NameCensus.

UK surname

Stray

A surname derived from the Old French word "estray," meaning a wandering or homeless person.

In the 1881 census there were 157 people recorded with the Stray surname, ranking it #15,046 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 393, ranked #12,032, up from #15,046 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basford, St Leonard Shoreditch and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolsover, Havant and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stray is 411 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 150.3%.

1881 census count

157

Ranked #15,046

Modern count

393

2016, ranked #12,032

Peak year

2010

411 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stray had 157 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,046 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 393 in 2016, ranked #12,032.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 283 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Stray surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stray surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stray 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 123 #14,886
1861 historical 173 #13,553
1881 historical 157 #15,046
1891 historical 194 #15,277
1901 historical 214 #14,517
1911 historical 283 #11,883
1997 modern 386 #11,295
1998 modern 393 #11,495
1999 modern 397 #11,503
2000 modern 387 #11,692
2001 modern 383 #11,580
2002 modern 389 #11,667
2003 modern 377 #11,762
2004 modern 370 #11,936
2005 modern 365 #11,985
2006 modern 366 #12,042
2007 modern 378 #11,877
2008 modern 389 #11,723
2009 modern 405 #11,616
2010 modern 411 #11,723
2011 modern 404 #11,786
2012 modern 389 #11,963
2013 modern 396 #12,015
2014 modern 389 #12,258
2015 modern 395 #12,015
2016 modern 393 #12,032

Geography

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Where Strays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basford, St Leonard Shoreditch, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Boston (incl. Boston allotments) and Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolsover, Havant and Doncaster. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
5 Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolsover 004 Bolsover
2 Havant 008 Havant
3 Havant 010 Havant
4 Bolsover 005 Bolsover
5 Doncaster 018 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stray

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stray

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Stray surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Stray household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Stray 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

Stray 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

Stray 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 Stray is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Stray, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Stray

The surname "STRAY" is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the northern regions of Yorkshire and Northumbria. It is thought to date back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "streg," which means "stray" or "wanderer," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been travellers, vagrants, or individuals who had strayed from their place of origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "STRAY" can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where it is listed as "Stray." This suggests that the name was already in use by that time. The variations in spelling, such as "Strey," "Stray," and "Strey," were common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

In the 16th century, the name "STRAY" appeared in various historical records, including parish registers and court rolls. For example, in 1524, a John Stray was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire. Another notable bearer of the name was William Stray, a landowner in Yorkshire who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1586.

The name "STRAY" has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Stray Farm in Northumbria and Stray Park in Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of residence or origin.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname "STRAY," including:

1. Sir Richard Stray (c. 1560-1627), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I. 2. William Stray (1737-1811), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Jesus College, Cambridge. 3. John Stray (1779-1856), an English author and Unitarian minister who published works on theology and education. 4. Sir William Stray (1859-1937), a British civil engineer and contractor who was involved in the construction of several notable projects, including the London Underground. 5. Geoff Stray (1943-2018), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the 1960s and 1970s.

These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the surname "STRAY" in England and its enduring legacy throughout various fields, from law and academia to engineering and sports.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stray families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stray 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. Lincolnshire leads with 45 Strays recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.38x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 45 18.38x
Middlesex 34 2.22x
Nottinghamshire 31 15.02x
Yorkshire 27 1.78x
Kent 9 1.72x
Surrey 6 0.80x
Hampshire 2 0.64x
Lancashire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 5.48x
Sussex 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Basford in Nottinghamshire leads with 17 Strays recorded in 1881 and an index of 178.76x.

Place Total Index
Basford 17 178.76x
Boston 17 228.80x
Shoreditch London 14 21.09x
Newark Upon Trent 11 148.25x
Eastville 8 4210.53x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 25.92x
Great Gonerby 8 1269.84x
Nether Hallam 8 38.97x
Deptford St Paul 7 17.37x
Firbeck 7 5384.62x
Clerkenwell London 5 13.83x
Islington London 4 2.69x
Camberwell 3 3.07x
Lambeth 3 2.25x
Manthorpe Cum Little 3 160.43x
Sheffield 3 6.21x
St Pancras London 3 2.43x
Stixwould 3 2500.00x
Tattershall 3 1200.00x
Lewisham 2 7.18x
Radford 2 19.07x
St Giles In Fields 2 37.88x
St Luke London 2 8.14x
Bow London 1 5.13x
Brighton 1 1.92x
Edmonton 1 8.10x
Gorton 1 5.85x
Langriville 1 588.24x
Lenton 1 20.58x
Poplar London 1 3.46x
Portsea 1 1.63x
Portsmouth 1 13.83x
Ropsley 1 294.12x
Royal Navy 1 6.41x
Sculcoates 1 4.16x
St George Hanover 1 5.00x
Thornton Le Fen 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 10
Emma 5
Ada 3
Alice 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Sarah 3
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Clara 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Rose 2
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Christine 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
F. 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Flory 1
Georgiana 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Lavinia 1
Lily 1
Margaret 1
Margeret 1
Matilda 1
Rosetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 13
William 10
Charles 6
John 6
Arthur 4
Walter 4
Edwin 3
Miles 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Horatio 2
Joseph 2
Orlando 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Tom 2
Barton 1
Christopher 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Everitt 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
James 1
Nelson 1
R. 1
W. 1

FAQ

Stray surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stray surname in 1881?

In 1881, 157 people were recorded with the Stray surname. That placed it at #15,046 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stray surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 393 in 2016. That gives Stray a modern rank of #12,032.

What does the Stray surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "estray," meaning a wandering or homeless person.

What does the Stray map show?

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