NameCensus.

UK surname

Shipp

An occupational surname referring to a shipwright, a person who builds or repairs ships.

In the 1881 census there were 934 people recorded with the Shipp surname, ranking it #4,122 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,707, ranked #3,656, up from #4,122 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Haverhill, Little Wratting. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Cambridgeshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and East Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shipp is 1,897 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.8%.

1881 census count

934

Ranked #4,122

Modern count

1,707

2016, ranked #3,656

Peak year

1999

1,897 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shipp had 934 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,122 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,707 in 2016, ranked #3,656.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,835 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Shipp surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shipp surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Shipp 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 375 #6,361
1861 historical 493 #5,294
1881 historical 934 #4,122
1891 historical 1,165 #3,670
1901 historical 1,495 #3,429
1911 historical 1,835 #2,688
1997 modern 1,823 #3,293
1998 modern 1,879 #3,335
1999 modern 1,897 #3,325
2000 modern 1,887 #3,324
2001 modern 1,844 #3,321
2002 modern 1,863 #3,362
2003 modern 1,790 #3,408
2004 modern 1,774 #3,440
2005 modern 1,737 #3,473
2006 modern 1,720 #3,510
2007 modern 1,701 #3,570
2008 modern 1,717 #3,567
2009 modern 1,764 #3,561
2010 modern 1,789 #3,589
2011 modern 1,796 #3,541
2012 modern 1,747 #3,556
2013 modern 1,779 #3,567
2014 modern 1,797 #3,557
2015 modern 1,729 #3,631
2016 modern 1,707 #3,656

Geography

Back to top

Where Shipps are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Haverhill, Little Wratting and Ipswich St Mary Stoke. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Cambridgeshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, East Cambridgeshire, South Gloucestershire and Rochford. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Haverhill, Little Wratting Suffolk
4 Ipswich St Mary Stoke Suffolk
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Cambridgeshire 004 South Cambridgeshire
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 017 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 East Cambridgeshire 001 East Cambridgeshire
4 South Gloucestershire 001 South Gloucestershire
5 Rochford 010 Rochford

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Shipp

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Shipp

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

Shipp is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shipp falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Shipp

The surname SHIPP is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word "scip" or "sceap", meaning a sheep, or possibly from the Old English word "scippen", meaning a shipper or sailor. It originated in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in eastern England during the medieval period.

SHIPP is believed to have first appeared in written records in the late 11th century Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners and tenants conducted by William the Conqueror after the Norman invasion of England in 1066. The Domesday Book listed several individuals with the name, including a Shipp family living in Norfolk.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname SHIPP can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mentioned a Robert Shipp. Another early record is from the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1212, which listed a William Shipp.

In the 14th century, there are records of a John Shipp who was a member of the guild of shearmen, or wool-shearers, in the city of Norwich in 1379. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with the wool trade or the raising of sheep.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname SHIPP appeared in various records across England, including in the parish registers of St. Giles in London, where a Robert Shipp was baptized in 1597. Another notable individual was William Shipp, a merchant from Bristol who was granted a coat of arms in 1614.

In the 18th century, there are records of a John Shipp who was a prominent clockmaker in London, born around 1735. He was known for creating high-quality longcase clocks and was elected as a Master of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in 1781.

Other notable individuals with the surname SHIPP include John Shipp (1784-1834), an English inventor and engineer who designed and constructed several early steam engines and locomotives, and Barnett Shipp (1785-1837), an English artist and engraver known for his topographical prints and illustrations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Shipp families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shipp 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 178 Shipps recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.95x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 178 9.95x
Cambridgeshire 124 21.46x
Middlesex 115 1.26x
Surrey 79 1.78x
Suffolk 71 6.39x
Kent 65 2.09x
Essex 59 3.28x
Norfolk 58 4.14x
Yorkshire 29 0.32x
Somerset 23 1.57x
Northamptonshire 19 2.21x
Leicestershire 16 1.58x
Hertfordshire 12 1.91x
Hampshire 11 0.59x
Wiltshire 11 1.36x
Devon 9 0.47x
Warwickshire 9 0.39x
Lincolnshire 8 0.55x
Oxfordshire 7 1.24x
Worcestershire 6 0.50x
Cornwall 4 0.39x
Durham 4 0.15x
Royal Navy 4 3.68x
Sussex 4 0.26x
Lancashire 3 0.03x
Berkshire 1 0.15x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.18x
Dorset 1 0.17x
Glamorgan 1 0.06x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.55x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.08x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bottisham in Cambridgeshire leads with 39 Shipps recorded in 1881 and an index of 792.68x.

