NameCensus.

UK surname

Rimes

A French surname derived from the word "rime" meaning poem or rhyme.

In the 1881 census there were 189 people recorded with the Rimes surname, ranking it #13,322 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 241, ranked #17,233, down from #13,322 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Billinghay, Swindon, Lyddington and Ditcheat, West Bradley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, Wiltshire and Rother.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rimes is 288 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.5%.

1881 census count

189

Ranked #13,322

Modern count

241

2016, ranked #17,233

Peak year

1998

288 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rimes had 189 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,322 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016, ranked #17,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 264 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rimes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rimes surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Rimes 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 166 #11,986
1861 historical 143 #15,906
1881 historical 189 #13,322
1891 historical 188 #15,609
1901 historical 264 #12,693
1911 historical 256 #12,688
1997 modern 253 #15,152
1998 modern 288 #14,249
1999 modern 272 #14,912
2000 modern 254 #15,578
2001 modern 250 #15,527
2002 modern 255 #15,599
2003 modern 250 #15,605
2004 modern 237 #16,283
2005 modern 225 #16,831
2006 modern 231 #16,636
2007 modern 228 #16,984
2008 modern 229 #17,092
2009 modern 227 #17,544
2010 modern 236 #17,427
2011 modern 231 #17,530
2012 modern 235 #17,242
2013 modern 236 #17,472
2014 modern 245 #17,140
2015 modern 240 #17,279
2016 modern 241 #17,233

Geography

Back to top

Where Rimes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Billinghay, Swindon, Lyddington, Ditcheat, West Bradley, Culham and Peterborough St John the Baptist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, Wiltshire, Rother, Rotherham and Peterborough. 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 Billinghay Lincolnshire
2 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
3 Ditcheat, West Bradley Somerset
4 Culham Berkshire
5 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 006 Fenland
2 Wiltshire 008 Wiltshire
3 Rother 001 Rother
4 Rotherham 016 Rotherham
5 Peterborough 004 Peterborough

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Rimes

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Rimes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rimes, 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 Rimes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rimes 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Rimes is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rimes is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rimes falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rimes 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
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rimes

The surname Rimes has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "rym," which means "rim" or "border." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone living near a border or boundary.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where a William Rymes is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were a series of administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Rymmes, Rymys, and Rymis, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time period. The Rimes family is also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, indicating their presence in that region.

During the 16th century, the name Rimes began to appear more frequently in parish records and other historical documents. In 1548, a John Rimes was recorded as a resident of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Rimes include Thomas Rimes (1565-1642), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Pembroke College, Oxford. Another noteworthy figure was Sir Gabriel Rimes (1598-1677), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who played a role in the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the Rimes family had connections to the village of Rothwell in Northamptonshire. A prominent member of the family was John Rimes (1737-1805), a landowner and Justice of the Peace in Rothwell.

Throughout the 19th century, the name Rimes continued to appear in various regions of England, with individuals such as William Rimes (1809-1892), a farmer from Nottinghamshire, and Samuel Rimes (1828-1901), a businessman from Gloucestershire.

It is worth noting that while the surname Rimes is not among the most common surnames in England, it has a rich history and can be traced back through several centuries of records and historical accounts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Rimes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rimes 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. Huntingdonshire leads with 41 Rimes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 113.83x.

County Total Index
Huntingdonshire 41 113.83x
Somerset 26 8.90x
Yorkshire 24 1.33x
Lancashire 18 0.84x
Middlesex 17 0.94x
Northamptonshire 15 8.79x
Devon 12 3.18x
Berkshire 10 7.34x
Lincolnshire 9 3.10x
Hampshire 3 0.81x
Cambridgeshire 2 1.74x
Sussex 2 0.65x
Wiltshire 2 1.25x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.91x
Cornwall 1 0.49x
Dorset 1 0.84x
Herefordshire 1 1.34x
Staffordshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Farcett in Huntingdonshire leads with 35 Rimes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7954.55x.

Place Total Index
Farcett 35 7954.55x
Ditcheat 24 4800.00x
Eccleshill 9 205.95x
Reading St Giles 8 59.88x
Harberton 7 813.95x
Peterborough 7 56.68x
St Marylebone London 7 7.23x
Standground 7 853.66x
Kirk Ella 6 2727.27x
Moss Side 6 52.96x
West Derby 6 9.53x
Great Crosby 5 85.18x
Huddersfield 5 19.09x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 17.19x
Paddington London 4 6.00x
Tottenham 4 13.85x
Billinghay 3 337.08x
Brightside Bierlow 3 8.51x
Fletton 3 260.87x
Yaxley 3 357.14x
Abingdon St Helen 2 50.25x
Chippenham 2 59.52x
Croft 2 425.53x
Hastings St Mary 2 26.28x
Millbrook 2 21.34x
Armitage 1 125.00x
Boston 1 11.36x
Cottingham 1 25.84x
Crowland 1 54.95x
Evercreech 1 142.86x
Hardingstone 1 61.35x
Hereford All Sts 1 29.33x
Hulme 1 2.23x
Langley Marish 1 74.07x
Maperton 1 769.23x
Portsmouth 1 11.68x
Saltash 1 62.89x
Sherborne 1 28.49x
St Pancras London 1 0.68x
St Swithin Lincoln 1 21.93x
Stamford All Sts 1 61.73x
Teddington London 1 24.33x
Thorney 1 78.13x
Whittlesey St Mary St 1 24.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 8
Emma 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Emily 3
Annie 2
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Jessie 2
Laura 2
Mabel 2
Margaret 2
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Aice 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Bertha 1
Betsey 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizebath 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Kezia 1
Lillian 1
Louisa 1
Louisea 1
Lucy 1
Matilda 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Olive 1
Roseina 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Thersea 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 16
John 11
George 8
James 6
Elijah 4
Martin 4
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Thomas 3
Walter 3
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Richard 2
Adam 1
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Charlie 1
Daniel 1
Esau 1
Hardy 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Jacob 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Manfield 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1
Reuben 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Rimes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rimes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 189 people were recorded with the Rimes surname. That placed it at #13,322 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rimes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016. That gives Rimes a modern rank of #17,233.

What does the Rimes surname mean?

A French surname derived from the word "rime" meaning poem or rhyme.

What does the Rimes map show?

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