NameCensus.

UK surname

Purshouse

In the 1881 census there were 47 people recorded with the Purshouse surname, ranking it #27,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 215, ranked #18,670, up from #27,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Cannock and Rotherham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Walsall and North Warwickshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Purshouse is 220 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 357.4%.

1881 census count

47

Ranked #27,019

Modern count

215

2016, ranked #18,670

Peak year

2014

220 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Purshouse had 47 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016, ranked #18,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Purshouse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Purshouse surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Purshouse 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 48 #24,615
1861 historical 52 #27,369
1881 historical 47 #27,019
1891 historical 63 #28,881
1901 historical 77 #25,627
1911 historical 103 #22,328
1997 modern 217 #16,761
1998 modern 214 #17,366
1999 modern 212 #17,611
2000 modern 204 #17,987
2001 modern 202 #17,834
2002 modern 207 #17,911
2003 modern 205 #17,851
2004 modern 208 #17,758
2005 modern 206 #17,786
2006 modern 192 #18,753
2007 modern 198 #18,600
2008 modern 202 #18,528
2009 modern 210 #18,426
2010 modern 205 #19,140
2011 modern 210 #18,677
2012 modern 204 #18,973
2013 modern 209 #18,984
2014 modern 220 #18,471
2015 modern 219 #18,406
2016 modern 215 #18,670

Geography

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Where Purshouses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Cannock, Rotherham, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Walsall and North Warwickshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Cannock Staffordshire
3 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 010 Rotherham
2 Walsall 009 Walsall
3 Rotherham 003 Rotherham
4 Rotherham 021 Rotherham
5 North Warwickshire 002 North Warwickshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Purshouse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Purshouse

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Purshouse, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Purshouse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Purshouse household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Purshouse 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

Purshouse is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Purshouse falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Purshouse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Purshouse 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. Staffordshire leads with 27 Purshouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.45x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 27 17.45x
Warwickshire 10 8.65x
Yorkshire 5 1.10x
Lancashire 3 0.55x
Shropshire 2 5.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 8 Purshouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.13x.

Place Total Index
Aston 8 25.13x
Tettenhall 8 842.11x
Wednesfield 8 350.88x
Cannock 7 259.26x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 43.29x
Accrington 2 40.49x
Birmingham 2 5.19x
Claverley 2 740.74x
Walsall Foreign 2 25.03x
Essington 1 500.00x
Great Wyrley 1 588.24x
Rawmarsh 1 62.50x
West Derby 1 6.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Mary 3
Rose 3
Clara 2
Alice 1
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Flora 1
Isabella 1
Lucy 1
Roseanna 1
Sarah 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Abraham 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Edward 1
Ernest 1
George 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 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 Purshouse households.

FAQ

Purshouse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Purshouse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 47 people were recorded with the Purshouse surname. That placed it at #27,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Purshouse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 215 in 2016. That gives Purshouse a modern rank of #18,670.

What does the Purshouse map show?

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