NameCensus.

UK surname

Squires

An occupational surname referring to a square-keeper or a servant attending a knight.

In the 1881 census there were 4,238 people recorded with the Squires surname, ranking it #1,055 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,238, ranked #1,080, down from #1,055 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge, North Devon and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Squires is 6,734 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.2%.

1881 census count

4,238

Ranked #1,055

Modern count

6,238

2016, ranked #1,080

Peak year

1999

6,734 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Squires had 4,238 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,055 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,238 in 2016, ranked #1,080.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,926 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Squires surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Squires surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Squires 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 2,391 #1,245
1861 historical 2,244 #1,308
1881 historical 4,238 #1,055
1891 historical 4,585 #1,021
1901 historical 5,401 #1,035
1911 historical 5,926 #874
1997 modern 6,463 #1,004
1998 modern 6,699 #1,011
1999 modern 6,734 #1,013
2000 modern 6,677 #1,018
2001 modern 6,515 #1,019
2002 modern 6,603 #1,031
2003 modern 6,429 #1,038
2004 modern 6,384 #1,045
2005 modern 6,208 #1,061
2006 modern 6,154 #1,065
2007 modern 6,203 #1,066
2008 modern 6,232 #1,062
2009 modern 6,398 #1,063
2010 modern 6,504 #1,064
2011 modern 6,386 #1,070
2012 modern 6,260 #1,069
2013 modern 6,352 #1,072
2014 modern 6,388 #1,073
2015 modern 6,268 #1,081
2016 modern 6,238 #1,080

Geography

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Where Squires' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Batley and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge, North Devon, Charnwood, North West Leicestershire and Swansea. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 004 Torridge
2 North Devon 010 North Devon
3 Charnwood 009 Charnwood
4 North West Leicestershire 010 North West Leicestershire
5 Swansea 021 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Squires

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Squires

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

Squires is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Squires

The surname Squires originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old French word "esquire," which referred to a man who attended a knight and carried his shield and other equipment. The name Squires is a variant spelling of the word "esquire."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Squires can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273, where a William le Esquier is mentioned. The name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which lists a John le Squyer.

During the medieval period, the name Squires was primarily concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire, Warwickshire, and Staffordshire. However, over time, the name spread to other parts of England as well. Some notable individuals with the surname Squires from this era include Sir John Squire, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War (c. 1337-1453), and Robert Squire, a member of the Parliament of England in 1391.

As the surname Squires evolved, various spellings emerged, such as Squyer, Squier, and Squyer. These variations can be found in various historical records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1428, which mentions a William Squyer, and the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1486, which lists a John Squier.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Squires continued to be prevalent in England. One notable figure from this time was Edward Squire, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Wingham, Kent, in 1555 during the reign of Queen Mary I. Another notable individual was Sir John Squire, a Member of Parliament and landowner from Lincolnshire, who lived from 1586 to 1658.

As time progressed, the surname Squires spread beyond England to other parts of the British Isles and, eventually, to the colonies in North America and other parts of the world. Some notable individuals with the surname Squires from later periods include Sir William Squire (1809-1878), an English businessman and Member of Parliament, and Ethelbert Squire (1841-1912), an English-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Squires families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Squires 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 503 Squires' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.23x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 503 1.23x
Middlesex 480 1.16x
Devon 362 4.20x
Surrey 232 1.15x
Leicestershire 231 5.04x
Nottinghamshire 200 3.59x
Lincolnshire 170 2.57x
Bedfordshire 162 7.56x
Essex 152 1.86x
Hertfordshire 141 4.94x
Lancashire 138 0.28x
Staffordshire 115 0.82x
Norfolk 110 1.73x
Kent 106 0.75x
Sussex 97 1.39x
Cambridgeshire 89 3.40x
Warwickshire 86 0.82x
Dorset 69 2.54x
Huntingdonshire 69 8.40x
Hampshire 62 0.73x
Derbyshire 57 0.88x
Somerset 51 0.77x
Oxfordshire 48 1.88x
Gloucestershire 44 0.54x
Cornwall 43 0.92x
Worcestershire 43 0.80x
Durham 41 0.33x
Northamptonshire 41 1.05x
Berkshire 38 1.22x
Suffolk 34 0.67x
Monmouthshire 31 1.04x
Wiltshire 29 0.79x
Glamorgan 28 0.39x
Shropshire 28 0.78x
Cheshire 20 0.22x
Westmorland 19 2.09x
Herefordshire 15 0.88x
Caernarfonshire 10 0.60x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.36x
Fife 8 0.33x
Cumberland 5 0.14x
Northumberland 5 0.08x
Isle of Man 4 0.52x
Lanarkshire 4 0.03x
Wigtownshire 4 0.73x
Radnorshire 2 0.60x
Argyllshire 1 0.09x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.06x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Royal Navy 1 0.20x
Stirlingshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Luton in Bedfordshire leads with 69 Squires' recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.61x.

