NameCensus.

UK surname

Punchard

A occupational surname derived from the Old French poinchonner, meaning "to punch holes" or "to stamp".

In the 1881 census there were 380 people recorded with the Punchard surname, ranking it #8,249 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 324, ranked #13,966, down from #8,249 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, Rattlesden and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ribble Valley, Swansea and Richmondshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Punchard is 495 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.7%.

1881 census count

380

Ranked #8,249

Modern count

324

2016, ranked #13,966

Peak year

1911

495 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Punchard had 380 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,249 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 324 in 2016, ranked #13,966.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 495 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Punchard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Punchard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Punchard 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 173 #11,629
1861 historical 179 #13,127
1881 historical 380 #8,249
1891 historical 429 #8,359
1901 historical 464 #8,512
1911 historical 495 #7,877
1997 modern 360 #11,929
1998 modern 380 #11,827
1999 modern 367 #12,202
2000 modern 348 #12,614
2001 modern 350 #12,375
2002 modern 353 #12,512
2003 modern 333 #12,875
2004 modern 332 #12,951
2005 modern 333 #12,847
2006 modern 337 #12,810
2007 modern 342 #12,809
2008 modern 351 #12,661
2009 modern 358 #12,736
2010 modern 352 #13,187
2011 modern 345 #13,221
2012 modern 332 #13,501
2013 modern 342 #13,399
2014 modern 344 #13,426
2015 modern 327 #13,871
2016 modern 324 #13,966

Geography

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Where Punchards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin, Rattlesden, London parishes, St John Hackney and Ipswich St Clement and Warren House. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ribble Valley, Swansea, Richmondshire and Great Yarmouth. 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 Dartmorth St Petrox, Dartmouth St Saviour, Townstall, Ashprington, Halwell, Blackawton, Stoke Flemin Devon
2 Rattlesden Suffolk
3 London parishes London 3
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Ipswich St Clement and Warren House Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ribble Valley 003 Ribble Valley
2 Swansea 014 Swansea
3 Richmondshire 005 Richmondshire
4 Great Yarmouth 001 Great Yarmouth
5 Great Yarmouth 002 Great Yarmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Punchard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Punchard

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Punchard is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Punchard is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Punchard 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 Punchard is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Punchard, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Punchard

The surname Punchard originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational surname derived from a place name, possibly from the Old English words "pund" meaning an enclosure or pound, and "gerd" or "geard" meaning a yard or garden. This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near an enclosed garden or farm.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Punchardeston". This indicates the name was already well-established by the 13th century, perhaps even earlier. A similar spelling, "Puncherdon", appeared in records from Berkshire in 1306.

The Punchard name appeared to be concentrated primarily in the southern counties of England, particularly Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Hampshire. This lends further credence to the theory that it originated as a place name in that region.

Notable individuals with the surname Punchard include John Punchard (c.1530-1590), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Reading during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another early bearer of the name was William Punchard (1588-1654), a renowned English minister and Puritan writer who served as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Samuel Punchard (1718-1798) was a prominent English clockmaker and watchmaker based in London. His timepieces were highly regarded and can be found in museums today.

Moving into the 19th century, George Punchard (1806-1876) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Dramatic College and the Church of St. John the Evangelist.

Finally, Charles Punchard (1837-1918) was an American educator and author who served as the fourth president of Newton Theological Institution, now known as Andover Newton Theological School.

