NameCensus.

UK surname

Purvis

Derived from the Old French term "pur vis," meaning "pure face," likely referring to someone with a clear complexion.

In the 1881 census there were 2,896 people recorded with the Purvis surname, ranking it #1,549 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,346, ranked #1,568, down from #1,549 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Purvis is 4,496 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.1%.

1881 census count

2,896

Ranked #1,549

Modern count

4,346

2016, ranked #1,568

Peak year

1999

4,496 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Purvis had 2,896 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,549 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,346 in 2016, ranked #1,568.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,798 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Purvis surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Purvis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Purvis 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 1,714 #1,683
1861 historical 1,416 #2,012
1881 historical 2,896 #1,549
1891 historical 2,824 #1,678
1901 historical 3,798 #1,481
1911 historical 3,318 #1,574
1997 modern 4,266 #1,526
1998 modern 4,442 #1,524
1999 modern 4,496 #1,516
2000 modern 4,415 #1,531
2001 modern 4,318 #1,532
2002 modern 4,416 #1,531
2003 modern 4,301 #1,532
2004 modern 4,273 #1,547
2005 modern 4,186 #1,553
2006 modern 4,194 #1,557
2007 modern 4,193 #1,570
2008 modern 4,228 #1,566
2009 modern 4,335 #1,569
2010 modern 4,464 #1,560
2011 modern 4,383 #1,563
2012 modern 4,314 #1,560
2013 modern 4,378 #1,568
2014 modern 4,416 #1,568
2015 modern 4,359 #1,570
2016 modern 4,346 #1,568

Geography

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Where Purvis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland and Scarborough. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 006 Northumberland
3 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 002 Northumberland
5 Scarborough 001 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Purvis

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Purvis

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Purvis, 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 Purvis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Purvis 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Purvis 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

Purvis 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

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

Meaning and origin of Purvis

The surname Purvis originated from the Anglo-Norman French word "pore-vis" meaning "poor-faced". It first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name was initially given as a nickname to someone with a thin, pale, or sickly appearance.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Poreviz" and "Poreveys". These early spellings illustrate the name's evolution from the French "pore-vis" to its more modern form.

In the 13th century, the surname is found in various records from Northumberland and Yorkshire, indicating its origins in the northern parts of England. One of the earliest recorded bearers is John Purvis, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1273.

By the 14th century, the name had spread to other parts of the country, with records showing bearers in Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, and Somerset. The spellings during this period included Porvis, Porvys, and Pourveys.

Several notable individuals with the surname Purvis have left their mark throughout history. One of the earliest was Robert Purvis (c. 1510-1588), an English clergyman who served as the Dean of York from 1570 until his death.

In the 17th century, Thomas Purvis (1624-1695) was a prominent English Presbyterian minister and author who played a significant role in the religious debates of his time.

The 18th century saw the rise of Robert Purvis (1752-1826), a Scottish surgeon and writer who served as the President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.

In the 19th century, Robert Purvis (1810-1898) was a notable American abolitionist and philanthropist who worked alongside prominent figures like William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass in the fight against slavery.

Another notable bearer of the surname was James Purvis (1884-1959), a Scottish businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for East Renfrewshire from 1945 to 1959.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Purvis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Purvis 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. Durham leads with 918 Purvis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.92x.

County Total Index
Durham 918 10.92x
Northumberland 837 19.91x
Middlesex 188 0.67x
Yorkshire 113 0.40x
Lanarkshire 104 1.14x
Midlothian 104 2.75x
Lancashire 88 0.26x
Kent 85 0.88x
Surrey 68 0.49x
Angus 38 1.45x
Dunbartonshire 33 4.35x
Fife 29 1.73x
Hampshire 24 0.41x
Berwickshire 21 6.14x
Stirlingshire 20 1.92x
Cumberland 18 0.74x
Staffordshire 16 0.17x
Lincolnshire 13 0.29x
West Lothian 13 3.05x
Essex 12 0.22x
Renfrewshire 11 0.50x
Ayrshire 10 0.47x
Caithness 10 2.58x
Devon 9 0.15x
Glamorgan 9 0.18x
Sussex 9 0.19x
Northamptonshire 8 0.30x
Argyllshire 7 0.89x
Hertfordshire 7 0.36x
Monmouthshire 7 0.34x
Roxburghshire 7 1.37x
Selkirkshire 7 2.74x
Westmorland 7 1.13x
Gloucestershire 6 0.11x
Cornwall 5 0.16x
Oxfordshire 5 0.29x
Buteshire 4 2.34x
Berkshire 3 0.14x
East Lothian 3 0.80x
Ross-shire 3 0.39x
Dorset 2 0.11x
Herefordshire 2 0.17x
Kincardineshire 2 0.58x
Royal Navy 2 0.59x
Shropshire 2 0.08x
Derbyshire 1 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.16x
Flintshire 1 0.13x
Leicestershire 1 0.03x
Norfolk 1 0.02x
Perthshire 1 0.08x
Somerset 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Westoe in Durham leads with 238 Purvis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.94x.

