NameCensus.

UK surname

Raymer

An English occupational surname referring to someone who made horse harness tackle or repaired leather goods.

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Raymer surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, down from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sudborne, Orford, Gedgrave, Havergate Island and Ipswich St Mary Stoke. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Solihull, Wychavon and Tendring.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Raymer is 148 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.6%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

1861

148 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Raymer had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016, ranked #27,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 148 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Raymer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Raymer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Raymer 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 148 #15,452
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 84 #24,759
1911 historical 115 #20,951
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 110 #26,129
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 93 #29,065
2005 modern 94 #28,973
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 104 #28,020
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 104 #28,982
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 101 #29,938
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 119 #27,541
2014 modern 126 #26,781
2015 modern 126 #26,654
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

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Where Raymers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sudborne, Orford, Gedgrave, Havergate Island, Ipswich St Mary Stoke, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Ramsey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Solihull, Wychavon, Tendring, East Northamptonshire and Powys. 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 Sudborne Suffolk
2 Orford, Gedgrave, Havergate Island Suffolk
3 Ipswich St Mary Stoke Suffolk
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Ramsey Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Solihull 009 Solihull
2 Wychavon 010 Wychavon
3 Tendring 003 Tendring
4 East Northamptonshire 001 East Northamptonshire
5 Powys 009 Powys

Forenames

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First names often paired with Raymer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Raymer

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Raymer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Raymer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Raymer 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

Raymer is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Raymer

The surname Raymer has its origins in the Low German regions of northern Germany and the Netherlands. Derived from the Middle Low German word "reimer," meaning a maker of reins or straps, it was an occupational name for those who crafted harnesses and tack for horses. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Reinmar, found in records from the 13th century in Saxony.

Over time, variations in spelling emerged, such as Reimer, Reymers, and Raymer. The name appeared in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical records from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 14th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johann Raymer, a saddler born in Lübeck in 1492.

In the 16th century, the name Raymer began to appear in England, likely brought over by immigrants from the Low Countries. One notable figure was Thomas Raymer, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived from 1525 to 1592. Another early English bearer of the name was William Raymer, a landowner in Berkshire, whose estate was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086.

The name Raymer also has a presence in the historical records of the United States. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Johannes Raymer, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the early 18th century. His descendants can be traced through various census and church records.

Other notable individuals with the surname Raymer include:

1. Carl Raymer (1853-1924), an American politician and member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri. 2. Emma Raymer (1857-1934), a Canadian writer and poet who published several collections of verse. 3. Wilhelm Raymer (1892-1967), a German engineer and pioneer in the field of aeronautics, known for his contributions to the design of early aircraft. 4. Clarence Raymer (1901-1982), an American aircraft designer and co-founder of the Raymer Aircraft Company in California. 5. Dorothy Raymer (1921-2001), an American writer and author of the novel "The Navajo Way," which explored the culture and traditions of the Navajo people.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Raymer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Raymer 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. Suffolk leads with 25 Raymers recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.41x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 25 31.41x
Kent 8 3.59x
Bedfordshire 6 17.73x
Hampshire 6 4.48x
Surrey 5 1.57x
Lancashire 4 0.52x
Middlesex 4 0.61x
Yorkshire 4 0.62x
Cheshire 2 1.39x
Norfolk 2 1.99x
Sussex 1 0.91x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sudbourne in Suffolk leads with 8 Raymers recorded in 1881 and an index of 6153.85x.

Place Total Index
Sudbourne 8 6153.85x
Ipswich St Mary Stoke 7 945.95x
Aldershot 6 133.63x
Bedford St Paul 6 258.62x
Camberwell 5 11.98x
Eastchurch 4 1818.18x
Gorton 4 54.87x
Orford 4 1538.46x
Faversham 3 140.85x
Batley 2 32.52x
Grundisburgh 2 1111.11x
Ipswich St Mathew 2 89.69x
Timperley 2 400.00x
Bow London 1 12.02x
Canterbury St Mary 1 66.67x
Chelsea London 1 5.08x
East Witton Within 1 1666.67x
Holy Trinity 1 6.42x
Hunstanton 1 294.12x
Ipswich St Peter 1 93.46x
Islington London 1 1.58x
Lowestoft 1 26.60x
Preston 1 52.08x
St Marylebone London 1 2.87x
Thorpe Next Norwich 1 93.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Ellen 3
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Louisa 2
Alice 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Cillia 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Harise 1
Lizzie 1
M.A.L. 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Maude 1
Miriam 1
Rebecca 1
Rosanna 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Raymer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Raymer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Raymer surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Raymer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016. That gives Raymer a modern rank of #27,115.

What does the Raymer surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who made horse harness tackle or repaired leather goods.

What does the Raymer map show?

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