While the Punchard surname has never been extremely common, it has maintained a consistent presence throughout the centuries, particularly in England and later in the United States, where many Punchards immigrated during the colonial era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Punchard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Punchard 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 95 Punchards recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.10x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 95 21.10x
Middlesex 67 1.81x
Devon 56 7.28x
Norfolk 46 8.09x
Surrey 28 1.55x
Sussex 11 1.76x
Kent 10 0.79x
Monmouthshire 10 3.74x
Glamorgan 9 1.40x
Westmorland 9 11.08x
Lancashire 8 0.18x
Shropshire 8 2.50x
Yorkshire 4 0.11x
Berkshire 3 1.08x
Buckinghamshire 3 1.34x
Gloucestershire 3 0.41x
Pembrokeshire 3 2.55x
Lincolnshire 2 0.34x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.43x
Essex 1 0.14x
Hampshire 1 0.13x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 22 Punchards recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.61x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 22 10.61x
Ipswich St Clement 19 165.94x
Dartmouth St Savior 13 1413.04x
Rattlesden 13 984.85x
Ilketshall St Andrew 12 2000.00x
Brighton 10 7.95x
Deptford St Paul 10 10.28x
Islington London 10 2.79x
Mendham 10 1041.67x
St Woollos 10 33.52x
Croydon 9 9.00x
Kirkby Lonsdale 9 409.09x
St Pancras London 9 3.02x
Swansea Town 9 17.05x
Aldringham 8 1230.77x
Bow London 8 17.00x
Bramfield 7 886.08x
Brandeston 7 1372.55x
Chiswick 7 34.65x
Exeter St Sidwell 7 39.73x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 7 189.70x
Rackenford 7 1521.74x
Oldham 6 4.24x
Southwark Christchurch 6 34.64x
Exeter St David 5 76.10x
Exeter St Thomas The 5 63.78x
Hedenham 5 1388.89x
Honingham 5 1162.79x
Ipswich St Nicholas 5 201.61x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 5 141.64x
Topcroft 5 1111.11x
Wacton 5 1666.67x
Heigham 4 13.11x
Lowestoft 4 18.81x
Rose Ash 4 625.00x
Shobrooke 4 493.83x
St Giles In Fields 4 31.37x
Dittisham 3 394.74x
Gillingham 3 526.32x
Gomersal 3 17.54x
Kempsford 3 285.71x
Kingston On Thames 3 6.93x
Kinlet 3 545.45x
Linslade 3 136.99x
Pembroke St Mary 3 19.83x
Reading St Lawrence 3 50.51x
Stoke D Abernon 3 576.92x
Bishops Nympton 2 136.05x
Combs 2 133.33x
Ditchingham 2 147.06x
Ewhurst 2 176.99x
Hardwick 2 800.00x
Kensington London 2 0.97x
Lambeth 2 0.62x
Starston 2 307.69x
Sutton St Mary St James 2 285.71x
Totnes 2 44.44x
Weybread 2 232.56x
Barsham 1 256.41x
Broadwater 1 6.99x
Brooke 1 112.36x
Bungay St Mary 1 44.84x
Coulsdon 1 30.49x
Dartmouth St Saviour 1 45.45x
Exeter Holy Trinity 1 33.11x
Framlingham 1 31.25x
Geldeston 1 270.27x
Halesworth 1 31.35x
Newton Abbot St Mary 1 15.48x
North Dalton 1 161.29x
Norwich St Stephen 1 19.16x
Redenhall 1 45.25x
Shanklin 1 44.25x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.34x
Southwark St Saviour 1 5.26x
Spexhall 1 384.62x
St Andrewthe Less 1 3.74x
Stoke Newington London 1 3.47x
Swardeston 1 232.56x
West Derby 1 0.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 28
James 25
John 21
Charles 11
George 10
Robert 8
Frederick 7
Thomas 7
Henry 5
Isaac 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Edward 3
Harry 3
Herbert 3
Wm. 3
Arthur 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Humphrey 2
Joseph 2
Spencer 2
Walter 2
Albt.Hy. 1
Allen 1
Charley 1
Clarence 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edgood 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Herbart 1
Jas 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno.Edmd. 1
Mark 1
Richard 1
Robt.C. 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Wm.Jas. 1

FAQ

Punchard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Punchard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 380 people were recorded with the Punchard surname. That placed it at #8,249 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Punchard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 324 in 2016. That gives Punchard a modern rank of #13,966.

What does the Punchard surname mean?

A occupational surname derived from the Old French poinchonner, meaning "to punch holes" or "to stamp".

What does the Punchard map show?

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