NameCensus.

UK surname

Shakespeare

An occupational surname derived from the Old English words meaning "to shake" and "spear", likely referring to someone who shook or brandished a spear.

In the 1881 census there were 1,090 people recorded with the Shakespeare surname, ranking it #3,649 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,813, ranked #2,403, up from #3,649 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kingswinford, Dudley and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shakespeare is 2,887 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 158.1%.

1881 census count

1,090

Ranked #3,649

Modern count

2,813

2016, ranked #2,403

Peak year

2014

2,887 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shakespeare had 1,090 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,649 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,813 in 2016, ranked #2,403.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,009 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Shakespeare surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shakespeare surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shakespeare 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 260 #8,512
1861 historical 334 #7,631
1881 historical 1,090 #3,649
1891 historical 1,191 #3,601
1901 historical 1,642 #3,144
1911 historical 2,009 #2,477
1997 modern 2,635 #2,415
1998 modern 2,751 #2,414
1999 modern 2,805 #2,391
2000 modern 2,797 #2,385
2001 modern 2,731 #2,388
2002 modern 2,819 #2,375
2003 modern 2,720 #2,396
2004 modern 2,717 #2,404
2005 modern 2,695 #2,399
2006 modern 2,673 #2,410
2007 modern 2,684 #2,425
2008 modern 2,710 #2,423
2009 modern 2,775 #2,427
2010 modern 2,813 #2,440
2011 modern 2,799 #2,423
2012 modern 2,757 #2,422
2013 modern 2,861 #2,376
2014 modern 2,887 #2,370
2015 modern 2,842 #2,383
2016 modern 2,813 #2,403

Geography

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Where Shakespeares are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kingswinford, Dudley, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley and Birmingham. 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 Kingswinford Worcestershire
2 Dudley Staffordshire
3 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 006 Dudley
2 Dudley 013 Dudley
3 Birmingham 029 Birmingham
4 Dudley 017 Dudley
5 Dudley 022 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shakespeare

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shakespeare

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Shakespeare surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Shakespeare household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shakespeare 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

Shakespeare is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shakespeare falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shakespeare is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Shakespeare

The surname Shakespeare is of English origin, with roots dating back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "sycer" or "sceacere," meaning "to shake" or "to brandish," combined with "spere," referring to a spear or lance. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for someone who shook or brandished a spear or lance, possibly a soldier or watchman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Shakespere." The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I. This early spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that time period.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the Shakespeare surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as "Schippesberia" (now known as Shipsbury) in Worcestershire.

Throughout the centuries, the Shakespeare surname has been associated with various notable individuals. One of the most famous bearers of the name is, of course, William Shakespeare, the renowned English playwright and poet born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His works, including plays like "Hamlet," "Macbeth," and "Romeo and Juliet," have had a profound impact on literature and the English language itself.

Another notable figure with the Shakespeare surname is Sir Richmond Campbell Shakespeare, a British naval officer and explorer born in 1866. He was involved in several expeditions to the Arctic regions and was knighted for his contributions to geographical discovery.

In the world of sports, Wilbur Shakespeare was an American baseball player born in 1888. He played as an outfielder for several teams in Major League Baseball, including the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Indians, during the early 20th century.

The surname Shakespeare has also been associated with academics and scholars. For instance, John Shakespeare, born in 1869, was a British educator and headmaster who served as the Principal of the Church of England Grammar School in Sydney, Australia, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Finally, Edward Oram Shakespeare was a British artist and illustrator born in 1846. He was known for his illustrations for various literary works, including those of Charles Dickens and Sir Walter Scott.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shakespeare families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shakespeare 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. Warwickshire leads with 257 Shakespeares recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.55x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 257 9.55x
Staffordshire 211 5.86x
Worcestershire 181 12.99x
Middlesex 88 0.82x
Lancashire 61 0.48x
Derbyshire 55 3.29x
Surrey 43 0.83x
Yorkshire 37 0.35x
Shropshire 20 2.17x
Kent 19 0.52x
Leicestershire 16 1.35x
Wiltshire 15 1.59x
Cumberland 14 1.52x
Gloucestershire 14 0.67x
Hampshire 12 0.55x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.70x
Denbighshire 9 2.23x
Cheshire 6 0.25x
Northamptonshire 5 0.50x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.62x
Oxfordshire 4 0.61x
Royal Navy 3 2.36x
Durham 2 0.06x
Devon 1 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.14x
Essex 1 0.05x
Flintshire 1 0.35x
Glamorgan 1 0.05x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Somerset 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dudley in Worcestershire leads with 98 Shakespeares recorded in 1881 and an index of 57.84x.

