NameCensus.

UK surname

Service

A surname derived from an occupation related to servitude or service.

In the 1881 census there were 725 people recorded with the Service surname, ranking it #5,030 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 811, ranked #6,830, down from #5,030 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Greenock and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Machars South, Rhins South and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Service is 837 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.9%.

1881 census count

725

Ranked #5,030

Modern count

811

2016, ranked #6,830

Peak year

1891

837 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Service had 725 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,030 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 811 in 2016, ranked #6,830.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 837 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Service surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Service surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Service 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 517 #4,841
1861 historical 560 #4,704
1881 historical 725 #5,030
1891 historical 837 #4,867
1901 historical 829 #5,463
1911 historical 356 #10,148
1997 modern 779 #6,679
1998 modern 791 #6,815
1999 modern 804 #6,759
2000 modern 795 #6,807
2001 modern 795 #6,674
2002 modern 795 #6,812
2003 modern 773 #6,844
2004 modern 773 #6,861
2005 modern 794 #6,646
2006 modern 815 #6,514
2007 modern 801 #6,679
2008 modern 798 #6,757
2009 modern 795 #6,929
2010 modern 786 #7,129
2011 modern 778 #7,107
2012 modern 780 #7,002
2013 modern 796 #6,996
2014 modern 809 #6,925
2015 modern 803 #6,917
2016 modern 811 #6,830

Geography

Back to top

Where Services are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Greenock, Glasgow, Paisley Abbey and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Machars South, Rhins South, Rochdale, Gatehouse and Walsall. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Greenock Renfrew
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Paisley Abbey Renfrew
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
2 Rhins South Dumfries and Galloway
3 Rochdale 022 Rochdale
4 Gatehouse Dumfries and Galloway
5 Walsall 015 Walsall

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Service

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Service

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Service, 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 Service surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Service 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, Service 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

Service is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Service 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 Service 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 Service, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Service

The surname Service originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old French word "servi(e)se" or the Latin "servitium", meaning "service" or "servant". The name likely referred to someone who worked as a servant or provided some form of service to a lord or noble household.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a Gilbert le Servys. The Hundredorum Rolls were a census-like survey conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I.

Another early reference to the name appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a Thomas Servaunt. The use of the word "servaunt" in this record further supports the occupational origin of the surname.

In the 14th century, a family by the name of Service owned lands in the village of Guisborough, located in the North Riding of Yorkshire. This suggests that the surname may have been established in that region at an early stage.

Notable individuals with the surname Service include Sir John Service (1547-1599), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire. He was also appointed as the Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1586.

Robert Service (1874-1958) was a famous Scottish-Canadian poet and writer, often referred to as the "Bard of the Yukon". His works, such as "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and "The Shooting of Dan McGrew", captured the rugged life of the Klondike Gold Rush era.

Another prominent figure was Robert William Service (1832-1884), a Scottish-born minister and missionary who served as the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada from 1881 to 1882.

In the United States, Samuel Service (1818-1900) was a prominent businessman and politician from Missouri. He served as the Mayor of Gallatin and was a member of the Missouri House of Representatives.

Elman Rogers Service (1915-1996) was an American anthropologist and educator, known for his contributions to the study of cultural evolution and social change. He taught at the University of Michigan and authored several influential books on the subject.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Service families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Service 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. Lanarkshire leads with 162 Services recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.06x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 162 7.06x
Ayrshire 95 17.90x
Renfrewshire 92 16.74x
Middlesex 54 0.76x
Durham 48 2.28x
Dunbartonshire 33 17.32x
Lancashire 32 0.38x
Midlothian 27 2.84x
Wigtownshire 22 23.36x
Northumberland 16 1.52x
Staffordshire 15 0.63x
Stirlingshire 13 4.97x
Berwickshire 11 12.81x
Angus 9 1.37x
Argyllshire 9 4.56x
Buteshire 9 20.94x
Essex 8 0.57x
Kent 7 0.29x
Hertfordshire 6 1.23x
Monmouthshire 6 1.17x
Roxburghshire 6 4.67x
Warwickshire 6 0.34x
Yorkshire 6 0.09x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 4.87x
Worcestershire 5 0.54x
Royal Navy 4 4.73x
Surrey 4 0.12x
Glamorgan 3 0.24x
Norfolk 3 0.28x
Suffolk 3 0.35x
West Lothian 3 2.81x
Dumfriesshire 2 1.28x
Somerset 2 0.18x
East Lothian 1 1.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 65 Services recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.20x.

