NameCensus.

UK surname

Scrivens

A surname derived from the Old French term 'escrivain', meaning a scribe or clerk.

In the 1881 census there were 894 people recorded with the Scrivens surname, ranking it #4,259 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,690, ranked #3,701, up from #4,259 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Cheltenham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Stroud and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scrivens is 1,757 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.0%.

1881 census count

894

Ranked #4,259

Modern count

1,690

2016, ranked #3,701

Peak year

2002

1,757 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scrivens had 894 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,259 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,690 in 2016, ranked #3,701.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,281 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Scrivens surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Scrivens surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Scrivens 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 370 #6,426
1861 historical 150 #15,296
1881 historical 894 #4,259
1891 historical 633 #6,110
1901 historical 1,281 #3,883
1911 historical 1,191 #3,939
1997 modern 1,644 #3,608
1998 modern 1,703 #3,631
1999 modern 1,724 #3,617
2000 modern 1,720 #3,603
2001 modern 1,696 #3,586
2002 modern 1,757 #3,546
2003 modern 1,698 #3,584
2004 modern 1,699 #3,583
2005 modern 1,649 #3,641
2006 modern 1,656 #3,628
2007 modern 1,663 #3,646
2008 modern 1,649 #3,699
2009 modern 1,704 #3,657
2010 modern 1,732 #3,684
2011 modern 1,697 #3,705
2012 modern 1,677 #3,689
2013 modern 1,718 #3,669
2014 modern 1,708 #3,702
2015 modern 1,691 #3,704
2016 modern 1,690 #3,701

Geography

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Where Scrivens' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes, Cheltenham and Rotherham. 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, Stroud and Cotswold. 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 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Cheltenham Gloucestershire
4 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 003 Forest of Dean
2 Stroud 004 Stroud
3 Stroud 006 Stroud
4 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
5 Cotswold 007 Cotswold

Forenames

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First names often paired with Scrivens

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Scrivens

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Scrivens is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Scrivens is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Scrivens falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Scrivens 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Scrivens

The surname SCRIVENS is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "scriveyn," which means "scribe" or "clerk." This occupation-based surname was typically given to those who worked as scribes, copyists, or writers of official documents during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SCRIVENS can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record from 1273, which mentions a William le Scryveyn. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John le Scriveyn is listed.

In the 14th century, the surname took on variations like SCRIVENER, SCRIVENER, and SCRIVINER, reflecting the different spellings and pronunciations used in different regions of England. The SCRIVENS spelling seems to have been more prevalent in the southern counties of England, particularly in Sussex and Kent.

Notable individuals with the surname SCRIVENS include John Scrivens (1655-1735), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Ickham in Kent. Another prominent figure was William Scrivens (1788-1854), a British soldier and explorer who was part of the first overland expedition from Sydney to Melbourne in Australia.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname SCRIVENS was sometimes associated with certain place names, such as Scrivenor's Court in London, which was named after a family of scribes who lived in the area. The name Scrivens is also linked to the village of Scriventon in Nottinghamshire, which may have been derived from the surname itself.

Other notable individuals with the SCRIVENS surname include:

1. Thomas Scrivens (1617-1684), an English mathematician and surveyor who worked on the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666.

2. Richard Scrivens (1738-1804), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

3. John Scrivens (1825-1895), an English-born Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

4. Mary Scrivens (1874-1953), an Australian painter and illustrator known for her watercolor landscapes and botanical illustrations.

5. Samuel Scrivens (1891-1975), a British soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military honor, for his actions during World War I.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Scrivens families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scrivens 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. Gloucestershire leads with 209 Scrivens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.21x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 209 12.21x
Kent 85 2.85x
Worcestershire 70 6.14x
Staffordshire 62 2.10x
Middlesex 58 0.66x
Surrey 58 1.36x
Yorkshire 44 0.51x
Lancashire 43 0.42x
Warwickshire 41 1.86x
Herefordshire 34 9.50x
Durham 22 0.85x
Sussex 22 1.49x
Monmouthshire 17 2.69x
Somerset 16 1.14x
Leicestershire 14 1.45x
Glamorgan 13 0.86x
Hampshire 11 0.61x
Wiltshire 11 1.42x
Shropshire 9 1.19x
Devon 8 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.68x
Northamptonshire 6 0.73x
Derbyshire 5 0.37x
Dorset 5 0.87x
Essex 4 0.23x
Royal Navy 4 3.84x
Berkshire 3 0.46x
Lincolnshire 3 0.21x
Cheshire 2 0.10x
Westmorland 2 1.04x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.19x
Fife 1 0.19x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Norfolk 1 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.36x
Suffolk 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheltenham in Gloucestershire leads with 33 Scrivens' recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.98x.

