NameCensus.

UK surname

Puncher

In the 1881 census there were 88 people recorded with the Puncher surname, ranking it #21,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, down from #21,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Havering-atte-Bower, Bideford and Sawbridgeworth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, Southend-on-Sea and Havering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Puncher is 186 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.0%.

1881 census count

88

Ranked #21,211

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

1911

186 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Puncher had 88 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 186 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Puncher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Puncher surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Puncher 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 107 #16,402
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 88 #21,211
1891 historical 142 #18,995
1901 historical 156 #17,638
1911 historical 186 #15,643
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 147 #21,935
1999 modern 150 #21,826
2000 modern 152 #21,603
2001 modern 146 #21,857
2002 modern 145 #22,392
2003 modern 151 #21,574
2004 modern 138 #22,997
2005 modern 128 #24,076
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 129 #24,503
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 116 #27,062
2010 modern 121 #27,005
2011 modern 119 #27,063
2012 modern 125 #26,298
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 134 #25,711
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

Back to top

Where Punchers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Havering-atte-Bower, Bideford, Sawbridgeworth, London parishes and West Ham,Wanstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, Southend-on-Sea, Havering and Islington. 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 Havering-atte-Bower Essex
2 Bideford Devon
3 Sawbridgeworth Hertfordshire
4 London parishes London 2
5 West Ham,Wanstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 007 North Norfolk
2 Southend-on-Sea 008 Southend-on-Sea
3 Havering 029 Havering
4 North Norfolk 010 North Norfolk
5 Islington 014 Islington

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Puncher

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Puncher

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Puncher is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Puncher 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

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Puncher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Puncher 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. Essex leads with 28 Punchers recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.53x.

County Total Index
Essex 28 16.53x
Hertfordshire 18 30.43x
Devon 13 7.28x
Norfolk 13 9.85x
Middlesex 10 1.17x
Sussex 3 2.07x
Hampshire 1 0.57x
Herefordshire 1 2.84x
Kent 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Harlow in Essex leads with 14 Punchers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1917.81x.

Place Total Index
Harlow 14 1917.81x
Bishop Stortford 9 454.55x
Havering 9 6923.08x
Sawbridgeworth 8 888.89x
Northam 6 461.54x
St George In East 6 102.74x
Bideford 5 261.78x
Gimingham 5 6250.00x
West Ham 5 13.37x
Knapton 3 3333.33x
Newhaven 3 254.24x
North Walsham 3 315.79x
St Pancras London 3 4.34x
Flordon 2 4000.00x
Exeter St Thomas The 1 54.95x
Holmer 1 158.73x
Lewisham 1 6.40x
Mile End Old Town 1 7.38x
Plymouth Charles The 1 12.71x
Portsmouth 1 24.69x
Watford 1 21.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Hannah 5
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Jane 3
Emma 2
Jessie 2
Martha 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Florry 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Rebecca 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
Harry 5
George 4
Henry 4
Frederick 3
Robert 3
Charles 2
James 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Dennis 1
Edward 1
Herbet 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

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 Puncher households.

FAQ

Puncher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Puncher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 88 people were recorded with the Puncher surname. That placed it at #21,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Puncher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Puncher a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Puncher map show?

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