NameCensus.

UK surname

Score

A surname referring to the act of scoring or marking something.

In the 1881 census there were 148 people recorded with the Score surname, ranking it #15,611 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 174, ranked #21,466, down from #15,611 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greenwich, St George in the East and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Dorset, Swindon and East Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Score is 226 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.6%.

1881 census count

148

Ranked #15,611

Modern count

174

2016, ranked #21,466

Peak year

1901

226 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Score had 148 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,611 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 174 in 2016, ranked #21,466.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 226 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Score surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Score surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Score 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 167 #11,936
1861 historical 176 #13,335
1881 historical 148 #15,611
1891 historical 180 #16,143
1901 historical 226 #14,006
1911 historical 194 #15,250
1997 modern 198 #17,729
1998 modern 201 #18,047
1999 modern 193 #18,642
2000 modern 185 #19,118
2001 modern 179 #19,215
2002 modern 184 #19,275
2003 modern 187 #18,856
2004 modern 184 #19,183
2005 modern 173 #19,851
2006 modern 186 #19,140
2007 modern 183 #19,553
2008 modern 178 #20,094
2009 modern 175 #20,707
2010 modern 184 #20,521
2011 modern 178 #20,809
2012 modern 165 #21,782
2013 modern 177 #21,170
2014 modern 175 #21,477
2015 modern 174 #21,449
2016 modern 174 #21,466

Geography

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Where Scores are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greenwich, St George in the East, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes and Child Okeford, Oakford Fitzpaine, Bellchalwell, Fifehead Neville. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Dorset, Swindon, East Dorset and South Somerset. 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 Greenwich London (South Districts)
2 St George in the East London (East Districts)
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Child Okeford, Oakford Fitzpaine, Bellchalwell, Fifehead Neville Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Dorset 002 North Dorset
2 Swindon 022 Swindon
3 East Dorset 006 East Dorset
4 North Dorset 004 North Dorset
5 South Somerset 014 South Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Score

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Score

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Score is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Score is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Score falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Score

The surname "SCORE" is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "scor," which means a boundary or a territorial division.

In its earliest form, the name was likely used to refer to someone who lived near a boundary or a marked boundary line, perhaps between two villages or estates. This suggests that the name may have originated in rural areas where land ownership and boundaries were of significance.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "SCORE" can be found in medieval documents and records from various parts of England. One notable example is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which contains references to individuals with the surname "Score" in counties such as Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

During the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including "Scor," "Scorre," and "Skore," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. One individual of note was John Scorre, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1348 as a landowner in Gloucestershire.

As the centuries passed, the surname "SCORE" continued to be documented in various historical records across England. In the 16th century, for instance, there are records of the Scores of Devonshire, a notable family with roots in the county.

One prominent figure with the surname "SCORE" was Sir Clement Score, a judge and legal scholar who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as a Justice of the King's Bench and was renowned for his legal expertise.

Another individual of note was Thomas Score, a Puritan minister who lived during the 17th century. Born in 1589, he was a renowned preacher and author, known for his works on religious topics.

In the 18th century, the surname "SCORE" was also found in various parts of England, with notable individuals such as John Score, a merchant and landowner in Oxfordshire, born in 1712.

During the 19th century, the surname continued to be documented across England, with individuals like William Score, a prominent industrialist from Lancashire, born in 1823, and Mary Score, a renowned educator and advocate for women's education, born in 1841.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Score families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Score 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. Dorset leads with 57 Scores recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.75x.

County Total Index
Dorset 57 59.75x
Middlesex 35 2.41x
Surrey 12 1.69x
Kent 10 2.02x
Hampshire 5 1.68x
Wiltshire 4 3.11x
Yorkshire 4 0.28x
Cheshire 3 0.94x
Staffordshire 3 0.61x
Sussex 3 1.22x
Essex 2 0.70x
Hertfordshire 2 2.00x
Lancashire 2 0.12x
Somerset 2 0.85x
Durham 1 0.23x
Glamorgan 1 0.40x
Midlothian 1 0.51x
Northumberland 1 0.46x
Royal Navy 1 5.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wimborne Minster in Dorset leads with 19 Scores recorded in 1881 and an index of 1233.77x.

Place Total Index
Wimborne Minster 19 1233.77x
Portland 17 331.38x
Greenwich 10 43.22x
Lambeth 8 6.31x
St Luke London 8 34.32x
Burton Bradstock 7 1489.36x
Clerkenwell London 5 14.57x
Southampton St Mary 5 26.70x
Donhead St Andrew 4 1000.00x
Langton Long Blandford 4 2857.14x
Marfleet 4 4444.44x
Okeford Fitzpaine 4 1333.33x
Powerstock 4 975.61x
Shoreditch London 4 6.35x
St Pancras London 4 3.42x
Claughton With Grange 3 205.48x
Islington London 3 2.13x
Newington 3 5.59x
St George Hanover 3 15.81x
Stone 3 47.85x
Bridgewater 2 31.50x
Cuckfield 2 80.65x
Hammersmith London 2 5.59x
Kinson 2 107.53x
Tonge 2 55.25x
Weston 2 416.67x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.58x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.69x
Bow London 1 5.41x
Camberwell 1 1.08x
Fulham London 1 4.74x
Hackney London 1 1.23x
Low Leyton 1 384.62x
Preston 1 23.36x
Queensferry 1 500.00x
Royal Navy 1 6.76x
St George In East 1 10.11x
Swansea Town 1 4.82x
Tynemouth 1 8.64x
Wanstead 1 19.92x
Westminster St 1 18.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Eliza 5
Mary 5
Sarah 5
Clara 4
Emma 4
Matilda 3
A. 2
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Frances 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Phoebe 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Charlott 1
Charlotte 1
Elizh.L. 1
Emerly 1
Emily 1
Eugenie 1
Florence 1
Heneryetta 1
Isabella 1
J. 1
Lavinia 1
Lilian 1
Lillie 1
Linda 1
Lottie 1
Lubertha 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marianna 1
Marion 1
Nellie 1
Rachael 1
Sara 1
Seleanor 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
George 6
James 5
Richard 5
Thomas 5
William 5
Alfred 4
Edward 3
Levi 3
Arthur 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
W. 2
Andrew 1
Augustus 1
Edgcombe 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Horace 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Sidney 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Score surname: questions and answers

How common was the Score surname in 1881?

In 1881, 148 people were recorded with the Score surname. That placed it at #15,611 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Score surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 174 in 2016. That gives Score a modern rank of #21,466.

What does the Score surname mean?

A surname referring to the act of scoring or marking something.

What does the Score map show?

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