NameCensus.

UK surname

Range

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a mountain range or on rangelands.

In the 1881 census there were 171 people recorded with the Range surname, ranking it #14,212 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 275, ranked #15,720, down from #14,212 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Greenwich, West Oxfordshire and Warrington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Range is 283 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.8%.

1881 census count

171

Ranked #14,212

Modern count

275

2016, ranked #15,720

Peak year

2014

283 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Range had 171 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,212 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 275 in 2016, ranked #15,720.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 255 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Range surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Range surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Range 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 109 #16,212
1861 historical 127 #17,469
1881 historical 171 #14,212
1891 historical 220 #13,937
1901 historical 237 #13,574
1911 historical 255 #12,719
1997 modern 245 #15,483
1998 modern 257 #15,401
1999 modern 259 #15,433
2000 modern 268 #15,018
2001 modern 258 #15,194
2002 modern 268 #15,081
2003 modern 260 #15,216
2004 modern 254 #15,540
2005 modern 252 #15,551
2006 modern 242 #16,097
2007 modern 252 #15,815
2008 modern 254 #15,903
2009 modern 261 #15,926
2010 modern 271 #15,856
2011 modern 255 #16,428
2012 modern 250 #16,523
2013 modern 277 #15,644
2014 modern 283 #15,495
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 275 #15,720

Geography

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Where Ranges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Liverpool, St Luke and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Greenwich, West Oxfordshire, Warrington, Torbay and Eastleigh. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 St Luke London (Central Districts)
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Greenwich 034 Greenwich
2 West Oxfordshire 012 West Oxfordshire
3 Warrington 016 Warrington
4 Torbay 008 Torbay
5 Eastleigh 013 Eastleigh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Range

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Range

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Range surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Range 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Range is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Range is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Range 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 Range is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Range

The surname Range originated in England during the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "rang," meaning a row or line, which may have referred to a person who lived along a ridge or row of houses. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational name for someone who worked as a ranger, responsible for maintaining a particular area or forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Range can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William le Range is mentioned in Oxfordshire. The Hundredorum Rolls, also known as the Rotuli Hundredorum, were a census-like survey conducted in England during the reign of Edward I.

In the 14th century, the surname Range appeared in various forms, such as Ranger, le Raunger, and Raunge, reflecting the diverse spellings common in medieval times. A notable early bearer of this name was John le Ranger, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, a legal record of land transfers.

The Range surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One prominent figure was William Range (1555-1621), an English Catholic priest and controversialist who was a vocal opponent of the Protestant Reformation. Another notable bearer was George Range (1670-1748), an English physician and writer who published works on midwifery and childbirth.

In the 16th century, the surname Range was also found in areas of Scotland, particularly in the Borders region. One example is Robert Range, a clergyman who served as the minister of Swinton in Berwickshire in the late 1500s.

As the surname spread across England and Scotland, it became associated with various place names. For instance, the village of Rannoch in Perthshire, Scotland, was historically known as Rannaghoid, meaning "a place of bracken," which may have influenced the Range surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Range include James Range (1799-1876), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London, and Thomas Range (1820-1900), an English botanist and curator of the Society of Apothecaries' Gardens in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Range families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Range 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. Lancashire leads with 93 Ranges recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.67x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 93 4.67x
Middlesex 47 2.80x
Yorkshire 18 1.08x
Surrey 4 0.49x
Kent 2 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.88x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.99x
Derbyshire 1 0.38x
Essex 1 0.30x
Norfolk 1 0.39x
Royal Navy 1 5.00x
Suffolk 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Prescot in Lancashire leads with 25 Ranges recorded in 1881 and an index of 694.44x.

Place Total Index
Prescot 25 694.44x
Liverpool 21 17.37x
Toxteth Park 16 23.74x
Shoreditch London 14 19.25x
Hackney London 12 12.76x
Great Lever 8 379.15x
St Luke London 8 29.73x
Bethnal Green London 6 8.23x
Nether Hallam 6 26.68x
Calverley Cum Farsley 5 105.93x
Wavertree 5 78.49x
Bainton 4 1739.13x
Barrow In Furness 4 14.77x
Battersea 4 6.48x
Everton 4 6.30x
West Derby 4 6.87x
Eccleston In Prescot 3 30.03x
Hendon 3 49.67x
Islington London 3 1.84x
Nottingham St Mary 2 3.42x
Pickering 2 95.69x
Claydon 1 333.33x
Eyam 1 136.99x
Garston 1 17.01x
Great Kelk 1 1000.00x
Lewisham 1 3.28x
Milton In Gravesend 1 11.66x
Newton 1 6.52x
Shenfield 1 116.28x
Stretford 1 9.13x
Thetford St Peter 1 147.06x
Westminster St 1 16.16x
Wolverton 1 47.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 5
Margaret 4
Ann 3
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
Margret 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Bella 1
Christiana 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Ja...ette 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Margareta 1
Martha 1
Merien 1
Olive 1
Susanah 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 17
James 14
John 10
Charles 9
George 7
Henry 6
Thomas 6
Albert 3
Edmund 3
Richard 3
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Alex 1
Alfred 1
Arkless 1
C. 1
Cecil 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Jervus 1
Jonothan 1
Joseph 1
Julius 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Range surname: questions and answers

How common was the Range surname in 1881?

In 1881, 171 people were recorded with the Range surname. That placed it at #14,212 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Range surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 275 in 2016. That gives Range a modern rank of #15,720.

What does the Range surname mean?

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a mountain range or on rangelands.

What does the Range map show?

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