NameCensus.

UK surname

Quimby

Derived from a place name meaning "woman's estate" in Old English, likely referring to a family's historical residence.

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Quimby surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 130, ranked #26,152, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Polesworth, Clifton Campville and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Mansfield and Oldham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Quimby is 139 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.3%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

130

2016, ranked #26,152

Peak year

2014

139 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Quimby had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 130 in 2016, ranked #26,152.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 117 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Quimby surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Quimby surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Quimby 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 28 #28,274
1861 historical 18 #31,580
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 59 #29,325
1901 historical 102 #22,596
1911 historical 117 #20,757
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 111 #25,990
1999 modern 122 #24,745
2000 modern 118 #25,197
2001 modern 112 #25,644
2002 modern 116 #25,632
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 122 #24,812
2005 modern 125 #24,398
2006 modern 117 #25,695
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 116 #26,510
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 119 #27,063
2012 modern 132 #25,289
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 139 #25,093
2015 modern 131 #25,979
2016 modern 130 #26,152

Geography

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Where Quimbys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Polesworth, Clifton Campville, Leeds, Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) and Armitage. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Mansfield and Oldham. 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 Polesworth Warwickshire
2 Clifton Campville Staffordshire
3 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
5 Armitage Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 007 Bolsover
2 Mansfield 006 Mansfield
3 Mansfield 007 Mansfield
4 Oldham 020 Oldham
5 Mansfield 009 Mansfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Quimby

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Quimby

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

Quimby 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

Quimby falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Quimby is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Quimby

The surname Quimby is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Quenby or Quineborough in Leicestershire, England. The name Quenby is thought to be derived from the Old English words "cwene" meaning queen and "byri" meaning a fortified place or town, suggesting that the area may have once been associated with a queen or royal estate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Queneburge." This entry refers to a settlement in Leicestershire, providing evidence of the name's long-standing presence in the region.

During the 13th century, the name appears in various forms such as "Quenebi," "Queneby," and "Queneburgh" in historical records and documents related to Leicestershire and neighboring counties.

Notable individuals bearing the Quimby surname include:

1. Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (1802-1866), an American philosopher and the founder of the "New Thought" movement, which influenced the development of modern-day spirituality and self-help philosophies.

2. John Quimby (c. 1594-1670), an early settler in Ipswich, Massachusetts, who arrived in the American colonies around 1635 and played a role in the establishment of the town.

3. Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910), the founder of the Christian Science movement, was influenced by the teachings of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby and studied with him for a time.

4. Harriet Quimby (1875-1912), an early American aviator and the first woman to earn a pilot's license in the United States. She tragically died in a plane crash in 1912.

5. Edith Kingdon Gould Quimby (1878-1962), an American socialite and philanthropist who was a prominent figure in New York City's high society in the early 20th century.

The name Quimby has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Quenby Hall in Leicestershire and Quenby Priory, a former monastery in the same county. These place names further reinforce the locational origins of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Quimby families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Quimby 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 21 Quimbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.50x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 21 8.50x
Warwickshire 20 10.84x
Surrey 13 3.65x
Yorkshire 10 1.38x
Lancashire 6 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 3 3.04x
Middlesex 1 0.14x
Rutland 1 18.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 13 Quimbys recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.66x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 13 49.66x
Curdworth 9 5294.12x
Mitcham 7 311.11x
Everton 6 21.68x
Lambeth 6 9.41x
Leeds 6 14.66x
Polesworth 6 681.82x
Armley 4 125.00x
Clifton Campville 4 2105.26x
Aston 3 5.91x
Nottingham St Mary 3 11.76x
Mancetter 2 377.36x
Mavesyn Ridware 2 1666.67x
Stafford St Chad 2 1818.18x
St Pancras London 1 1.70x
Uppingham 1 156.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Jane 2
Lettica 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Cathrine 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Lilly 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Nellie 1
Rebec. 1
Rose 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
John 4
Joseph 4
James 3
Fredk. 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Andrew 1
Benj. 1
Benjamin 1
Bertie 1
Charles 1
David 1
Earnest 1
Edward 1
Fred 1
George 1
Henry 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Jno.Jas. 1
Oliver 1
Thos. 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 Quimby households.

FAQ

Quimby surname: questions and answers

How common was the Quimby surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Quimby surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Quimby surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 130 in 2016. That gives Quimby a modern rank of #26,152.

What does the Quimby surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "woman's estate" in Old English, likely referring to a family's historical residence.

What does the Quimby map show?

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