NameCensus.

UK surname

Story

An occupational surname for an official or servant who attended to the king's stables and horses.

In the 1881 census there were 1,852 people recorded with the Story surname, ranking it #2,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,084, ranked #5,393, down from #2,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Worksop, Carlisle St Cuthbert and Hull Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carlisle and Daventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Story is 1,877 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 41.5%.

1881 census count

1,852

Ranked #2,357

Modern count

1,084

2016, ranked #5,393

Peak year

1851

1,877 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Story had 1,852 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,084 in 2016, ranked #5,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,877 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Story surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Story surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Story 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 1,877 #1,537
1861 historical 1,551 #1,833
1881 historical 1,852 #2,357
1891 historical 1,601 #2,783
1901 historical 1,621 #3,185
1911 historical 1,492 #3,236
1997 modern 1,060 #5,235
1998 modern 1,096 #5,283
1999 modern 1,075 #5,378
2000 modern 1,066 #5,400
2001 modern 1,031 #5,451
2002 modern 1,051 #5,466
2003 modern 1,031 #5,460
2004 modern 1,023 #5,499
2005 modern 984 #5,620
2006 modern 1,006 #5,540
2007 modern 1,023 #5,508
2008 modern 1,038 #5,474
2009 modern 1,078 #5,414
2010 modern 1,111 #5,393
2011 modern 1,070 #5,499
2012 modern 1,056 #5,468
2013 modern 1,082 #5,448
2014 modern 1,082 #5,487
2015 modern 1,102 #5,341
2016 modern 1,084 #5,393

Geography

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Where Storys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Worksop, Carlisle St Cuthbert, Hull Holy Trinity, Wigton 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 Carlisle and Daventry. 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 Worksop Nottinghamshire
2 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
3 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Wigton Cumberland
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carlisle 001 Carlisle
2 Carlisle 004 Carlisle
3 Carlisle 005 Carlisle
4 Daventry 005 Daventry
5 Carlisle 011 Carlisle

Forenames

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First names often paired with Story

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Story

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Story is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Story is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Story falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Story

The surname STORY originated from Scotland and traces its roots back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "storian," meaning to narrate or recount stories. The name likely referred to a storyteller or minstrel who entertained people with tales and narratives.

The earliest recorded instance of the STORY surname appears in the ancient Scottish cartularies and charters from the late 12th and early 13th centuries. It was often spelled as "Storie" or "Storye" in these medieval records.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is no mention of the STORY surname. However, the name appears in various other historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Ragman Rolls, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England in the late 13th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the STORY surname was Sir Alan Story (c. 1240-1305), a Scottish knight who fought alongside William Wallace during the Wars of Scottish Independence against England in the late 13th century.

Another notable figure in history with the STORY surname was William Story (c. 1495-1570), an English scholar, lawyer, and ecclesiastical judge who served as a diplomat for King Henry VIII and was later appointed as the Regius Professor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford.

In the 16th century, John Story (c. 1504-1571), an English Roman Catholic martyr, was executed for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He is remembered as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales canonized by the Catholic Church.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Sir Samuel Story (1622-1696) was a prominent Puritan and Member of Parliament who supported the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.

In the literary world, William Wetmore Story (1819-1895), an American sculptor, art critic, and poet, gained recognition for his works in the 19th century, including his famous sculpture "The Angel of Grief."

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the STORY surname, which has its origins in the ancient storytelling tradition and has been carried on by families across generations.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Story families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Story 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. Cumberland leads with 347 Storys recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.25x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 347 22.25x
Yorkshire 281 1.57x
Durham 271 5.03x
Middlesex 153 0.84x
Northumberland 100 3.71x
Nottinghamshire 90 3.69x
Lincolnshire 74 2.55x
Surrey 64 0.73x
Lancashire 61 0.28x
Roxburghshire 60 18.29x
Kent 44 0.71x
Cambridgeshire 31 2.70x
Midlothian 27 1.11x
Norfolk 20 0.72x
Denbighshire 18 2.63x
Hertfordshire 18 1.44x
Huntingdonshire 16 4.45x
Ayrshire 13 0.96x
Suffolk 12 0.54x
Sussex 12 0.39x
Gloucestershire 11 0.31x
Staffordshire 11 0.18x
Derbyshire 10 0.35x
Isle of Man 10 2.97x
Westmorland 10 2.51x
Cheshire 8 0.20x
Essex 8 0.22x
Devon 7 0.19x
Flintshire 6 1.23x
Renfrewshire 6 0.43x
Shropshire 6 0.38x
Somerset 6 0.21x
Dumfriesshire 5 1.25x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.82x
Hampshire 4 0.11x
Lanarkshire 4 0.07x
Warwickshire 4 0.09x
West Lothian 4 1.47x
Berwickshire 3 1.37x
Leicestershire 3 0.15x
Bedfordshire 2 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.18x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.48x
Oxfordshire 2 0.18x
Ross-shire 2 0.40x
Royal Navy 2 0.93x
Worcestershire 2 0.08x
Northamptonshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Worksop in Nottinghamshire leads with 49 Storys recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.67x.

