NameCensus.

UK surname

Storr

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a large rocky area or crag.

In the 1881 census there were 1,036 people recorded with the Storr surname, ranking it #3,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,470, ranked #4,190, down from #3,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Whitby, Hull Holy Trinity and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Scarborough, East Lindsey and West Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Storr is 1,562 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.9%.

1881 census count

1,036

Ranked #3,791

Modern count

1,470

2016, ranked #4,190

Peak year

1999

1,562 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Storr had 1,036 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,470 in 2016, ranked #4,190.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,390 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Storr surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Storr surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Storr 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 671 #3,869
1861 historical 364 #7,023
1881 historical 1,036 #3,791
1891 historical 994 #4,173
1901 historical 1,268 #3,912
1911 historical 1,390 #3,470
1997 modern 1,503 #3,903
1998 modern 1,540 #3,959
1999 modern 1,562 #3,943
2000 modern 1,539 #3,975
2001 modern 1,499 #3,985
2002 modern 1,511 #4,046
2003 modern 1,464 #4,078
2004 modern 1,456 #4,098
2005 modern 1,466 #4,033
2006 modern 1,476 #4,028
2007 modern 1,462 #4,090
2008 modern 1,454 #4,125
2009 modern 1,494 #4,132
2010 modern 1,537 #4,115
2011 modern 1,507 #4,141
2012 modern 1,496 #4,099
2013 modern 1,514 #4,129
2014 modern 1,506 #4,163
2015 modern 1,498 #4,148
2016 modern 1,470 #4,190

Geography

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Where Storrs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Whitby, Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, Leeds and Boston (incl. Boston allotments). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Scarborough, East Lindsey and West Lindsey. 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 Whitby Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Scarborough 001 Scarborough
2 Scarborough 003 Scarborough
3 East Lindsey 008 East Lindsey
4 East Lindsey 011 East Lindsey
5 West Lindsey 004 West Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Storr

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Storr

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Storr, 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 Storr surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Storr 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Storr is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Storr is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Storr

The surname STORR is of English origin, tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "storr," which means a steep hill or rocky outcrop. This name would have initially referred to someone who lived near such a geographical feature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name STORR can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Thomas de Storr is mentioned. This suggests that the name was prevalent in the Yorkshire region during that time period.

In the 16th century, the name STORR appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Westmorland in 1543, where a John Storr was listed. Around the same time, the Muster Rolls of Yorkshire in 1545 also mentioned a Robert Storr.

The Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the surname STORR. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of this surname, such as Stor and Storre.

One notable individual with the surname STORR was Richard Storr, an English clergyman and philosopher who lived from 1713 to 1801. He served as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and made significant contributions to the field of natural theology.

Another prominent figure was John Philpot Curran Storr, a British classical scholar born in 1835. He is known for his work on Greek literature and his translations of works by Sophocles and Euripides.

In the 19th century, Charles Storr (1817-1884) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and buildings in the Gothic Revival style, including St. Michael's Church in Bournemouth.

