 8 190.02x
Bowling 7 5.36x
Clanaborough 7 1944.44x
Dartmouth Townstall 7 62.06x
Madron Penzance 7 12.78x
Shoreditch London 7 1.21x
Trentham 7 18.32x
Withycombe Rawleigh 7 48.51x
Ardingly 6 84.15x
Bedminster 6 2.98x
Blackawton 6 124.22x
Bow London 6 3.54x
Bradford Peverell 6 400.00x
Charlton Next Woolwich 6 12.67x
Churchstow 6 357.14x
Compton Gifford 6 69.12x
Hennock 6 170.45x
Holbeton 6 118.34x
Holy Trinity 6 103.27x
Litherland 6 18.18x
Manchester 6 0.85x
North Huish 6 363.64x
Paddington London 6 1.23x
St Benedict Cambridge 6 126.05x
St Levan 6 220.59x
St Luke London 6 2.81x
Uny Lelant 6 73.71x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 104
John 69
James 44
Richard 31
Robert 31
George 29
Henry 29
Thomas 27
Charles 22
Samuel 18
Albert 14
Joseph 14
Edwin 12
Frederick 10
Walter 9
Arthur 8
Peter 8
Alfred 6
Edward 6
Nicholas 6
Frank 5
Harry 5
Reginald 5
Jacob 4
Philip 4
Benjamin 3
Eli 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Herbert 3
Phillip 3
Wm. 3
Chas. 2
David 2
Emanuel 2
Ephraim 2
Frederic 2
Geo. 2
Hiram 2
Leonard 2
Lewis 2
Louis 2
Obed 2
Roger 2
Sidney 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Wilfred 2
Wm.H. 2
Erest 1

FAQ

Prowse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Prowse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,360 people were recorded with the Prowse surname. That placed it at #3,012 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Prowse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,741 in 2016. That gives Prowse a modern rank of #3,599.

What does the Prowse surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old French term "prou", meaning brave or valiant.

What does the Prowse map show?

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