Place Total Index
Worksop 49 67.67x
Holy Trinity 34 7.87x
Aston Cum Aughton 27 183.92x
Rockcliff 26 536.08x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 23 2.36x
Bourn 22 94.02x
Bishopwearmouth 21 4.54x
Bromley London 21 5.27x
Jedburgh 21 65.30x
Oulton 20 869.57x
Battersea 19 2.85x
Leeds 19 1.87x
Swinstead 19 879.63x
Whittlesey St Mary St 19 47.41x
Wigton 19 81.27x
Bewcastle 18 326.68x
Bowness 18 298.51x
Caldewgate 18 21.07x
Gateshead 15 3.72x
Lewisham 15 4.55x
St Cuthbert W O 15 19.73x
St Pancras London 15 1.03x
Tanfield 15 23.40x
Crosby On Eden 14 573.77x
Elswick 14 6.51x
Manchester 14 1.45x
Mile End Old Town 14 4.90x
Nottingham St Mary 14 2.22x
Rickergate 14 42.42x
St Marylebone London 14 1.45x
Tunstall 13 48.45x
Ware 13 36.32x
Brandon Byshottles 12 17.78x
Henllan 12 68.69x
Kildale 12 689.66x
Quarrington 12 591.13x
Sculcoates 12 4.22x
St George In East 12 9.74x
Walton 12 489.80x
Waterhead 12 621.76x
Birtley 11 50.02x
Clifton 11 6.12x
Dalston 11 91.29x
Kilmarnock 11 6.82x
Penrith 11 19.09x
St Mary Within 11 56.47x
Westoe 11 3.60x
Bermondsey 10 1.85x
Burgh By Sands 10 198.41x
Helmsley 10 103.95x
Stanwix 10 79.24x
Thursby 10 302.11x
Brampton Bierlow 9 39.15x
Firbeck 9 584.42x
Friston 9 370.37x
Hampstead London 9 3.19x
New Village 9 167.29x
Pelton 9 35.10x
Wetheral 9 43.58x
Whitburn 9 71.66x
Wolsingham 9 18.32x
Bothel Threapland 8 327.87x
Clapham 8 3.53x
Hawick 8 10.89x
Horncastle 8 26.76x
Onchan 8 8.26x
Southcoates 8 8.03x
Southwick 8 15.67x
Stoke Newington London 8 5.67x
Wallsend 8 9.36x
Westgate 8 4.79x
Westward 8 122.89x
Arthuret 7 43.05x
Bethnal Green London 7 0.89x
Camberwell 7 0.60x
High Coniscliffe 7 318.18x
Hunstanton 7 74.39x
Huntingdon St John 7 67.18x
Lamerton 7 97.63x
Tipton 7 3.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 147
Elizabeth 67
Jane 61
Sarah 61
Margaret 49
Ann 43
Isabella 24
Annie 20
Hannah 20
Emily 18
Ellen 16
Charlotte 13
Alice 12
Eliza 12
Harriet 12
Emma 11
Martha 10
Caroline 9
Catherine 8
Edith 8
Fanny 8
Frances 8
Rebecca 8
Ruth 8
Anne 7
Florence 7
Ada 6
Esther 6
Agnes 5
Eleanor 5
Louisa 5
Maria 5
Sophia 5
Amy 4
Betsy 4
Margret 4
Rosa 4
Susan 4
Clara 3
Deborah 3
Dora 3
Elisabeth 3
Francis 3
Harriett 3
Julia 3
Lilian 3
Lucy 3
Margt. 3
Miriam 3
Rose 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 128
William 89
Thomas 74
George 66
Robert 49
Joseph 43
James 42
Charles 31
Henry 23
Arthur 19
Richard 16
Walter 14
Edward 12
Alfred 11
Francis 9
Frederick 8
Christopher 7
Ernest 6
Herbert 6
Ralph 6
Stephen 6
Isaac 5
Jonathan 5
Michael 5
Tom 5
Anthony 4
Edmund 4
Edwin 4
Frank 4
Mark 4
Samuel 4
Thos. 4
Wm. 4
Albert 3
Benjamin 3
David 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Horace 3
Mathew 3
Edgar 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Matthew 2
Nicholas 2
Percy 2
Reginald 2
Robt. 2
Roger 2
Valentine 2

FAQ

Story surname: questions and answers

How common was the Story surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,852 people were recorded with the Story surname. That placed it at #2,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Story surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,084 in 2016. That gives Story a modern rank of #5,393.

What does the Story surname mean?

An occupational surname for an official or servant who attended to the king's stables and horses.

What does the Story map show?

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