Place Total Index
Bottisham 39 792.68x
Yate 36 918.37x
Bitton 29 186.26x
Deptford St Paul 22 9.17x
West Ham 21 5.28x
Islington London 20 2.26x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 19 11.28x
Haverhill 19 192.50x
Bitton Oldland 18 98.41x
Ipswich St Margaret 18 47.75x
Rotherhithe 17 15.09x
Waterbeach 15 318.47x
Wigston Magna 15 111.86x
Newington 14 4.16x
Upchurch 14 398.86x
Berkeley Ham Stone 12 1481.48x
Kensington London 12 2.37x
Bethnal Green London 11 2.78x
Penge 10 17.16x
St Luke London 10 6.84x
Wereham 10 520.83x
Castle Rising 9 825.69x
Chippenham 9 53.19x
Fen Ditton 9 430.62x
Lewisham 9 5.42x
Lyncombe Widcombe 9 23.41x
Portsea 9 2.46x
Pucklechurch 9 223.33x
St Marylebone London 9 1.85x
Walpole St Andrew 9 410.96x
Caterham 8 40.73x
Croydon 8 3.24x
Leyton Low 8 21.86x
Mangotsfield 8 44.87x
Poplar London 8 4.65x
Roydon In Guiltcross 8 418.85x
St Pancras London 8 1.09x
Ashley Cum Silverley 7 460.53x
Bishop Stortford 7 33.33x
Bromley London 7 3.49x
Cowley 7 39.82x
Dry Drayton 7 598.29x
Epsom 7 32.32x
Frodingham 7 134.62x
Glastonbury 7 58.43x
Great Burstead 7 106.87x
Hawkesbury 7 114.94x
Horsforth 7 35.32x
Iron Acton 7 193.91x
Milton 7 406.98x
Northampton St Sepulchre 7 16.04x
Weston 7 62.00x
Chesterton 6 33.69x
Colchester St Leonard 6 103.63x
Friston 6 491.80x
Guisbrough Tocketts 6 535.71x
Kings Norton 6 5.62x
Lambeth 6 0.75x
Lowestoft 6 11.43x
Sternfield 6 833.33x
Aston 5 0.79x
Clerkenwell London 5 2.32x
Clifton 5 5.53x
Faversham 5 16.85x
Fulbourn 5 90.42x
Hammersmith London 5 2.23x
Roade 5 222.22x
South Wootton 5 892.86x
Stonehouse East 5 51.92x
Sturmere 5 427.35x
Weston Colville 5 304.88x
Bristol St Augustine 4 13.86x
Bristol St George 4 4.84x
Holy Trinity 4 1.84x
Rochester St Nicholas 4 41.32x
Royal Navy 4 4.31x
St Andrewthe Less 4 6.06x
Staindrop 4 97.09x
Stanton St Michaels 4 1666.67x
Woolwich 4 3.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 43
George 41
John 37
Charles 31
Henry 21
Alfred 20
James 19
Robert 17
Frederick 15
Thomas 15
Samuel 14
Joseph 13
Edward 12
Arthur 11
Walter 11
Albert 8
Richard 8
Daniel 7
Herbert 7
Ernest 6
Benjamin 5
Frank 5
Geo. 5
Harry 5
Wm. 5
David 4
Edwin 4
Sidney 4
Chas. 3
Jonathan 3
Timothy 3
Willie 3
Edgar 2
Frdk. 2
Fredk. 2
Horace 2
Sydney 2
Wm.F. 2
Barnabas 1
Clemont 1
Colin 1
Cornelius 1
Fred 1
Fred.Geo. 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Jeremiah 1
Job 1
Joel 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Shipp surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shipp surname in 1881?

In 1881, 934 people were recorded with the Shipp surname. That placed it at #4,122 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shipp surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,707 in 2016. That gives Shipp a modern rank of #3,656.

What does the Shipp surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a shipwright, a person who builds or repairs ships.

What does the Shipp map show?

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