NameCensus.

UK surname

Shires

A locational surname referring to someone who lived in or came from a shire or county.

In the 1881 census there were 838 people recorded with the Shires surname, ranking it #4,497 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 978, ranked #5,905, down from #4,497 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Thornhill, Batley and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Kirklees and Portsmouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shires is 1,064 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.7%.

1881 census count

838

Ranked #4,497

Modern count

978

2016, ranked #5,905

Peak year

1998

1,064 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shires had 838 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,497 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 978 in 2016, ranked #5,905.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,052 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Shires surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shires surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shires 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 454 #5,427
1861 historical 485 #5,385
1881 historical 838 #4,497
1891 historical 867 #4,734
1901 historical 940 #4,972
1911 historical 1,052 #4,380
1997 modern 1,011 #5,446
1998 modern 1,064 #5,393
1999 modern 1,044 #5,514
2000 modern 1,027 #5,571
2001 modern 1,017 #5,509
2002 modern 1,027 #5,581
2003 modern 1,007 #5,562
2004 modern 992 #5,637
2005 modern 981 #5,631
2006 modern 972 #5,679
2007 modern 995 #5,630
2008 modern 1,012 #5,598
2009 modern 1,036 #5,612
2010 modern 1,057 #5,619
2011 modern 1,037 #5,645
2012 modern 1,000 #5,731
2013 modern 1,000 #5,822
2014 modern 1,009 #5,819
2015 modern 987 #5,872
2016 modern 978 #5,905

Geography

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Where Shires' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Thornhill, Batley, Wakefield, Bradford and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Kirklees and Portsmouth. 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 Thornhill Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 021 Wakefield
2 Kirklees 028 Kirklees
3 Wakefield 029 Wakefield
4 Kirklees 018 Kirklees
5 Portsmouth 001 Portsmouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shires

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shires

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Shires surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Shires household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shires 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

Shires 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

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

Meaning and origin of Shires

The surname Shires has its origins in England, tracing back to the 11th century and the Norman Conquest. It derives from the Old English word "scir," meaning a shire or county, which was used to refer to administrative divisions of land. The name likely arose as a way to identify people who were prominent figures or landowners within a particular shire or county.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shires can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property conducted under the order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book contains references to individuals with the surname Shires, indicating their presence in various shires across England.

During the Middle Ages, the name Shires appeared in various historical documents, such as tax rolls, court records, and parish registers. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include Sir John Shires, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century, and William Shires, a wealthy merchant who was granted a coat of arms in the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Shires was often spelled differently, with variations such as Shyre, Shyre, and Sheire appearing in records. This reflects the fluid nature of surname spellings during that period, as standardization had not yet been established.

