NameCensus.

UK surname

Rhymer

A surname derived from the occupation of a poet or writer of rhymes.

In the 1881 census there were 119 people recorded with the Rhymer surname, ranking it #17,841 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 152, ranked #23,516, down from #17,841 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitworth, Silkstone and Smeeton, Great. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bath and North East Somerset, Mendip and Carmyle and Mount Vernon South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rhymer is 171 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.7%.

1881 census count

119

Ranked #17,841

Modern count

152

2016, ranked #23,516

Peak year

1901

171 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rhymer had 119 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,841 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016, ranked #23,516.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 171 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Rhymer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rhymer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rhymer 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 61 #22,412
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 119 #17,841
1891 historical 142 #18,995
1901 historical 171 #16,689
1911 historical 151 #17,797
1997 modern 146 #21,494
1998 modern 151 #21,578
1999 modern 153 #21,551
2000 modern 151 #21,684
2001 modern 150 #21,482
2002 modern 153 #21,609
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 160 #20,926
2005 modern 167 #20,296
2006 modern 155 #21,477
2007 modern 153 #21,912
2008 modern 148 #22,627
2009 modern 151 #22,816
2010 modern 147 #23,809
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 144 #24,323
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 149 #23,817
2016 modern 152 #23,516

Geography

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Where Rhymers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitworth, Silkstone, Smeeton, Great, Glasgow and Kilmersdon, Holcombe, Stratton-on-the-Fosse. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bath and North East Somerset, Mendip, Carmyle and Mount Vernon South, Wycombe and County Durham. 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 Whitworth Durham
2 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Smeeton, Great Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Kilmersdon, Holcombe, Stratton-on-the-Fosse Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bath and North East Somerset 026 Bath and North East Somerset
2 Mendip 007 Mendip
3 Carmyle and Mount Vernon South Glasgow City
4 Wycombe 022 Wycombe
5 County Durham 051 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rhymer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rhymer

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Rhymer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rhymer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rhymer 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

Rhymer 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

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

Meaning and origin of Rhymer

The surname Rhymer originated in medieval England, likely in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English word "rimour," meaning a maker of rhymes or verses, essentially a poet or bard. The name suggests that the original bearer was employed as a rhymer or minstrel, composing and reciting poetry or songs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "le Rimour." This document was a census commissioned by King Edward I, providing valuable insights into the names and occupations of people living in medieval England.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Rymour" and "Rimor," reflecting the phonetic spelling variations common in that era. One notable figure from this period is William Rhymer, a poet and minstrel who lived in the late 14th century and is mentioned in several historical records from the time.

The surname Rhymer is also linked to a place name, as evidenced by the entry "John del Rymer" in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379. This suggests that some individuals with this surname may have derived their name from a specific location, possibly a town or village associated with rhyming or poetry.

During the 15th century, the name continued to appear in various spellings, such as "Rymour" and "Rymmer." One noteworthy individual from this time was Thomas Rhymer, a Scottish poet and seer who lived in the late 15th century and is featured in several Scottish ballads and legends.

In the 16th century, the surname Rhymer gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Rhymer, a renowned English poet and playwright born in 1546. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is recognized for his contributions to English literature during the Elizabethan era.

Other notable individuals with the surname Rhymer include John Rhymer, an English poet and playwright born in 1592, and Elizabeth Rhymer, a celebrated actress and writer who lived in the late 17th century.

While the surname Rhymer is not as common today as it once was, its rich history and association with poetry, literature, and the arts make it a unique and intriguing name with deep roots in medieval England and Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rhymer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rhymer 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. Durham leads with 31 Rhymers recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.98x.

County Total Index
Durham 31 8.98x
Yorkshire 19 1.65x
Somerset 12 6.42x
Warwickshire 12 4.10x
Essex 10 4.36x
Fife 8 11.64x
Gloucestershire 5 2.20x
Surrey 5 0.88x
Middlesex 4 0.34x
Wiltshire 3 2.92x
Lancashire 2 0.15x
Midlothian 2 1.29x
Cumberland 1 1.00x
Dorset 1 1.31x
Lanarkshire 1 0.27x
Morayshire 1 5.55x
Northumberland 1 0.58x
Sussex 1 0.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tudhoe in Durham leads with 17 Rhymers recorded in 1881 and an index of 562.91x.

Place Total Index
Tudhoe 17 562.91x
Aston 12 14.89x
Barnsley 9 75.89x
Kilmersdon 8 869.57x
West Ham 7 13.84x
Norton 5 393.70x
St Andrews 5 159.74x
Wandsworth 5 44.76x
Appleton Wiske 4 3076.92x
Midsomer Norton 4 227.27x
Berkeley 3 236.22x
Crook Billy Row 3 67.87x
Edmonton 3 32.09x
Esh 3 119.52x
Westbury 3 125.00x
Abdie 2 512.82x
Burneston 2 2000.00x
Crathorne 2 2000.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 3.20x
Rainford 2 134.23x
Springfield 2 200.00x
Bedlington 1 17.33x
Boroughbridge 1 256.41x
Bristol St Peter 1 123.46x
Cheltenham 1 5.69x
Glasgow 1 1.50x
Hastings St Leonards 1 34.72x
Hatfield Broad Oak 1 129.87x
Moonzie 1 1666.67x
Radipole 1 188.68x
Rothes 1 113.64x
St Cuthbert W O Carleton 1 370.37x
Westoe 1 5.11x
Whitechapel London 1 8.74x
Wingate 1 42.19x
Wolsingham 1 31.75x
Yarm 1 169.49x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Dorah 1
Eleanor 1
Elisa 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliz.Agnes 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Jenny 1
Kate 1
Lois 1
Lucey 1
Martha 1
May 1
Rebecca 1
Selina 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 10
George 6
John 6
William 6
James 5
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Sidney 2
Barnard 1
Charles 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredick 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Lewis 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Rhymer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rhymer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 119 people were recorded with the Rhymer surname. That placed it at #17,841 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rhymer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 152 in 2016. That gives Rhymer a modern rank of #23,516.

What does the Rhymer surname mean?

A surname derived from the occupation of a poet or writer of rhymes.

What does the Rhymer map show?

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