NameCensus.

UK surname

Sperrin

In the 1881 census there were 97 people recorded with the Sperrin surname, ranking it #20,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 153, ranked #23,408, down from #20,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Shipton-on-Cherwell and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hertfordshire, Sefton and North Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sperrin is 187 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.7%.

1881 census count

97

Ranked #20,127

Modern count

153

2016, ranked #23,408

Peak year

2003

187 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sperrin had 97 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016, ranked #23,408.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 126 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Sperrin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sperrin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sperrin 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 62 #22,232
1861 historical 81 #23,431
1881 historical 97 #20,127
1891 historical 120 #21,292
1901 historical 115 #21,050
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 172 #19,371
1998 modern 178 #19,452
1999 modern 182 #19,317
2000 modern 174 #19,829
2001 modern 167 #20,060
2002 modern 176 #19,829
2003 modern 187 #18,856
2004 modern 178 #19,603
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 166 #20,534
2007 modern 175 #20,090
2008 modern 180 #19,946
2009 modern 176 #20,632
2010 modern 175 #21,186
2011 modern 168 #21,563
2012 modern 165 #21,782
2013 modern 170 #21,726
2014 modern 161 #22,728
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 153 #23,408

Geography

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Where Sperrins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Shipton-on-Cherwell, St Leonard Shoreditch, Backwell and North Meols. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Hertfordshire, Sefton and North Somerset. 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 Shipton-on-Cherwell Oxfordshire
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 Backwell Somerset
5 North Meols Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hertfordshire 011 East Hertfordshire
2 Sefton 002 Sefton
3 Sefton 011 Sefton
4 Sefton 007 Sefton
5 North Somerset 021 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sperrin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sperrin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sperrin, 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 Sperrin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sperrin 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sperrin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sperrin 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

Sperrin falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Sperrin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sperrin 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. Middlesex leads with 20 Sperrins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 20 2.11x
Somerset 19 12.48x
Lancashire 13 1.16x
Essex 8 4.28x
Gloucestershire 8 4.31x
Oxfordshire 5 8.56x
Staffordshire 5 1.57x
Surrey 5 1.08x
Glamorgan 4 2.43x
Hampshire 4 2.06x
Monmouthshire 3 4.39x
Sussex 2 1.25x
Warwickshire 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Weston Super Mare in Somerset leads with 10 Sperrins recorded in 1881 and an index of 260.42x.

Place Total Index
Weston Super Mare 10 260.42x
Tottenham 8 53.09x
West Ham 8 19.40x
Liverpool 7 10.27x
Shoreditch London 7 17.07x
Bermondsey 5 17.76x
Hampton Poyle 5 12500.00x
Walsall Foreign 5 30.32x
Backwell 4 1290.32x
Bristol St James In 4 146.52x
Cardiff St John 4 74.35x
Crondall 4 384.62x
Birkdale 3 105.63x
West Derby 3 9.14x
Bitton 2 124.22x
Burnham 2 172.41x
Islington London 2 2.18x
Rotherfield 2 142.86x
St Luke London 2 13.18x
St Woollos 2 26.21x
Berkeley 1 97.09x
Edgbaston 1 13.51x
Farmborough 1 370.37x
Grosmont 1 434.78x
Isle Brewers 1 1000.00x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 25.06x
Olveston 1 192.31x
Wapping London 1 138.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 4
Alfred 3
Frederick 3
James 3
John 3
Edmund 2
George 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Arthar 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Henry 1
Jeremiah 1
Job 1
Joseph 1
Richd. 1
Tom 1
Zephnia 1

FAQ

Sperrin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sperrin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 97 people were recorded with the Sperrin surname. That placed it at #20,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sperrin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016. That gives Sperrin a modern rank of #23,408.

What does the Sperrin map show?

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