NameCensus.

UK surname

Sparey

In the 1881 census there were 210 people recorded with the Sparey surname, ranking it #12,440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 444, ranked #10,905, up from #12,440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Codford St Mary, London parishes and Codford St Peter with Ashton Gifford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bath and North East Somerset, Malvern Hills and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sparey is 478 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 111.4%.

1881 census count

210

Ranked #12,440

Modern count

444

2016, ranked #10,905

Peak year

2011

478 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sparey had 210 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 444 in 2016, ranked #10,905.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 273 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sparey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sparey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sparey 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 122 #14,966
1861 historical 125 #17,678
1881 historical 210 #12,440
1891 historical 255 #12,552
1901 historical 266 #12,617
1911 historical 273 #12,177
1997 modern 409 #10,818
1998 modern 440 #10,581
1999 modern 438 #10,695
2000 modern 432 #10,771
2001 modern 434 #10,539
2002 modern 435 #10,736
2003 modern 438 #10,507
2004 modern 446 #10,391
2005 modern 442 #10,346
2006 modern 436 #10,506
2007 modern 443 #10,467
2008 modern 446 #10,501
2009 modern 465 #10,393
2010 modern 476 #10,434
2011 modern 478 #10,299
2012 modern 456 #10,563
2013 modern 460 #10,661
2014 modern 459 #10,731
2015 modern 444 #10,935
2016 modern 444 #10,905

Geography

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Where Spareys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Codford St Mary, London parishes, Codford St Peter with Ashton Gifford, St John Hackney and Warminster, Upton Scudamore, Great and Little Corsley, Norton Bavant. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bath and North East Somerset, Malvern Hills, Mendip, Herefordshire and Caerphilly. 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 Codford St Mary Wiltshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Codford St Peter with Ashton Gifford Wiltshire
4 St John Hackney London (North Districts)
5 Warminster, Upton Scudamore, Great and Little Corsley, Norton Bavant Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bath and North East Somerset 016 Bath and North East Somerset
2 Malvern Hills 001 Malvern Hills
3 Mendip 007 Mendip
4 Herefordshire 001 Herefordshire, County of
5 Caerphilly 023 Caerphilly

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sparey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sparey

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Sparey is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Sparey is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sparey 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 Sparey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Sparey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sparey 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. Wiltshire leads with 108 Spareys recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.33x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 108 59.33x
Somerset 34 10.26x
Hertfordshire 16 11.28x
Middlesex 10 0.49x
Monmouthshire 7 4.70x
Cheshire 6 1.32x
Dorset 6 4.44x
Bedfordshire 4 3.75x
Essex 4 0.98x
Kent 4 0.57x
Gloucestershire 3 0.74x
Surrey 3 0.30x
Yorkshire 3 0.15x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.36x
Royal Navy 1 4.08x
Sussex 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Corsley in Wiltshire leads with 23 Spareys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3194.44x.

Place Total Index
Corsley 23 3194.44x
Warminster 21 526.32x
Congresbury 11 1309.52x
Frome 10 126.26x
Sandridge 10 1666.67x
Westbury 10 235.29x
Codford St Mary 9 3750.00x
Hackney London 9 7.80x
Imber 8 2857.14x
East Newchurch 7 2500.00x
Aldenham 6 465.12x
Hyde 6 44.74x
Sherborne 6 150.75x
Sherrington 6 5454.55x
Steeple Langford 6 1621.62x
Wraxall 6 952.38x
Bishopstrow 5 2941.18x
Caddington 4 256.41x
Gravesend 4 67.23x
Norton Bavant 4 2105.26x
South Newton 4 833.33x
Walthamstow 4 27.36x
Yatton 4 310.08x
Airmyn 3 857.14x
East Tisbury 3 476.19x
Frampton Cotterell 3 211.27x
Salisbury St Edmund 3 102.74x
Heytesbury 2 303.03x
Maperton 2 1333.33x
Bishopstone 1 114.94x
Codford St Peter 1 454.55x
Devizes St James 1 41.32x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 39.06x
Hendon 1 13.51x
Lambeth 1 0.56x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.39x
Penge 1 7.60x
Royal Navy 1 4.77x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 2.41x
Stockton 1 588.24x
Walcot 1 5.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 11
George 7
Henry 7
James 6
Albert 5
Herbert 5
Thomas 5
Arthur 4
Charles 4
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Job 3
John 3
Walter 3
Frank 2
Joseph 2
Matthew 2
Samuel 2
Tom 2
Absalom 1
Absolom 1
Alfred 1
Archie 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Egbert 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Horace 1
Lawrence 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Seth 1
Wm.Jno. 1
Wm.Oliver 1

FAQ

Sparey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sparey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 210 people were recorded with the Sparey surname. That placed it at #12,440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sparey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 444 in 2016. That gives Sparey a modern rank of #10,905.

What does the Sparey map show?

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