Robert Storr, born in 1949, is a contemporary American art critic, curator, and artist who has held influential positions at various institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Lastly, Meghann Shaughnessy Storr, born in 1974, is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She achieved a career-high ranking of No. 11 in the world and won three singles titles on the WTA Tour.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Storr families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Storr 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 355 Storrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.54x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 355 3.54x
Lincolnshire 329 20.34x
Middlesex 70 0.69x
Lancashire 47 0.39x
Kent 36 1.04x
Surrey 35 0.71x
Nottinghamshire 33 2.42x
Cumberland 19 2.18x
Derbyshire 17 1.07x
Leicestershire 16 1.43x
Durham 10 0.33x
Essex 9 0.45x
Northumberland 9 0.60x
Sussex 8 0.47x
Hertfordshire 7 1.00x
Northamptonshire 6 0.63x
Warwickshire 6 0.24x
Oxfordshire 5 0.80x
Angus 4 0.43x
Cheshire 3 0.13x
Norfolk 2 0.13x
Worcestershire 2 0.15x
Bedfordshire 1 0.19x
Glamorgan 1 0.06x
Gloucestershire 1 0.05x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Midlothian 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.83x
Shropshire 1 0.11x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 48 Storrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.91x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 48 19.91x
Boston 29 59.10x
Whitby 29 85.85x
Louth 25 67.44x
Islington London 24 2.45x
Leeds 21 3.71x
Welton 21 889.83x
Spalding 19 59.19x
Wistow 19 714.29x
Brenchley 16 129.55x
Colne 14 39.15x
Friskney 14 272.37x
Wakefield 14 18.19x
Battersea 12 3.22x
Goole 12 71.43x
Stathern 12 641.71x
Camberwell 11 1.70x
Middlesbrough 11 8.43x
South Cockerington 11 1375.00x
Southcoates 11 19.77x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 11 48.35x
Dearham 10 87.03x
Fillingham 10 943.40x
Salford 10 2.83x
Sittingbourne 10 36.70x
St Pancras London 10 1.23x
Doncaster 9 12.29x
Hook 9 40.82x
Newington 9 32.61x
Old Malton 9 142.86x
St George In East 9 13.08x
St Swithin Lincoln 9 35.39x
Westgate 9 9.66x
Bradford 8 3.30x
Derby St Werburgh 8 8.75x
Frithville Fishtoft 8 677.97x
Great Grimsby 8 7.79x
Kirkby Moorside 8 125.39x
Normanby By Spital 8 583.94x
North Owersby 8 672.27x
North Scarle 8 449.44x
Alger Kirk Amber Hill 7 945.95x
Brightside Bierlow 7 3.56x
Caldewgate 7 14.67x
Sheffield 7 2.19x
Swinethorpe 7 4666.67x
Bradfield 6 15.53x
Burgh In Marsh 6 152.28x
Burnley 6 5.94x
Hunslet 6 3.84x
Knottingley 6 34.05x
Leamington Priors 6 9.56x
Moss Side 6 9.50x
Rillington 6 197.37x
Sculcoates 6 3.78x
South Collingham 6 223.05x
Stanwick 6 265.49x
Twickenham 6 13.83x
Ardsley 5 43.29x
Bishopwearmouth 5 1.94x
Claxby In Caistor 5 442.48x
Cockerton 5 51.81x
Eckington 5 13.00x
Elston 5 314.47x
Gainsborough 5 13.11x
Great Little Marsden 5 9.09x
Hackthorn 5 520.83x
Hagnaby 5 1470.59x
Kingston On Thames 5 4.22x
Lambeth 5 0.57x
Margate St John Baptist 5 7.91x
Oxford St Thomas 5 17.15x
Rastrick 5 17.96x
Scarborough 5 5.49x
Spilsby 5 97.28x
St Martin Lincoln 5 33.31x
Thornton In Bradford 5 14.98x
Wilsford 5 209.21x
Winteringham 5 215.52x
Rosedale West Side 4 373.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 77
William 68
George 36
Thomas 29
Henry 25
Robert 24
Charles 23
Edward 17
James 16
Joseph 14
Alfred 11
Albert 9
Arthur 9
Richard 8
Francis 7
Edwin 6
Frederick 6
Harry 6
Frank 5
Fred 5
Tom 5
Samuel 4
Walter 4
David 3
Ernest 3
Herbert 3
Matthew 3
Ralph 3
Stephen 3
Willm. 3
Bartol 2
Benjamin 2
Edgar 2
Edmund 2
Fredk. 2
Jesse 2
Robt. 2
Sam 2
Sidney 2
Wm 2
Amos 1
Chas. 1
Eward 1
Ferdinand 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Johnson 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Storr surname: questions and answers

How common was the Storr surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,036 people were recorded with the Storr surname. That placed it at #3,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Storr surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,470 in 2016. That gives Storr a modern rank of #4,190.

What does the Storr surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a large rocky area or crag.

What does the Storr map show?

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