NameCensus.

UK surname

Shawyer

An English surname denoting someone who made shawls, garment belts, or girdles.

In the 1881 census there were 390 people recorded with the Shawyer surname, ranking it #8,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 391, ranked #12,073, down from #8,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wickham, Wickham Forest, London parishes and Sidlesham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Winchester, Fareham and Portsmouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shawyer is 521 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.3%.

1881 census count

390

Ranked #8,104

Modern count

391

2016, ranked #12,073

Peak year

1911

521 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shawyer had 390 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 391 in 2016, ranked #12,073.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 521 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Shawyer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shawyer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shawyer 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 231 #9,334
1861 historical 236 #10,393
1881 historical 390 #8,104
1891 historical 476 #7,720
1901 historical 450 #8,700
1911 historical 521 #7,593
1997 modern 467 #9,788
1998 modern 486 #9,810
1999 modern 495 #9,731
2000 modern 488 #9,800
2001 modern 478 #9,783
2002 modern 482 #9,906
2003 modern 464 #10,003
2004 modern 446 #10,391
2005 modern 420 #10,781
2006 modern 414 #10,946
2007 modern 424 #10,867
2008 modern 437 #10,694
2009 modern 432 #11,048
2010 modern 455 #10,802
2011 modern 435 #11,066
2012 modern 428 #11,092
2013 modern 430 #11,259
2014 modern 433 #11,262
2015 modern 405 #11,800
2016 modern 391 #12,073

Geography

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Where Shawyers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wickham, Wickham Forest, London parishes, Sidlesham, Soberton and Chichester St Peter the Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Winchester, Fareham, Portsmouth and North Devon. 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 Wickham, Wickham Forest Hampshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Sidlesham Sussex
4 Soberton Hampshire
5 Chichester St Peter the Great Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Winchester 012 Winchester
2 Fareham 005 Fareham
3 Winchester 011 Winchester
4 Portsmouth 015 Portsmouth
5 North Devon 013 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shawyer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shawyer

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Shawyer is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shawyer 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

Shawyer falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Shawyer

The surname SHAWYER is of English origin, deriving from an occupational name for a sewer or maker of sewn goods. It is believed to have originated in the late 12th century, with some of the earliest recorded instances appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1195, where a Johannes le Sewer is mentioned.

The name is thought to stem from the Old English word "seawere," which referred to a seamster or tailor. It is closely related to similar occupational surnames like Sayer, Sawyer, and Sewar, all of which share the same root word.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Sewere, Seware, and Sewaur, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in medieval times. One of the earliest recorded examples is Robert le Sewere, who is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.

By the 14th century, the name had evolved closer to its modern spelling, with instances like John Shawyer appearing in the Patent Rolls of 1348. During this period, the name was particularly concentrated in the counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Gloucestershire, suggesting these areas may have been the original heartlands of the surname.

Notable historical figures bearing the SHAWYER surname include Sir Thomas Shawyer (c. 1509-1572), a prominent merchant and alderman in the City of London, and John Shawyer (1588-1664), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Michael's Church in Bath.

Other bearers of the name include William Shawyer (1797-1876), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, and Sir Geoffrey Shawyer (1875-1949), a British naval officer who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the America and West Indies Station during World War I.

Additionally, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of the late 17th century, where families with the surname SHAWYER are listed in counties like Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire, further cementing the name's roots in the English Midlands.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shawyer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shawyer 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. Hampshire leads with 217 Shawyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.83x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 217 27.83x
Sussex 58 9.04x
Middlesex 46 1.21x
Surrey 18 0.97x
Cumberland 10 3.05x
Dorset 8 3.20x
Devon 7 0.88x
Hertfordshire 7 2.67x
Kent 6 0.46x
Somerset 4 0.65x
Suffolk 3 0.65x
Durham 2 0.18x
Cheshire 1 0.12x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.83x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 56 Shawyers recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.64x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 56 36.64x
Soberton 26 1818.18x
Wickham 17 1188.81x
East Meon 13 637.25x
Ryde 12 71.64x
Droxford 11 369.13x
Portsmouth 11 61.28x
Sidlesham 11 894.31x
Heston 10 79.18x
St Faith Winchester 9 247.93x
Bishops Waltham 8 246.15x
South Bersted 8 146.79x
Bosham 7 429.45x
Kensington London 7 3.31x
Millbrook 7 35.64x
Northwood 7 63.06x
Poole St James 7 74.63x
Wandsworth 7 19.12x
Aldingbourn 6 618.56x
Cockermouth 6 86.96x
Hertingfordbury 6 560.75x
Lambeth 6 1.81x
Paddington London 6 4.29x
Selsey 6 508.47x
St Pancras London 6 1.96x
Wymering 6 468.75x
Alverstoke 5 17.72x
Filleigh 5 1136.36x
Minster In Sheppey 5 23.26x
Poplar London 5 6.96x
Romsey Extra 5 107.76x
Bethnal Green London 4 2.42x
Bishops Lydeard 4 256.41x
Chidham 4 1142.86x
Hackney London 4 1.88x
Hove 4 14.21x
Penrith 4 33.06x
St Thomas Winchester 4 72.60x
Subdeanery 4 82.14x
Botley 3 214.29x
Donnington 3 681.82x
Edmonton 3 9.79x
Greatham 3 810.81x
Hartley Westpall 3 967.74x
Ipswich St Mathew 3 23.09x
South Stoneham 3 17.74x
Abbots Kerswell 2 350.88x
Catherington 2 116.28x
Cobham 2 65.79x
Warblington 2 64.72x
Westoe 2 3.12x
Barrow In Furness 1 1.63x
Boxgrove 1 107.53x
Brighton 1 0.77x
Capel 1 57.14x
Colwich 1 32.79x
Eastbourne 1 3.39x
Fareham 1 10.67x
Foots Cray 1 40.32x
Funtington 1 69.44x
Godalming 1 8.57x
Hambledon 1 38.02x
Higher Bebington 1 18.59x
Islington London 1 0.27x
Melcombe Regis 1 9.66x
North Mundham 1 156.25x
Penally 1 125.00x
Putney 1 5.77x
St Helens 1 17.64x
Watford 1 4.92x
West Meon 1 96.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Emily 10
Jane 10
Eliza 9
Elizabeth 8
Ellen 8
Emma 8
Sarah 8
Fanny 6
Louisa 6
Charlotte 5
Martha 5
Ann 4
Annie 4
Hannah 4
Lucy 4
Ada 3
Alice 3
Caroline 3
Edith 3
Harriett 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Margarat 2
Sophia 2
Amelia 1
Aves 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
Clare 1
Diana 1
Dora 1
Dorothy 1
Edeth 1
Eleanor 1
Elizath. 1
Emely 1
Harriet 1
Henry 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 25
George 21
Henry 18
John 14
James 13
Thomas 12
Charles 10
Edward 10
Alfred 8
Arthur 6
Walter 5
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Joseph 3
Fredrick 2
Alf 1
Arms 1
Charley 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Eli 1
Frank 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Lancelot 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Micheal 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
S.A.W. 1
Stephen 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Shawyer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shawyer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 390 people were recorded with the Shawyer surname. That placed it at #8,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shawyer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 391 in 2016. That gives Shawyer a modern rank of #12,073.

What does the Shawyer surname mean?

An English surname denoting someone who made shawls, garment belts, or girdles.

What does the Shawyer map show?

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