NameCensus.

UK surname

Register

An occupational surname for an official recorder or registrar of documents, events, or accounts.

In the 1881 census there were 88 people recorded with the Register surname, ranking it #21,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #21,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to King's Lynn St Margaret, Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham and Wisbech St Peter. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Uttlesford and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Register is 105 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.8%.

1881 census count

88

Ranked #21,211

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

1901

105 bearers

Map years

3

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Register had 88 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 105 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Register surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Register surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Register 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 45 #25,168
1861 historical 60 #26,313
1881 historical 88 #21,211
1891 historical 92 #25,109
1901 historical 105 #22,179
1911 historical 94 #23,391
1997 modern 103 #26,498
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 97 #28,142
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 98 #28,243
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 96 #28,605
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 85 #30,954
2008 modern 85 #31,247
2009 modern 82 #32,048
2010 modern 81 #32,582
2011 modern 82 #32,449
2012 modern 95 #31,107
2013 modern 93 #31,785
2014 modern 98 #31,370
2015 modern 100 #31,005
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Registers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around King's Lynn St Margaret, Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham, Wisbech St Peter, Sheffield and Littleport, Hilgay (Downham, Norfolk), Southery (Downham, Norfolk). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Uttlesford and Sheffield. 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 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
2 Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham Norfolk
3 Wisbech St Peter Cambridgeshire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Littleport, Hilgay (Downham, Norfolk), Southery (Downham, Norfolk) Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Uttlesford 006 Uttlesford
2 Sheffield 018 Sheffield
3 Sheffield 030 Sheffield
4 Sheffield 053 Sheffield
5 Uttlesford 007 Uttlesford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Register

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Register

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Register surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Register 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Register is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Register is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Register

The surname "Register" has its origins in the Old French word "registre", which means "to record" or "to list". It is believed to have emerged as a occupational surname in the 13th century, referring to individuals who were responsible for maintaining records, such as clerks or scribes.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to medieval England, where it was often spelled as "Registre" or "Regestre". One notable mention is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1294, which lists a certain "John Registre" as a taxpayer.

In the 14th century, the surname began to appear in various forms, including "Regester" and "Regestour". An example can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a "Thomas le Regester".

By the 15th century, the spelling had evolved closer to its modern form, with instances such as "Regester" and "Register" appearing in records across England. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1440 include a "John Register" among the listed taxpayers.

As the surname spread, it also found its way into other parts of the British Isles. In Scotland, one of the earliest recorded instances is that of William Register, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1480.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname "Register". One example is Ninian Register, a Scottish minister and author who lived in the late 16th century and wrote a book titled "The Vindication of the Reformation in Scotland".

Another prominent figure was Robert Register, an English clergyman and academic who lived from 1625 to 1679. He served as the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and was known for his sermons and writings on theological subjects.

In the 18th century, John Register was an English architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London and the surrounding areas, including the construction of several churches and public buildings.

Moving into the 19th century, we find Thomas Register, a Scottish artist and painter who was born in 1818 and is remembered for his landscapes and portraits of notable figures of the time.

Finally, in the early 20th century, Walter Register was an American politician and lawyer who served as a Representative from North Carolina in the United States Congress from 1913 to 1915.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Register families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Register 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. Norfolk leads with 39 Registers recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.55x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 39 29.55x
Yorkshire 20 2.35x
Middlesex 12 1.40x
Cambridgeshire 7 12.88x
Surrey 4 0.96x
Kent 3 1.02x
Lincolnshire 2 1.46x
Northamptonshire 1 1.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Southery in Norfolk leads with 18 Registers recorded in 1881 and an index of 5142.86x.

Place Total Index
Southery 18 5142.86x
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 57.80x
Hilgay 9 1800.00x
Downham Market 8 879.12x
Islington London 5 6.01x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 4 101.01x
Outwell 4 4000.00x
Sheffield 4 14.77x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 23.16x
Brightside Bierlow 3 17.99x
Deptford St Paul 3 13.28x
Isleworth 3 78.53x
Nether Hallam 3 26.06x
Wisbech St Peter 3 109.89x
Kensington London 2 4.19x
Hampstead London 1 7.48x
Hargrave 1 1000.00x
Manthorpe Cum Little 1 95.24x
St George In East 1 17.12x
Tumby 1 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
John 5
Robert 3
Benjamin 2
George 2
James 2
Larman 2
Arthur 1
Birtie 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Hary 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Larmin 1
Laurence 1
Oscar 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Register surname: questions and answers

How common was the Register surname in 1881?

In 1881, 88 people were recorded with the Register surname. That placed it at #21,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Register surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Register a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Register surname mean?

An occupational surname for an official recorder or registrar of documents, events, or accounts.

What does the Register map show?

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