NameCensus.

UK surname

Schreiber

An occupational surname referring to a writer, scribe, or clerk.

In the 1881 census there were 74 people recorded with the Schreiber surname, ranking it #23,062 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 336, ranked #13,583, up from #23,062 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Preston and St James Westminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney and Blackpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Schreiber is 342 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 354.1%.

1881 census count

74

Ranked #23,062

Modern count

336

2016, ranked #13,583

Peak year

2011

342 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Schreiber had 74 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,062 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016, ranked #13,583.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 191 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Schreiber surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Schreiber surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Schreiber 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 14 #30,790
1861 historical 31 #30,058
1881 historical 74 #23,062
1891 historical 93 #24,965
1901 historical 162 #17,271
1911 historical 191 #15,392
1997 modern 214 #16,893
1998 modern 232 #16,508
1999 modern 251 #15,751
2000 modern 244 #16,004
2001 modern 239 #15,963
2002 modern 268 #15,081
2003 modern 279 #14,506
2004 modern 264 #15,156
2005 modern 265 #15,048
2006 modern 291 #14,175
2007 modern 293 #14,272
2008 modern 312 #13,764
2009 modern 322 #13,741
2010 modern 338 #13,550
2011 modern 342 #13,314
2012 modern 318 #13,926
2013 modern 332 #13,713
2014 modern 333 #13,770
2015 modern 333 #13,676
2016 modern 336 #13,583

Geography

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Where Schreibers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Preston, St James Westminster and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hackney and Blackpool. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Preston Sussex
3 London parishes London 3
4 St James Westminster London (West Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hackney 029 Hackney
2 Hackney 004 Hackney
3 Hackney 001 Hackney
4 Hackney 003 Hackney
5 Blackpool 018 Blackpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Schreiber

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Schreiber

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Schreiber surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Schreiber 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Schreiber 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

Schreiber 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

Schreiber falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Schreiber 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Schreiber

The surname SCHREIBER originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Schreiber," which means "scribe" or "writer." This occupation-based surname was likely given to individuals who worked as scribes, transcribing documents and records in medieval times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SCHREIBER name can be found in the "Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium," a medieval manuscript from the Benedictine abbey of Corvey in Germany, dating back to the 9th century. This document mentions a person named "Scribarius" or "Schreiber," indicating the presence of the name during that era.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the SCHREIBER surname began appearing more frequently in various regions of Germany, particularly in towns and cities where scribes were employed. In the city of Nuremberg, for instance, the name was recorded in the "Nuremberg Schembartbuch," a medieval record of the city's prominent citizens.

One of the earliest known individuals with the SCHREIBER surname was Johann Schreiber, a German printer and publisher who lived from around 1460 to 1520. He established a printing press in Freiburg im Breisgau and is credited with printing several important works during the early years of the printing revolution.

Another notable figure was Adam Schreiber (1560-1625), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. His works on Roman law and legal theory were highly influential during the Renaissance period.

In the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Schreiber (1705-1760) was a prominent German architect and master builder. He designed numerous buildings in the Baroque and Rococo styles, including churches, palaces, and public structures, primarily in the region of Saxony.

The SCHREIBER surname also found its way into the literary world with Johann Andreas Schreiber (1757-1828), a German writer and poet. He was known for his contributions to the Sturm und Drang movement and his works exploring themes of nature and emotion.

Throughout its history, the SCHREIBER surname has been associated with various occupations related to writing, publishing, and scholarship, reflecting its origins as a name given to scribes and writers in medieval Germany.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Schreiber families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Schreiber 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 Schreibers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.46x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 25 3.46x
Suffolk 15 17.07x
Surrey 13 3.70x
Yorkshire 9 1.26x
Kent 4 1.62x
Carmarthenshire 2 6.58x
Devon 2 1.33x
Lancashire 2 0.23x
Cheshire 1 0.63x
Durham 1 0.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 10 Schreibers recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.89x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 10 15.89x
Lowestoft 6 144.58x
St Pancras London 6 10.33x
Claydon 5 3846.15x
Westminster St James 5 67.39x
Huddersfield 4 38.39x
Ipswich St Margaret 4 134.23x
Isleworth 4 124.61x
Carleton In Pontefract 3 3750.00x
Hackney London 3 7.41x
Kensington London 3 7.48x
Garston 2 79.05x
Llandilo Fawr 2 147.06x
Pannal 2 289.86x
Shoreditch London 2 6.39x
St Marylebone London 2 5.19x
Tonbridge 2 22.52x
Beddington 1 73.53x
Gateshead 1 6.22x
Harberton 1 294.12x
Kenton 1 212.77x
Liscard 1 34.84x
Sutton 1 39.37x
Wandsworth 1 14.39x
Woodchurch 1 322.58x
Woolwich 1 10.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charlotte 2
Lucy 2
Mary 2
Minnie 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Annie 1
Balbina 1
Blanche 1
C. 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Frances 1
Helen 1
Hilda 1
Imanda 1
Jane 1
Jann 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Mildred 1
Rosa 1
Sarah 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
Charles 3
George 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Carl 2
Frederick 2
Albert 1
August 1
Brymer 1
Clare 1
Eugene 1
F.A. 1
Frank 1
Guido 1
Harry 1
Jacob 1
Johann 1
John 1
Richard 1
Sidney 1
Simon 1
W. 1
Wilhelm 1

FAQ

Schreiber surname: questions and answers

How common was the Schreiber surname in 1881?

In 1881, 74 people were recorded with the Schreiber surname. That placed it at #23,062 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Schreiber surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 336 in 2016. That gives Schreiber a modern rank of #13,583.

What does the Schreiber surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a writer, scribe, or clerk.

What does the Schreiber map show?

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