NameCensus.

UK surname

Spray

An occupational surname for someone who made decorative metalwork, such as buckles or clasps.

In the 1881 census there were 895 people recorded with the Spray surname, ranking it #4,253 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 927, ranked #6,164, down from #4,253 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basford, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Kesteven, Bolsover and Rother.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spray is 1,218 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.6%.

1881 census count

895

Ranked #4,253

Modern count

927

2016, ranked #6,164

Peak year

1911

1,218 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spray had 895 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,253 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 927 in 2016, ranked #6,164.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,218 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Spray surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spray surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Spray 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 606 #4,243
1861 historical 584 #4,524
1881 historical 895 #4,253
1891 historical 981 #4,214
1901 historical 1,102 #4,382
1911 historical 1,218 #3,879
1997 modern 995 #5,525
1998 modern 1,022 #5,579
1999 modern 1,025 #5,603
2000 modern 1,029 #5,561
2001 modern 1,007 #5,554
2002 modern 1,036 #5,533
2003 modern 996 #5,612
2004 modern 990 #5,643
2005 modern 956 #5,752
2006 modern 973 #5,673
2007 modern 967 #5,766
2008 modern 973 #5,769
2009 modern 965 #5,930
2010 modern 983 #5,960
2011 modern 961 #6,013
2012 modern 954 #5,952
2013 modern 942 #6,125
2014 modern 948 #6,137
2015 modern 923 #6,210
2016 modern 927 #6,164

Geography

Back to top

Where Sprays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basford, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Kesteven, Bolsover, Rother and North East Derbyshire. 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 Basford Nottinghamshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Kesteven 003 North Kesteven
2 Bolsover 004 Bolsover
3 Bolsover 005 Bolsover
4 Rother 007 Rother
5 North East Derbyshire 013 North East Derbyshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Spray

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Spray

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Spray surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Spray household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Spray 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

Spray 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

Spray falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Spray

The surname SPRAY has its origins in England, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "spræc," meaning a small branch or twig, potentially alluding to someone who lived near a wooded area or worked with wood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SPRAY can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England, where a John Spray was mentioned in 1584. The name also appeared in the Gloucestershire County Records, with a Thomas Spray being documented in 1596.

SPRAY is thought to have been initially concentrated in the counties of Suffolk, Gloucestershire, and Somerset, although it eventually spread to other parts of England. The surname may have originated from a locational name, such as "Spray's Meadow" or "Spray's Farm," referring to a place where a person named Spray once lived.

In the renowned Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 by William the Conqueror, there are no direct mentions of the surname SPRAY. However, the book does record several place names that could have contributed to the development of the surname, such as Spree in Bedfordshire and Sprey in Devonshire.

Notable individuals with the surname SPRAY throughout history include:

1. John Spray (c. 1570-1627), an English clergyman and author, known for his work "The Manuall of the Study of Certaine Passages of the Holy Scriptures."

2. Samuel Spray (1779-1853), an English engraver and artist, known for his illustrations of plants and botanical specimens.

3. William Spray (1823-1886), a British architect and surveyor, responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the former Strand Theatre.

4. Hilda Spray (1876-1949), an English painter and illustrator, known for her landscape paintings and illustrations for children's books.

5. Ethel Spray (1888-1962), a British artist and sculptor, known for her bronze and stone sculptures, often depicting animals and mythological figures.

The surname SPRAY has also been associated with various place names across England, such as Sprayleigh in Devonshire and Spraytonbury in Somerset, further reinforcing its connection to specific geographical locations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Spray families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spray 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 287 Sprays recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.31x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 287 24.31x
Sussex 135 9.14x
Derbyshire 100 7.29x
Yorkshire 75 0.86x
Middlesex 39 0.45x
Surrey 33 0.77x
Cornwall 30 3.03x
Gloucestershire 30 1.75x
Lincolnshire 27 1.93x
Lancashire 24 0.23x
Leicestershire 18 1.85x
Devon 17 0.93x
Kent 17 0.57x
Worcestershire 13 1.14x
Somerset 11 0.78x
Dorset 8 1.39x
Hampshire 8 0.45x
Northamptonshire 6 0.73x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.57x
Shropshire 3 0.40x
Warwickshire 3 0.14x
Essex 2 0.12x
Royal Navy 2 1.92x
Ayrshire 1 0.15x
Cheshire 1 0.05x
Glamorgan 1 0.07x
Hertfordshire 1 0.17x
Norfolk 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.09x
Wiltshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Beeston in Nottinghamshire leads with 75 Sprays recorded in 1881 and an index of 552.69x.

