NameCensus.

UK surname

Reyner

A topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a stream or brook.

In the 1881 census there were 164 people recorded with the Reyner surname, ranking it #14,624 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 184, ranked #20,731, down from #14,624 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Otley, Ardsley, East and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Walsall and Stockport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Reyner is 275 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.2%.

1881 census count

164

Ranked #14,624

Modern count

184

2016, ranked #20,731

Peak year

1901

275 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Reyner had 164 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,624 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016, ranked #20,731.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 275 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Reyner surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Reyner surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Reyner 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 159 #12,400
1861 historical 175 #13,409
1881 historical 164 #14,624
1891 historical 238 #13,202
1901 historical 275 #12,332
1911 historical 273 #12,177
1997 modern 185 #18,506
1998 modern 189 #18,737
1999 modern 187 #18,999
2000 modern 174 #19,829
2001 modern 168 #19,986
2002 modern 176 #19,829
2003 modern 177 #19,549
2004 modern 181 #19,363
2005 modern 179 #19,467
2006 modern 179 #19,592
2007 modern 185 #19,402
2008 modern 187 #19,465
2009 modern 191 #19,592
2010 modern 191 #20,015
2011 modern 193 #19,729
2012 modern 185 #20,223
2013 modern 183 #20,722
2014 modern 186 #20,664
2015 modern 182 #20,856
2016 modern 184 #20,731

Geography

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Where Reyners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Otley, Ardsley, East, London parishes, Whalley and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Walsall, Stockport and Cornwall. 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 Otley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Ardsley, East Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 2
4 Whalley Lancashire
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 003 Leeds
2 Leeds 107 Leeds
3 Walsall 011 Walsall
4 Stockport 042 Stockport
5 Cornwall 027 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Reyner

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Reyner

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Reyner surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Reyner household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Reyner is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Reyner is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Reyner falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Reyner 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 Reyner, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Reyner

The surname Reyner is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word "rener" or "renner", which means "runner" or "messenger". It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as an occupational surname given to those who worked as messengers or couriers.

The name Reyner can be traced back to various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. It is closely related to other surnames such as Renner, Rainer, and Reynard, which share a similar etymological root.

Reyner is mentioned in several historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a certain Richard Reyner is listed. The Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674 also record a Thomas Reyner in the county of Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Reyner can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1212, which mention a William Reyner. Another early example is Robert Reyner, who was born around 1510 in Ecclesfield, Yorkshire, and served as a Protestant clergyman during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Among notable individuals with the surname Reyner, we can mention Edward Reyner (1600-1670), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony and served as a teacher and preacher. Another Reyner of note is Sir John Reyner (1625-1668), an English politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

In the realm of literature, we find Michael Reyner (1612-1670), an English author and clergyman who wrote several religious works, including "The Rule of the Ancren Riwle" and "Precepts for Christian Practice".

Another notable figure is William Reyner (1600-1663), an English Puritan minister and author who served as a chaplain in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War and wrote several theological treatises.

Finally, we can mention Clement Reyner (1589-1651), an English clergyman and academic who served as a fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and authored several works on theology and philosophy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Reyner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Reyner 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. Yorkshire leads with 88 Reyners recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.52x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 88 5.52x
Lancashire 20 1.05x
Middlesex 13 0.81x
Norfolk 12 4.85x
Kent 7 1.27x
Essex 5 1.57x
Cambridgeshire 4 3.92x
Hampshire 4 1.21x
Cheshire 3 0.84x
Lincolnshire 3 1.17x
Surrey 2 0.26x
Berwickshire 1 5.13x
Channel Islands 1 2.10x
Derbyshire 1 0.40x
Sussex 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 30 Reyners recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.31x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 30 33.31x
Ashton Under Lyne 10 23.96x
Enfield 9 85.23x
Headingley Cum Burley 8 77.90x
Little Fransham 8 6153.85x
Droylsden 7 112.36x
Thurlstone 7 445.86x
Otley 6 155.04x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 6 80.97x
Barnsley 5 30.40x
Bocking 5 261.78x
Hepworth 5 781.25x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 4 89.89x
Hunslet 4 16.08x
Islington London 4 2.56x
Portsea 4 6.19x
Sandal Magna 4 169.49x
Tenterden 4 206.19x
Burringham 3 1000.00x
Holbeck 3 28.38x
Sheffield 3 5.91x
Wooldale 3 111.11x
Altrincham 2 32.21x
Lambeth 2 1.43x
Necton 2 454.55x
Normanton 2 41.75x
Staplehurst 2 222.22x
Birkdale 1 20.70x
Duffield 1 50.25x
Foulsham 1 192.31x
Great Crosby 1 19.19x
Ladykirk 1 416.67x
Rye 1 38.76x
St Helier 1 6.44x
Swaffham 1 49.75x
Tintwistle 1 52.63x
Upperthong 1 73.53x
Wakefield 1 8.17x
Warrington 1 4.42x
Woodnesborough 1 200.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 7
Annie 6
Emma 6
Elizabeth 5
Ellen 5
Martha 5
Emily 3
Hannah 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Edith 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Minnie 2
Rosina 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Angela 1
Anne 1
Anney 1
Betty 1
Elizoboth 1
Evelina 1
Evelyn 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
H. 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Marey 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Nellie 1
Olive 1
Rebecka 1
Selina 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1
Susy 1
Therza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
John 8
George 5
Joseph 4
Charles 3
Frederick 3
James 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Isaac 2
Rowland 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Alvah 1
Chas. 1
Enock 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Geo. 1
Geo.E.K. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Josh.W. 1
Mark 1
Rawling 1
Robt. 1
Stephen 1
Thomas 1
Timothy 1
Tom 1
Wilford 1

FAQ

Reyner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Reyner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 164 people were recorded with the Reyner surname. That placed it at #14,624 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Reyner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016. That gives Reyner a modern rank of #20,731.

What does the Reyner surname mean?

A topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a stream or brook.

What does the Reyner map show?

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