Place Total Index
Barony 65 11.20x
Govan 45 7.93x
Glasgow 37 9.09x
Bishopwearmouth 24 13.25x
East Greenock 23 44.32x
Bethnal Green London 22 7.14x
Kilwinning 22 128.35x
West Greenock 22 22.30x
Islington London 16 2.33x
Paisley High Church 15 34.28x
Ardrossan 14 76.21x
Muirkirk 13 104.33x
Cardross 12 52.45x
Row 12 48.68x
South Leith 12 11.22x
Kilmarnock 11 17.41x
Dalry 10 40.05x
Dunse 10 122.85x
Inveresk 9 34.99x
Kingswinford 9 10.36x
Portpatrick 9 284.81x
Rothesay 9 43.25x
Mearns 8 83.07x
Toxteth Park 8 2.81x
Westoe 8 6.69x
Dunoon Kilmun 7 45.45x
Kirkdale 7 4.94x
Liff Benvie 7 7.02x
Maryhill 7 15.59x
Ochiltree 7 191.78x
Renfrew 7 38.57x
Stoneykirk 7 104.01x
Woolwich 7 7.83x
Aston 6 1.22x
Bedwellty 6 6.63x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 1.57x
Falkirk 6 9.80x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 6.57x
Liverpool 6 1.17x
New Kilpatrick 6 33.09x
Riccarton Hurlford 6 64.45x
Abbey 5 5.96x
Boldon 5 66.49x
Carham 5 183.15x
Elswick 5 5.94x
Hampstead London 5 4.53x
Kilbirnie 5 39.25x
Mile End Old Town 5 4.47x
St Albans St Peter 5 30.32x
Troqueer 5 37.12x
Wollaston 5 85.18x
Kelso 4 31.25x
Kilmaurs 4 44.30x
Middle Greenock 4 26.67x
Monkwearmouth Shore 4 9.71x
Newington 4 1.53x
Sheffield 4 1.79x
Slamannan 4 27.93x
Stranraer 4 46.46x
Stretford 4 8.64x
West Bromwich 4 2.92x
Cardiff St John 3 7.44x
Cathcart 3 10.09x
Chadwell St Mary 3 209.79x
Chigwell 3 22.71x
Cornhill 3 188.68x
East West Greenock 3 340.91x
Gorton 3 3.79x
Great Yarmouth 3 3.32x
New Monkland 3 4.42x
Whitburn 3 19.44x
Bothwell 2 3.22x
Dunoon 2 49.26x
Earl Soham 2 134.23x
Frome 2 7.33x
Hackney London 2 0.50x
Hawick 2 6.96x
Tynemouth 2 3.54x
Wivenhoe 2 35.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 9
Margaret 7
Mary 7
Annie 5
Elizabeth 4
Emily 4
Frances 4
Jane 4
Maria 4
Caroline 3
Catherine 3
Charlotte 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Martha 3
Edith 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Lydia 2
Matilda 2
Susan 2
Winifred 2
Ann 1
Christiana 1
Christina 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz.B. 1
Emma 1
Hannah 1
Heanor 1
Henrietta 1
Ida 1
Isabelia 1
Isabella 1
Jannet 1
Jenet 1
Jessie 1
Katie 1
Lilian 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Margret 1
Marianne 1
Maud 1
Milville 1
Naomi 1
Phoebe 1
Priscilla 1
Susannah 1
Winfield 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 14
George 11
James 8
Robert 8
Alfred 6
Henry 6
Frederick 4
Walter 4
Charles 3
David 3
Albert 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Alb.Edward 1
Anthony 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Cyril 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
H. 1
Harry 1
Hector 1
Hubert 1
Isaac 1
Japhthale 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Robt. 1
Robt.G. 1
Roland 1
Sam 1
Theodore 1

FAQ

Service surname: questions and answers

How common was the Service surname in 1881?

In 1881, 725 people were recorded with the Service surname. That placed it at #5,030 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Service surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 811 in 2016. That gives Service a modern rank of #6,830.

What does the Service surname mean?

A surname derived from an occupation related to servitude or service.

What does the Service map show?

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