NameCensus.

UK surname

Right

In the 1881 census there were 187 people recorded with the Right surname, ranking it #13,407 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 156, ranked #23,098, down from #13,407 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and Stow with Quay. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torbay, South Tyneside and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Right is 499 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.6%.

1881 census count

187

Ranked #13,407

Modern count

156

2016, ranked #23,098

Peak year

1861

499 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Right had 187 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,407 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016, ranked #23,098.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 499 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Right surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Right surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Right 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 401 #6,031
1861 historical 499 #5,242
1881 historical 187 #13,407
1891 historical 131 #20,073
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 58 #27,001
1997 modern 27 #35,016
1998 modern 24 #35,488
1999 modern 26 #35,320
2000 modern 24 #35,498
2001 modern 15 #36,265
2002 modern 17 #36,164
2003 modern 20 #35,915
2004 modern 21 #35,969
2005 modern 25 #35,752
2006 modern 28 #35,665
2007 modern 32 #35,530
2008 modern 31 #35,670
2009 modern 50 #34,663
2010 modern 66 #33,791
2011 modern 59 #34,265
2012 modern 86 #32,297
2013 modern 101 #30,591
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 156 #23,098

Geography

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Where Rights are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Stow with Quay, Thornton in Craven and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torbay, South Tyneside, Bristol, Luton and Southend-on-Sea. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Stow with Quay Cambridgeshire
4 Thornton in Craven Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torbay 008 Torbay
2 South Tyneside 015 South Tyneside
3 Bristol 040 Bristol, City of
4 Luton 018 Luton
5 Southend-on-Sea 017 Southend-on-Sea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Right

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Right

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Right is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Right 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

Right falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Right is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

1881 census detail

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Right families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Right 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. Middlesex leads with 25 Rights recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.37x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 25 1.37x
Warwickshire 18 3.91x
Yorkshire 16 0.89x
Essex 15 4.17x
Surrey 13 1.46x
Devon 10 2.63x
Staffordshire 9 1.46x
Berkshire 8 5.84x
Lanarkshire 8 1.36x
Norfolk 8 2.85x
Lancashire 6 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 6 2.44x
Shropshire 6 3.81x
Durham 4 0.74x
Kent 4 0.64x
Worcestershire 4 1.68x
Herefordshire 3 4.01x
Lincolnshire 3 1.03x
Midlothian 3 1.23x
Buckinghamshire 2 1.81x
Hampshire 2 0.53x
Hertfordshire 2 1.59x
Leicestershire 2 0.99x
Wiltshire 2 1.24x
Cumberland 1 0.64x
Flintshire 1 2.04x
Glamorgan 1 0.31x
Gloucestershire 1 0.28x
Montgomeryshire 1 2.39x
Northamptonshire 1 0.58x
Northumberland 1 0.37x
Sussex 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tottenham in Middlesex leads with 10 Rights recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.42x.

Place Total Index
Tottenham 10 34.42x
Barking 8 75.90x
Bermondsey 8 14.73x
Stratford On Avon 8 313.73x
Bradford 6 13.71x
New Monkland 6 34.40x
Sandhurst 6 226.42x
Birmingham 5 3.26x
Bulwell 5 93.46x
Dartmouth Townstall 5 322.58x
Little Barningham 5 3846.15x
Nuneaton 5 93.81x
St Marylebone London 5 5.13x
Stokesay 5 1086.96x
Walsall Borough 5 104.60x
Dudley 4 13.81x
Leyton Low 4 54.64x
Ledbury 3 116.73x
Rose Ash 3 937.50x
Boston 2 22.60x
Gateshead 2 4.92x
Kensington London 2 1.97x
Kippax 2 125.79x
Lasswade 2 35.78x
Liversedge 2 24.84x
Oldham 2 2.86x
Oxted 2 186.92x
Shenley 2 240.96x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 5.45x
St George In East 2 16.12x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 3.06x
Swindon 2 15.99x
Uxbridge 2 96.15x
Westby With Plumpton 2 606.06x
Acle 1 175.44x
Aldershot 1 7.99x
Altofts 1 50.25x
Bagworth 1 263.16x
Barcombe 1 135.14x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 2.97x
Bromley 1 10.54x
Bromley London 1 2.49x
Burmarsh 1 909.09x
Chatham 1 5.84x
Chieveley 1 136.99x
Compton Gifford 1 84.03x
Denham 1 126.58x
Ealing 1 6.14x
Eston 1 25.38x
Featherstone 1 49.26x
Govan 1 0.69x
Great Barr 1 142.86x
Great Marlow 1 33.56x
Harberton 1 116.28x
Harton 1 46.73x
Holywell 1 16.23x
Ince In Makerfield 1 9.93x
Inveresk 1 15.11x
Jesmond 1 26.18x
Leigh 1 80.00x
Little Wakering 1 500.00x
Liverpool 1 0.76x
Llanfyllin 1 90.91x
Madeley 1 17.30x
Market Weighton Arras 1 85.47x
Martin In Sleaford 1 196.08x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.57x
Outwell 1 185.19x
Penarth 1 32.26x
Penshaw 1 61.35x
Pilton 1 1250.00x
Sevenoaks 1 19.80x
Sheffield 1 1.74x
South Lynn 1 31.55x
St Pancras London 1 0.68x
Thimbleby 1 1666.67x
Titchfield 1 35.46x
Wandsworth 1 5.69x
Watermillock 1 344.83x
Wigston Magna 1 37.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 6
Ellen 5
Emma 5
Jane 5
Elizabeth 4
Ann 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Martha 2
Ruth 2
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Celea 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Lavinia 1
Lily 1
Lina 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Maryann 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Mercy 1
Minnie 1
Mrs 1
Prissila 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
S. 1
Susan 1
Sussannah 1
Threse 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 16
John 10
George 8
James 7
Alfred 4
Joseph 4
Richard 4
Thomas 4
Charles 3
Edward 3
Albert 2
Fred 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Horace 1
Lancy 1
Lewis 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Willium 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Right surname: questions and answers

How common was the Right surname in 1881?

In 1881, 187 people were recorded with the Right surname. That placed it at #13,407 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Right surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016. That gives Right a modern rank of #23,098.

What does the Right map show?

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