NameCensus.

UK surname

Screen

An occupational surname referring to someone who made riddles or sieves.

In the 1881 census there were 421 people recorded with the Screen surname, ranking it #7,681 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 735, ranked #7,416, up from #7,681 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Sedgley and Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Blaenau Gwent and Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Screen is 819 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.6%.

1881 census count

421

Ranked #7,681

Modern count

735

2016, ranked #7,416

Peak year

2000

819 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Screen had 421 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,681 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 735 in 2016, ranked #7,416.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 596 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Screen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Screen surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Screen 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 226 #9,487
1861 historical 195 #12,263
1881 historical 421 #7,681
1891 historical 450 #8,074
1901 historical 558 #7,458
1911 historical 596 #6,875
1997 modern 746 #6,912
1998 modern 789 #6,828
1999 modern 809 #6,737
2000 modern 819 #6,649
2001 modern 786 #6,738
2002 modern 783 #6,896
2003 modern 759 #6,945
2004 modern 753 #7,000
2005 modern 753 #6,935
2006 modern 740 #7,061
2007 modern 735 #7,173
2008 modern 740 #7,176
2009 modern 750 #7,248
2010 modern 756 #7,340
2011 modern 772 #7,149
2012 modern 759 #7,156
2013 modern 775 #7,152
2014 modern 782 #7,127
2015 modern 760 #7,224
2016 modern 735 #7,416

Geography

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Where Screens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Sedgley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Melrose and Thornbury, Rockhampton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Blaenau Gwent and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Sedgley Staffordshire
3 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
4 Melrose Roxburgh
5 Thornbury, Rockhampton Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 009 Forest of Dean
2 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
3 Stoke-on-Trent 020 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
5 Forest of Dean 008 Forest of Dean

Forenames

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First names often paired with Screen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Screen

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Screen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Screen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Screen 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

Screen is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Screen falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Screen 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 Screen, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Screen

The surname Screen is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "scren," which meant a partition, screen, or shelter. This word likely referred to someone who lived near a screen or partition, or perhaps someone who worked as a screen maker.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Screen can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, where it appears as "le Scren." The Hundred Rolls were administrative records that documented landholders in various counties.

In the 14th century, the surname Screen was also found in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, where it was recorded as "Skryn." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as there was no standardized system of spelling.

The earliest known bearer of the surname Screen was John Skryn, who was recorded in the Register of the Freemen of York in 1363. Another early record of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1384, where it appears as "Skryne."

During the 16th century, the surname Screen began to appear more frequently in various parish records across England. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Samuel Screen (1580-1649), who was a successful merchant and member of the East India Company.

In the 17th century, the surname Screen was also found in Scotland, where it was recorded as "Scryne" in the Burgh Records of Stirling in 1639. This suggests that the name may have spread from England to Scotland during this time period.

Another notable bearer of the surname Screen was John Screen (1615-1679), who was an English clergyman and author. He was born in Nottinghamshire and wrote several religious works, including "The Doctrine of the Holy Eucharist."

In the 18th century, the surname Screen continued to be found in various records across England and Scotland. One notable bearer of the name was William Screen (1720-1785), who was a prominent architect and surveyor in London.

Throughout the 19th century, the surname Screen was also found in various parts of the United States, indicating that many individuals with this surname had immigrated from England and Scotland during this time period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Screen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Screen 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. Staffordshire leads with 173 Screens recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.42x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 173 12.42x
Gloucestershire 128 15.82x
Monmouthshire 24 8.05x
Selkirkshire 14 37.50x
Dorset 13 4.80x
Wiltshire 13 3.56x
Glamorgan 8 1.11x
Yorkshire 8 0.20x
Durham 7 0.57x
Lanarkshire 6 0.45x
Devon 5 0.58x
Surrey 5 0.25x
Lancashire 4 0.08x
Warwickshire 4 0.38x
Middlesex 3 0.07x
Somerset 3 0.45x
Royal Navy 2 4.07x
Berkshire 1 0.32x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Norfolk 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. Sedgley in Staffordshire leads with 108 Screens recorded in 1881 and an index of 208.78x.

Place Total Index
Sedgley 108 208.78x
Thornbury 40 723.33x
Wolverhampton 16 14.94x
Bilston 15 55.58x
Melrose 14 148.94x
Aberystruth 12 45.64x
Rowley Regis 12 30.92x
Cheltenham 11 17.62x
Dodington 11 5238.10x
Trevethin 11 39.05x
Berkeley Hamfallow 9 616.44x
Bourton 9 756.30x
Llandough Juxta Cardiff 8 1111.11x
Normanton 8 65.09x
Tipton 8 18.76x
Clifton 7 17.11x
Washington 7 135.92x
West Bromwich 7 8.78x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 7.88x
Dursley 6 180.18x
Gorbals 6 75.76x
Littleton On Severn 6 2142.86x
Lonbridge Deverill 6 468.75x
Rockhampton 6 1935.48x
Tetbury 6 130.72x
Wolstanton Knutton 6 70.59x
Aston 4 1.40x
Bristol St Paul In 4 18.55x
Exeter St Sidwell 4 20.34x
Fordington 4 68.61x
Frampton Cotterell 4 140.85x
Swindon 4 14.13x
Westbury On Trym 4 14.59x
Camberwell 3 1.14x
Ashtead 2 152.67x
Chippenham 2 26.14x
Great Bolton 2 3.08x
Royal Navy 2 4.76x
Slimbridge 2 166.67x
Walcot 2 5.65x
Almondsbury 1 32.36x
Beech Hill 1 250.00x
Berkeley 1 22.22x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 3.71x
Exeter St Edmund 1 54.05x
Hammersmith London 1 0.98x
Handsworth 1 2.91x
Haslingden 1 4.93x
Holdenhurst 1 4.51x
Kempsford 1 85.47x
Liverpool 1 0.34x
Llanover 1 9.81x
Mere 1 24.10x
Newland 1 14.71x
Poplar London 1 1.28x
Shipdham 1 46.51x
St Giles In Fields 1 7.03x
Stapleton 1 6.51x
Wraxall 1 78.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Sarah 21
Elizabeth 18
Ann 8
Eliza 7
Emily 7
Hannah 7
Emma 6
Ellen 4
Jane 4
Phoebe 4
Alice 3
Amelia 3
Caroline 3
Charlotte 3
Harriet 3
Julia 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Betsy 2
Clara 2
Ella 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Florence 2
Georgina 2
Harriett 2
Ketinah 2
Lizzie 2
Lucy 2
Nelly 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Annis 1
Child 1
Eunice 1
Eveline 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Hester 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Lillie 1
Lilly 1
Lorenza 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Lydia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
John 22
George 16
Thomas 16
James 13
Joseph 9
Albert 7
Charles 6
Edward 6
Frederick 6
Henry 6
Robert 6
Samuel 6
Walter 5
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
Daniel 4
Isaac 3
Oliver 3
Richard 3
Eber 2
Ernest 2
Fredk. 2
Herbert 2
Jabez 2
Jesse 2
Levi 2
Abraham 1
Benjaman 1
Enoch 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Henery 1
Horace 1
Isiah 1
Jacob 1
Malachy 1
Mary 1
Michl. 1
Percy 1
Sidney 1
Simeon 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Screen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Screen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 421 people were recorded with the Screen surname. That placed it at #7,681 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Screen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 735 in 2016. That gives Screen a modern rank of #7,416.

What does the Screen surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who made riddles or sieves.

What does the Screen map show?

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