Place Total Index
Dudley 98 57.84x
Kingswinford 69 52.76x
Birmingham 62 6.91x
West Bromwich 49 23.76x
Aston 46 6.21x
Wootton Wawen 20 235.85x
Coventry St Michael 18 20.82x
Rowley Regis 18 17.93x
Newton Regis 17 1036.59x
St Pancras London 16 1.86x
Oldbury 15 21.88x
Coventry Holy Trinity 14 17.42x
Seaton 14 130.60x
West Derby 14 3.78x
Ilkeston 13 27.75x
Paddington London 12 3.06x
Polesworth 12 93.90x
Lambeth 11 1.18x
Layton With Warbreck 11 23.67x
Wolverhampton 11 3.97x
Ashton Under Lyne 10 3.61x
Bromley London 10 4.26x
Leamington Priors 10 15.10x
Sutton 10 23.55x
Wollaston 10 113.12x
Claines 9 23.53x
Croydon 9 3.12x
Redditch 9 31.85x
St George St George 9 775.86x
Swindon 9 12.29x
Clerkenwell London 8 3.18x
Hawkesbury 8 112.36x
Seals 8 191.85x
Sedgley 8 5.98x
Tibshelf 8 97.56x
Tipton 8 7.25x
Berrington 7 193.91x
Broadway 7 116.86x
Broughton In Salford 7 6.05x
Claylane 7 30.13x
Darlaston 7 14.06x
Eckington 7 17.25x
Halesowen 7 57.24x
Huddersfield 7 4.54x
Islington London 7 0.68x
Nottingham St Mary 7 1.88x
Portsea 7 1.63x
Rotherham 7 11.74x
Woolwich 7 5.20x
Allesley 6 169.49x
Derby St Alkmund 6 11.98x
Hackney London 6 1.00x
Harborne 6 5.20x
Kingsbury 6 104.17x
Kingston On Thames 6 4.80x
Limehouse London 6 5.12x
Shrewsbury St Chad 6 18.54x
Stratton St Margaret 6 41.44x
Tettenhall 6 27.25x
Wavertree 6 14.80x
Yardley 6 16.83x
Beckenham 5 10.50x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.08x
Breedon On The Hill 5 140.06x
Burton Upon Trent 5 5.93x
Camberwell 5 0.73x
Castleford 5 12.98x
Edgbaston 5 5.99x
Kensington London 5 0.84x
Kimberworth 5 8.52x
Preston Baggot 5 781.25x
Shustoke 5 208.33x
Solihull 5 25.84x
Walsall Foreign 5 2.69x
Wolstanton 5 4.57x
Derby St Werburgh 4 4.15x
Godalming 4 12.22x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 1.86x
Warwick St Mary 4 17.12x
Worcester St Martin 4 21.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 76
Sarah 44
Elizabeth 32
Eliza 23
Ann 22
Annie 21
Emma 21
Harriet 16
Caroline 14
Alice 11
Emily 10
Fanny 10
Hannah 10
Maria 10
Ellen 9
Ada 8
Esther 8
Lucy 8
Jane 7
Martha 7
Catherine 6
Florence 6
Louisa 6
Phoebe 6
Rebecca 6
Agnes 5
Clara 5
Edith 5
Harriett 5
Margaret 5
Anne 4
Kate 4
Rose 4
Amy 3
Charlotte 3
Elizth. 3
Lizzie 3
Louise 3
Matilda 3
Minnie 3
Ruth 3
Selina 3
Susan 3
A. 2
Abignal 2
Ethel 2
Frances 2
Laura 2
Rosina 2
Sar. 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 91
John 57
Thomas 53
Joseph 38
George 29
James 27
Henry 19
Charles 18
Samuel 15
Edward 12
Benjamin 11
Walter 11
Alfred 10
Arthur 10
David 7
Wm. 7
Albert 6
Harry 6
Daniel 5
Robert 5
Thos. 5
Edmund 4
Enoch 3
Ernest 3
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Lot 3
Richard 3
Willm. 3
Zachariah 3
Benj. 2
Christopher 2
Ehemiah 2
Geo. 2
Jacob 2
Jesse 2
Josiah 2
Sydney 2
Tom 2
Wallace 2
Wyndham 2
Chris. 1
Daniell 1
Erle 1
Ezra 1
Ferden 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Jabez 1

FAQ

Shakespeare surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shakespeare surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,090 people were recorded with the Shakespeare surname. That placed it at #3,649 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shakespeare surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,813 in 2016. That gives Shakespeare a modern rank of #2,403.

What does the Shakespeare surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Old English words meaning "to shake" and "spear", likely referring to someone who shook or brandished a spear.

What does the Shakespeare map show?

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