Place Total Index
Luton 69 18.61x
Islington London 61 1.52x
Soothill 58 39.17x
Leicester St Margaret 46 4.11x
Lambeth 43 1.19x
Newark Upon Trent 42 20.96x
Camberwell 39 1.48x
West Ham 38 2.11x
St Andrewthe Less 37 12.36x
Hackney London 36 1.55x
Nottingham St Mary 36 2.50x
St Pancras London 36 1.08x
Loughborough 34 16.34x
Cheshunt 32 32.10x
Aldingbourn 31 294.12x
Leyton Low 31 18.67x
Newington 31 2.03x
Barnsley 30 7.09x
St Marylebone London 29 1.31x
Battersea 28 1.84x
Harborne 28 6.26x
Leicester St Mary 28 7.56x
Rotherhithe 27 5.28x
Bow London 26 4.94x
Derby St Peter 26 12.60x
Holbeach 26 35.29x
Birmingham 25 0.72x
Southampton St Mary 25 4.69x
Barrow Upon Soar 24 63.36x
Dewsbury 23 5.47x
Whitechapel London 23 5.64x
Halifax 22 3.66x
Kensington London 22 0.96x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 22 15.02x
Wanstead 22 15.38x
Aston 21 0.73x
Ashwellthorpe 20 381.68x
Fundenhall 20 444.44x
Ruddington 20 53.49x
West Bromwich 20 2.50x
Biggleswade 19 27.08x
Chatteris 19 28.42x
Syston 19 44.25x
Bethnal Green London 18 1.00x
Cropwell Bishop 18 199.78x
Woodhouse 18 98.68x
Chelsea London 17 1.36x
Deptford St Paul 17 1.56x
Sheffield 17 1.30x
St George In East 17 6.04x
Mexborough 16 19.66x
Northowram 16 5.57x
Plymouth St Andrew 16 2.41x
Quorndon 16 62.14x
Dunstable 15 22.79x
Mapledurham 15 250.84x
Radford 15 5.30x
Thame 15 32.29x
Wakefield 15 4.77x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 14 3.67x
Brixham 14 14.03x
Exeter St Mary Major 14 26.96x
Fulham London 14 2.33x
Hoo 14 74.79x
Mile End Old Town 14 2.14x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 14 33.91x
Plympton St Mary 14 28.12x
Poplar London 14 1.79x
South Bersted 14 23.60x
Southowram 14 11.19x
Tong 14 17.68x
Ashwell 13 58.06x
Brightside Bierlow 13 1.62x
Compton Gifford 13 48.17x
Hitchin 13 10.10x
Hornsey 13 2.48x
Reigate Borough 13 27.96x
Stourbridge 13 9.35x
Tottenham 13 1.97x
Trevethin 13 4.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 288
Sarah 158
Elizabeth 151
Ann 82
Jane 82
Emma 80
Ellen 72
Eliza 64
Annie 59
Emily 45
Alice 44
Hannah 44
Martha 35
Florence 34
Ada 33
Fanny 29
Louisa 29
Susan 29
Harriet 27
Caroline 25
Clara 24
Charlotte 22
Lucy 22
Kate 20
Catherine 19
Rebecca 19
Margaret 17
Maria 17
Agnes 16
Amelia 16
Julia 16
Edith 15
Anne 13
Bessie 12
Frances 12
Harriett 12
Minnie 12
Lizzie 11
Maud 11
Betsy 10
Rose 10
Sophia 10
Gertrude 9
Elizth. 8
Matilda 8
Selina 8
Amy 7
Esther 7
Grace 7
Susannah 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 300
John 237
George 172
Thomas 136
James 131
Charles 105
Henry 92
Joseph 64
Arthur 48
Robert 48
Alfred 47
Richard 42
Albert 36
Harry 36
Edward 35
Frederick 35
Samuel 34
Walter 30
Ernest 28
Frank 24
Benjamin 21
Herbert 19
Edwin 18
Francis 14
David 11
Stephen 11
Wm. 11
Fredrick 9
Geo. 8
Daniel 7
Fred 7
Sidney 7
Isaac 6
Tom 6
Chas. 5
Fredk. 5
Horace 5
Percy 5
Abraham 4
Ben 4
Reginald 4
Thos. 4
Willm. 4
Andrew 3
Edmund 3
Jesse 3
Jonathan 3
Joshua 3
Reuben 3
Sam 3

FAQ

Squires surname: questions and answers

How common was the Squires surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,238 people were recorded with the Squires surname. That placed it at #1,055 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Squires surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,238 in 2016. That gives Squires a modern rank of #1,080.

What does the Squires surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a square-keeper or a servant attending a knight.

What does the Squires map show?

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