One notable figure with the surname Shires was Sir Robert Shires, a Member of Parliament and landowner in Leicestershire, who lived from 1540 to 1612. Another was Thomas Shires, a wealthy wool merchant and benefactor who funded the construction of a school in Stratford-upon-Avon in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the spelling of the name became more consistent, with the current form of Shires becoming predominant. During this time, several individuals with the surname Shires gained prominence, including John Shires, a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, and William Shires, a prominent Puritan minister and author.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Shires continued to be associated with various professions and social classes. Some notable figures include Sir George Shires, a successful industrialist and philanthropist who lived from 1785 to 1867, and Emily Shires, a celebrated author and poet who was born in 1832.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shires families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shires 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. Yorkshire leads with 560 Shires' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.96x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 560 6.96x
Lancashire 87 0.90x
Middlesex 57 0.70x
Surrey 39 0.99x
Durham 17 0.70x
Leicestershire 11 1.22x
Hampshire 9 0.54x
Sussex 8 0.58x
Somerset 6 0.46x
Staffordshire 6 0.22x
Cheshire 5 0.28x
Lincolnshire 5 0.39x
Warwickshire 5 0.24x
Worcestershire 4 0.38x
Derbyshire 3 0.24x
Devon 3 0.18x
Berkshire 2 0.33x
Kent 1 0.04x
Morayshire 1 0.79x
Norfolk 1 0.08x
Northamptonshire 1 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 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. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 87 Shires' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.16x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 87 19.16x
Shitlington 48 576.92x
Bradford 29 14.90x
Chapel Allerton 25 207.81x
Preston 24 9.31x
Ecclesfield 23 39.00x
Mirfield 21 47.55x
St Pancras London 20 3.06x
Wakefield 20 32.39x
Bramley In Bramley 18 58.46x
Horsforth 18 102.10x
Gomersal 17 45.29x
Otley 17 87.05x
Yeadon 17 93.61x
Rawdon 16 168.95x
Huddersfield 14 11.95x
Hunslet 14 11.16x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 11 38.29x
Rothwell 11 67.73x
Skircoat 10 31.54x
Lockwood 9 31.11x
Shalford 9 205.48x
Dewsbury 8 9.70x
Holbeck 8 15.02x
Lambeth 8 1.13x
Manchester 8 1.85x
Salford 8 2.82x
Thornhill 8 34.09x
Wheatley 8 288.81x
Guildford Holy Trinity 7 92.84x
Islington London 7 0.89x
Portsmouth 7 18.28x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 7 18.74x
Stockton On Tees 7 6.01x
Westminster St James 7 8.39x
Broadwater 6 19.11x
Crigglestone 6 77.42x
Croxton Keyrial 6 394.74x
Great Little Preston 6 259.74x
Guildford St Nicholas 6 85.84x
Layton With Warbreck 6 16.98x
Little Bolton 6 4.85x
Methley 6 53.00x
Soothill 6 20.65x
Tong 6 38.61x
Wennington 6 1714.29x
Broughton In Salford 5 5.68x
Newington 5 1.67x
Openshaw 5 11.09x
Pudsey 5 11.63x
Seaton Carew 5 102.88x
Stranton 5 6.15x
Warrington 5 4.38x
West Bromwich 5 3.19x
Aylestone 4 56.34x
Calverley Cum Farsley 4 17.51x
Gainsborough 4 13.08x
Hallow 4 77.07x
Headingley Cum Burley 4 7.73x
Lancaster 4 6.98x
Sheffield 4 1.56x
St Botolph Aldersgate 4 42.96x
St Bride London 4 84.75x
West Monkton 4 138.89x
Bowling 3 3.77x
Chelsea London 3 1.23x
Dunham Massey 3 54.64x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 1.83x
Exhall 3 96.77x
Farnley In Bramley 3 29.88x
Heaton Norris 3 5.47x
Ilkley 3 22.83x
Kensington London 3 0.66x
Linton In Wetherby 3 681.82x
St George Hanover 3 2.83x
Stoke Damerel 3 2.54x
Upper Helmsley 3 1500.00x
Warmfield Cum Heath 3 110.29x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 2 6.85x
Havant 2 23.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 53
William 36
James 26
Thomas 22
Joseph 20
George 17
Arthur 14
Henry 14
Alfred 13
Walter 11
Charles 10
Richard 9
David 8
Samuel 7
Benjamin 6
Ernest 6
Frederick 6
Harry 6
Edward 5
Albert 4
Herbert 4
Robert 4
Wm. 4
Frank 3
Willie 3
Abraham 2
Al. 2
Edwin 2
Eli 2
Francis 2
Friend 2
Lewis 2
Matthew 2
Thos. 2
Amos 1
Andrew 1
Bingley 1
Chals. 1
Chas. 1
Elliss 1
Emanuel 1
Emcel 1
Enoch 1
Ephraim 1
Ezra 1
Hiram 1
Horace 1
Ira 1
Isaac 1
Young 1

FAQ

Shires surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shires surname in 1881?

In 1881, 838 people were recorded with the Shires surname. That placed it at #4,497 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shires surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 978 in 2016. That gives Shires a modern rank of #5,905.

What does the Shires surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived in or came from a shire or county.

What does the Shires map show?

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