Place Total Index
Cheltenham 33 24.98x
Birmingham 30 4.09x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 26 82.99x
Great Malvern 20 84.07x
Longborough 20 1058.20x
Farnborough 19 437.79x
Dorking 17 59.52x
Audley 15 51.44x
Ince In Makerfield 14 29.05x
St Briavels 14 633.48x
West Bromwich 13 7.71x
Farnworth 12 19.33x
Worcester St Peter 11 50.97x
Doncaster 10 15.82x
Paddington London 10 3.12x
Ampney Crucis 9 555.56x
Brighton 9 3.03x
East Newchurch 9 750.00x
Gillingham 9 14.66x
Islington London 9 1.06x
Kimberworth 9 18.74x
Kings Norton 9 8.80x
Limehouse London 9 9.39x
Bradford 8 3.82x
Folkestone 8 13.85x
Harborne 8 8.47x
Keighley 8 8.67x
Westbury On Severn East 8 20.67x
Wotton St Mary 8 90.09x
Bedminster 7 5.30x
Chatham 7 8.54x
Cirencester 7 30.20x
Exeter St Mary Steps 7 170.73x
Greenwich 7 5.04x
Hentland 7 406.98x
Hereford St Martin 7 161.29x
Herne 7 53.07x
Hugglescote 7 49.16x
Northleach 7 276.68x
Quatt 7 679.61x
Stroud 7 21.01x
Basford 6 11.06x
Bermondsey 6 2.31x
Carshalton 6 36.86x
Coventry St Michael 6 8.48x
Gloucester Barton St 6 59.76x
Horninglow 6 43.23x
Ightham 6 160.43x
Lyncombe Widcombe 6 16.31x
Rotherham 6 12.30x
Tonbridge 6 5.58x
West Derby 6 1.98x
Ardwick 5 5.35x
Chaddesley Corbett 5 117.10x
East Thickley 5 94.88x
Eastington 5 88.18x
Eglwysilan 5 18.95x
Eldersfield 5 279.33x
Gloucester St Mary Grace 5 961.54x
Hewelsfield 5 416.67x
Leicester St Margaret 5 2.12x
Northampton Priory St 5 10.15x
Portland 5 16.23x
Portsea 5 1.43x
Ross 5 35.11x
Sedgley 5 4.57x
South Cerney 5 177.31x
St Pancras London 5 0.71x
Tewkesbury 5 32.72x
Walsall Foreign 5 3.28x
Willersey 5 423.73x
Wolsingham 5 21.12x
Battersea 4 1.25x
Chaceley 4 526.32x
Godalming 4 14.94x
Much Cowarne 4 268.46x
Oaksey 4 312.50x
Royal Navy 4 4.50x
St Luke London 4 2.86x
Willenhall 4 7.25x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 68
John 41
George 38
Henry 36
Charles 29
James 24
Thomas 24
Alfred 15
Joseph 15
Albert 13
Frederick 12
Edward 10
Walter 10
Arthur 9
Harry 9
Samuel 9
Richard 7
Edwin 6
Ernest 5
Robert 5
Benjamin 3
Frank 3
Job 3
Percy 3
Timothy 3
Abraham 2
Cornelius 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Josiah 2
Richd. 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Augustus 1
Cristopher 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
G. 1
Lenoard 1
Livanus 1
Mark 1
Morgan 1
Moses 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Scrivens surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scrivens surname in 1881?

In 1881, 894 people were recorded with the Scrivens surname. That placed it at #4,259 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scrivens surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,690 in 2016. That gives Scrivens a modern rank of #3,701.

What does the Scrivens surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French term 'escrivain', meaning a scribe or clerk.

What does the Scrivens map show?

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