Place Total Index
Beeston 75 552.69x
Nottingham St Mary 56 18.34x
Hucknall Torkard 25 83.50x
Battle 23 230.69x
Phillack 23 179.69x
Bexhill 22 298.91x
Hastings St Mary 21 57.13x
Basford 20 36.75x
Hastings St Leonards 18 82.91x
Lenton 18 64.72x
Radford 18 30.01x
Westbury On Trym 17 29.21x
Scarcliff 16 864.86x
Heage 15 206.61x
Alfreton 13 31.21x
Snenton 12 25.87x
Loughborough 11 24.96x
Mountfield 11 588.24x
Wandsworth 11 13.05x
Exeter St Sidwell 10 23.95x
Bedminster 9 6.79x
Camberwell 9 1.61x
Islington London 9 1.06x
Stapleford 9 93.85x
Worsbrough 9 35.39x
Barnby In Willows 8 1230.77x
Bristol St James In 8 31.66x
Cranborne 8 115.11x
Hailsham 8 89.49x
Hastings St Mary In The 8 25.39x
Hook Malden 8 467.84x
Ottringham 8 465.12x
Stourbridge 8 27.18x
Wirksworth 8 64.15x
Bromley London 7 3.63x
Crowhurst 7 555.56x
Gainsborough 7 21.20x
Heanor 7 34.13x
Leeds 7 1.43x
Liverpool 7 1.11x
Sheepshed 7 52.59x
Shirland 7 68.23x
Warter 7 386.74x
Arnold 6 34.80x
Ashover 6 87.98x
Barrow In Furness 6 4.24x
Chilwell 6 191.08x
Derby St Peter 6 13.74x
Hawkhurst 6 64.59x
Ilkeston 6 15.60x
Marske In Guisbrough 6 38.91x
Ordsall 6 66.37x
Peterborough 6 10.06x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 6.18x
Barnsley 5 5.58x
Brightside Bierlow 5 2.94x
Cheetham 5 6.45x
Hucknall Under 5 82.10x
Stoke Damerel 5 3.92x
Whistones 5 60.39x
Ashford 4 13.74x
Chesterfield 4 7.78x
Farnsfield 4 127.80x
Hammersmith London 4 1.85x
Nottingham St Nicholas 4 24.88x
Salehurst 4 62.50x
Sculcoates 4 2.91x
St Lawrence Winchester 4 547.95x
West Retford 4 163.27x
Aston Cum Aughton 3 42.25x
Brant Broughton 3 147.06x
Clunbury 3 101.35x
Hastings St Andrew 3 56.71x
Potter Hanworth 3 230.77x
Shoreditch London 3 0.79x
South Normanton 3 31.15x
St Luke London 3 2.14x
Waddingham 3 140.19x
Westminster St James 3 3.33x
Wycombe 3 7.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 65
John 43
George 25
Henry 23
Thomas 20
Charles 18
Arthur 17
Samuel 16
James 15
Frank 11
Herbert 9
Robert 9
Frederick 7
Joseph 7
Albert 6
Alfred 6
Edward 5
Harry 5
Ernest 4
Fred 4
Richard 4
Benjamin 3
Elijah 3
Fredrick 3
Horace 3
Lester 3
Robt. 3
Sidney 3
Walter 3
Aaron 2
Caleb 2
Chas. 2
Edgar 2
Enock 2
Francis 2
Hiram 2
Jesse 2
Percy 2
Phillip 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Biggleston 1
Brailsford 1
Brown 1
Burton 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Wm.Jos. 1

FAQ

Spray surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spray surname in 1881?

In 1881, 895 people were recorded with the Spray surname. That placed it at #4,253 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spray surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 927 in 2016. That gives Spray a modern rank of #6,164.

What does the Spray surname mean?

An occupational surname for someone who made decorative metalwork, such as buckles or clasps.

What does the Spray map show?

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