Place Total Index
Westoe 238 49.94x
Whitburn 63 321.43x
Longbenton 62 34.81x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 62 24.69x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 60 16.48x
Gateshead 58 9.21x
Elswick 53 15.79x
Tynemouth 53 23.54x
Bishopwearmouth 46 6.37x
Westgate 44 16.90x
Barony 42 1.82x
Hexham 41 63.01x
Ryton 35 118.48x
Berwick Upon Tweed 34 38.16x
Byker 31 14.91x
Monkwearmouth Shore 30 18.28x
Hetton Le Hole 29 27.22x
Ancroft 28 189.45x
Chirton 27 28.37x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 26 1.71x
Haswell 26 43.15x
Heworth 25 15.09x
Kyloe 24 247.68x
Middlesbrough 24 6.58x
Islington London 23 0.84x
Tweedmouth 22 41.97x
Glasgow 21 1.29x
Alnwick 20 27.67x
Govan 20 0.88x
Lambeth 20 0.81x
Mile End Old Town 20 4.48x
Croydon 18 2.35x
St Pancras London 18 0.79x
Chatton 17 131.78x
Deptford St Paul 17 2.29x
Hammersmith London 17 2.44x
Shoreditch London 17 1.39x
South Shields 17 22.70x
Tanfield 17 17.00x
Greenwich 16 3.56x
Shildon 16 23.68x
South Leith 16 3.76x
Dunfermline 15 5.83x
Whitby 15 15.89x
Amble 14 73.18x
Belford 14 156.42x
Broomley 14 372.34x
Chester Le Street 14 21.69x
Dumbarton 14 13.25x
Jesmond 13 21.97x
Lowick 13 88.80x
Manchester 13 0.86x
Paddington London 13 1.25x
Benwell 12 26.11x
Bothwell 12 4.84x
East Chevington 12 85.78x
Everton 12 1.12x
Leeds 12 0.76x
Morpeth 12 24.27x
Padiham 12 14.81x
St Cuthbert W O 12 10.12x
Stirling 12 9.13x
Darlington 11 3.39x
Winlaton 11 13.64x
Brancepeth 10 65.49x
Eltham 10 17.70x
Fala Soutra 10 331.13x
Harton 10 30.10x
Kensington London 10 0.64x
Lewisham 10 1.94x
Nesbit In Glendale 10 1265.82x
Olrig 10 51.73x
Sunderland 10 6.73x
Tunstall 10 23.89x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 9 10.05x
Forfar 9 6.35x
Rushall 9 16.03x
Sherburn 9 35.17x
Wingate 9 15.62x
Woodhorn Hirst 9 391.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 202
Elizabeth 116
Jane 101
Margaret 100
Isabella 67
Ann 63
Sarah 61
Annie 33
Alice 30
Ellen 26
Hannah 24
Eleanor 19
Catherine 17
Agnes 15
Emma 14
Louisa 13
Dorothy 10
Edith 10
Eliz. 10
Emily 10
Margret 10
Maria 9
Martha 9
Anne 8
Caroline 8
Charlotte 8
Eliza 8
Florence 8
Margt. 8
Rebecca 8
Barbara 7
Frances 7
Jessie 7
Ada 6
Esther 6
Harriet 5
Lydia 5
Amelia 4
Bridget 4
Clara 4
Isabell 4
Janet 4
Kate 4
Marion 4
Susannah 4
Winifred 4
Elizth. 3
Gertrude 3
Grace 3
Henrietta 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 185
William 166
Thomas 106
James 89
Robert 87
George 86
Joseph 38
Edward 30
Henry 28
David 24
Charles 23
Alexander 21
Richard 20
Andrew 16
Francis 14
Samuel 13
Wm. 12
Arthur 11
Adam 8
Alfred 8
Anthony 8
Matthew 8
Walter 8
Harry 6
Frederick 5
Geo. 5
Mark 5
Michael 5
Alex 4
Frank 4
Gilbert 4
Herbert 4
Jno. 4
Ralph 4
Stephen 4
Thos. 4
W. 4
Christopher 3
Fred 3
Hugh 3
Isaac 3
Martin 3
Mathew 3
Robt. 3
Allan 2
Cuthbert 2
Daniel 2
Gideon 2
Percival 2
Reuben 2

FAQ

Purvis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Purvis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,896 people were recorded with the Purvis surname. That placed it at #1,549 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Purvis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,346 in 2016. That gives Purvis a modern rank of #1,568.

What does the Purvis surname mean?

Derived from the Old French term "pur vis," meaning "pure face," likely referring to someone with a clear complexion.

What does the Purvis map show?

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