NameCensus.

UK surname

Stamps

An English occupational surname for a stamper or marker of coin money, or a nickname for a short person.

In the 1881 census there were 195 people recorded with the Stamps surname, ranking it #13,054 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 308, ranked #14,479, down from #13,054 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harborne, Dudley and Kings Norton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Sandwell and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stamps is 363 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.9%.

1881 census count

195

Ranked #13,054

Modern count

308

2016, ranked #14,479

Peak year

1998

363 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stamps had 195 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,054 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016, ranked #14,479.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 334 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Stamps surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stamps surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stamps 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 108 #16,308
1861 historical 123 #17,914
1881 historical 195 #13,054
1891 historical 268 #12,087
1901 historical 250 #13,136
1911 historical 334 #10,608
1997 modern 352 #12,117
1998 modern 363 #12,228
1999 modern 359 #12,397
2000 modern 363 #12,237
2001 modern 357 #12,205
2002 modern 348 #12,674
2003 modern 329 #13,001
2004 modern 333 #12,927
2005 modern 312 #13,462
2006 modern 309 #13,633
2007 modern 318 #13,503
2008 modern 306 #13,943
2009 modern 305 #14,257
2010 modern 308 #14,452
2011 modern 308 #14,356
2012 modern 305 #14,357
2013 modern 317 #14,186
2014 modern 309 #14,533
2015 modern 299 #14,796
2016 modern 308 #14,479

Geography

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Where Stamps' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harborne, Dudley, Kings Norton, Gateshead and Wath-on-Dearn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Sandwell and Cotswold. 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 Harborne Worcestershire
2 Dudley Staffordshire
3 Kings Norton Worcestershire
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Wath-on-Dearn Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 011 Shropshire
2 Sandwell 032 Sandwell
3 Sandwell 028 Sandwell
4 Cotswold 001 Cotswold
5 Sandwell 022 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stamps

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stamps

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Stamps surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Stamps household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Stamps is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stamps 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

Stamps falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Stamps

The surname Stamps is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word "stempan," which means "to stamp or pound." It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, when it was initially used to identify individuals who were responsible for stamping or pounding materials, such as metal or cloth.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Stamps can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a historical record of tax payments, where a certain Walter Stamps is mentioned in 1379. The surname is also found in various other medieval records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1524, where a John Stamps is listed.

During the Middle Ages, the Stamps name was concentrated primarily in the counties of Yorkshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk, although it later spread to other parts of England. The name may have also been derived from certain place names, such as Stamford or Stamford Bridge, both of which contain elements related to the Old English word "stempan."

One notable figure in history who bore the surname Stamps was William Stamps (c. 1590-1676), an English soldier and politician who served as a member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another individual of note was John Stamps (1677-1743), a British naval officer who served as Captain of the Royal Navy during the early 18th century.

In the 19th century, the Stamps name gained wider recognition with the birth of Thomas Stamps (1823-1897), a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Music and the Royal Albert Hall. Another influential figure was James Stamps (1856-1933), an American educator and civil rights activist who played a significant role in the establishment of historically black colleges and universities in the United States.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Ira Stamps (1896-1971), an American blues singer and guitarist who was instrumental in the development of the St. Louis blues sound in the early 20th century. His recordings and performances helped to shape the evolution of blues music and influenced countless artists who followed in his footsteps.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stamps families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stamps 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. Staffordshire leads with 73 Stamps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.37x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 73 11.37x
Warwickshire 33 6.88x
Yorkshire 22 1.17x
Northamptonshire 19 10.62x
Worcestershire 16 6.44x
Wiltshire 7 4.16x
Cheshire 6 1.43x
Lancashire 6 0.27x
Durham 3 0.53x
Kent 3 0.46x
Middlesex 3 0.16x
Surrey 3 0.32x
Norfolk 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Harborne in Staffordshire leads with 42 Stamps' recorded in 1881 and an index of 204.08x.

Place Total Index
Harborne 42 204.08x
West Bromwich 25 68.01x
Hoyland Nether 16 346.32x
Birmingham 15 9.38x
Feckenham 11 387.32x
Devizes St James 7 312.50x
Greens Norton 7 1228.07x
Kislingbury 7 1555.56x
Aston 6 4.54x
Edgbaston 6 40.35x
Monks Coppenhall 6 37.88x
Sutton Coldfield 6 119.05x
Toxteth Park 6 7.85x
Dudley 5 16.56x
Hook 5 120.48x
Wolverhampton 4 8.10x
Farnborough 2 210.53x
Farthingstone 2 1000.00x
Tipton 2 10.17x
Westminster St John 2 8.64x
Westoe 2 6.23x
Barnes 1 25.51x
Bishop Auckland 1 13.18x
Harpole 1 185.19x
Heacham 1 153.85x
Heaton 1 49.51x
Newington 1 1.42x
Peterborough 1 7.72x
St Pancras London 1 0.65x
Sundridge 1 92.59x
Towcester 1 54.05x
Windlesham 1 57.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Sarah 8
Ann 5
Elizabeth 4
Fanny 4
Louisa 4
Martha 4
Alice 3
Annie 3
Hannah 3
Maria 3
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Florence 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Ada 1
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Genaria 1
Henrietta 1
Henriette 1
Josephine 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Lydia 1
Matilda 1
Nancy 1
Phebe 1
Rosa 1
Rosenia 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1
Typhena 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
James 9
Joseph 9
Henry 8
Thomas 8
George 6
William 6
Charles 5
Arthur 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Walter 2
A. 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Cornelius 1
Ernest 1
F.R. 1
Frank 1
Harold 1
Hen. 1
J.H. 1
J.T. 1
Job 1
Josiah 1
Tom 1
Victir 1
Wesley 1

FAQ

Stamps surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stamps surname in 1881?

In 1881, 195 people were recorded with the Stamps surname. That placed it at #13,054 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stamps surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016. That gives Stamps a modern rank of #14,479.

What does the Stamps surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a stamper or marker of coin money, or a nickname for a short person.

What does the Stamps map show?

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