NameCensus.

UK surname

Styles

An occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold stiles, which are steps for climbing over fences.

In the 1881 census there were 3,141 people recorded with the Styles surname, ranking it #1,435 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,740, ranked #1,434, up from #1,435 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Suffolk, Torfaen and Wycombe.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Styles is 5,013 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.9%.

1881 census count

3,141

Ranked #1,435

Modern count

4,740

2016, ranked #1,434

Peak year

1999

5,013 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Styles had 3,141 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,435 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,740 in 2016, ranked #1,434.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,462 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Styles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Styles surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Styles 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 1,447 #1,990
1861 historical 1,496 #1,891
1881 historical 3,141 #1,435
1891 historical 3,491 #1,364
1901 historical 4,112 #1,373
1911 historical 4,462 #1,158
1997 modern 4,737 #1,381
1998 modern 4,984 #1,371
1999 modern 5,013 #1,372
2000 modern 4,967 #1,374
2001 modern 4,870 #1,367
2002 modern 4,934 #1,378
2003 modern 4,828 #1,374
2004 modern 4,796 #1,379
2005 modern 4,691 #1,389
2006 modern 4,714 #1,389
2007 modern 4,671 #1,410
2008 modern 4,713 #1,406
2009 modern 4,823 #1,410
2010 modern 4,856 #1,435
2011 modern 4,738 #1,449
2012 modern 4,721 #1,424
2013 modern 4,841 #1,411
2014 modern 4,854 #1,419
2015 modern 4,768 #1,430
2016 modern 4,740 #1,434

Geography

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Where Styles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, St Marylebone and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Suffolk, Torfaen, Wycombe and Swindon. 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 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Suffolk 007 Mid Suffolk
2 Torfaen 001 Torfaen
3 Wycombe 006 Wycombe
4 Wycombe 016 Wycombe
5 Swindon 003 Swindon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Styles

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Styles

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

Styles 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

Styles falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Styles

The surname Styles is an English name derived from the Old English word "stȳle" meaning "pillar" or "stake". It was initially used as an occupational name for a person who made or erected stiles, which were steps or rungs allowing people to cross over fences or walls. The name is believed to have originated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire in Northern England during the 13th century.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Styles can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, where a William le Stile was mentioned. Other early records include a John Stile listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327 and a Robert Stylys mentioned in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379.

Some notable historical figures with the surname Styles include Sir Humphrey Styles (c.1592-1659), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir Francis Styles (1629-1679), an English judge and Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of King Charles II.

In the realm of literature, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Styles was William Styles (c.1555-1624), an English poet and playwright who authored several works, including the play "The Life and Death of Sir John Oldcastle".

The name Styles was also found in various place names throughout England, such as Styles Court in Hampshire and Styles Farm in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its connection to the local geography and settlements.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several variations of the surname emerged, including Stiles, Stile, and Stylez. Notable individuals with these alternate spellings include William Stiles (1689-1765), an American clergyman and the president of Yale College, and Ezra Stiles (1727-1795), another American clergyman and the 7th president of Yale College.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Styles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Styles 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. Middlesex leads with 601 Styles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.95x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 601 1.95x
Kent 437 4.15x
Surrey 343 2.28x
Sussex 231 4.44x
Worcestershire 162 4.02x
Warwickshire 154 1.98x
Essex 151 2.48x
Buckinghamshire 119 6.38x
Lancashire 99 0.27x
Oxfordshire 69 3.62x
Staffordshire 68 0.65x
Gloucestershire 65 1.07x
Yorkshire 63 0.21x
Dorset 58 2.86x
Wiltshire 57 2.09x
Berkshire 51 2.20x
Devon 42 0.65x
Hampshire 39 0.62x
Hertfordshire 34 1.60x
Derbyshire 29 0.60x
Somerset 28 0.56x
Glamorgan 25 0.47x
Durham 21 0.23x
Northamptonshire 21 0.72x
Lincolnshire 20 0.41x
Aberdeenshire 17 0.59x
Herefordshire 17 1.34x
Suffolk 16 0.43x
Leicestershire 15 0.44x
Norfolk 15 0.32x
Cumberland 13 0.49x
Monmouthshire 12 0.54x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.41x
Isle of Man 8 1.40x
Northumberland 8 0.17x
Channel Islands 6 0.66x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.61x
Royal Navy 6 1.63x
Bedfordshire 4 0.25x
Cornwall 4 0.11x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.23x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.42x
Rutland 3 1.32x
Cheshire 2 0.03x
Angus 1 0.04x
Brecknockshire 1 0.16x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.16x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 83 Styles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.09x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 83 3.09x
St Marylebone London 66 4.01x
Islington London 57 1.91x
Wycombe 57 40.99x
Bethnal Green London 55 4.10x
Kensington London 51 2.97x
Birmingham 46 1.77x
Aston 44 2.05x
West Ham 35 2.60x
Wadhurst 34 99.53x
Canterbury St Mary 33 46.71x
St Pancras London 33 1.33x
Goudhurst 32 109.81x
Chelsea London 31 3.33x
Tysoe 30 284.63x
Shoreditch London 27 2.02x
Tonbridge 27 7.11x
West Wycombe 27 106.68x
Brenchley 25 66.37x
Brighton 24 2.29x
Maidstone 24 7.65x
West Hoathly 24 146.88x
Bermondsey 23 2.50x
Kidderminster Foreign 23 40.37x
Portsea 22 1.78x
Hornsey 20 5.13x
Long Ditton 20 81.47x
Hackney London 19 1.10x
Pershore St Andrew 19 85.47x
Gillingham 18 8.29x
St Luke London 18 3.64x
Camberwell 17 0.86x
Newington 17 1.49x
Kidderminster Borough 16 6.78x
Lewisham 16 2.85x
Pewsey 16 79.72x
Stokenchurch 16 93.84x
Theydon Garnon 16 115.03x
Frampton 15 337.08x
Lower Halstow 15 196.34x
Bromley London 14 2.06x
Swanage 14 56.00x
Enfield 13 6.42x
Fulham London 13 2.91x
Handborough 13 127.08x
Pembury 13 87.13x
Redditch 13 15.91x
Rotherhithe 13 3.41x
Walthamstow 13 5.93x
Arlecdon 12 16.99x
Bow London 12 3.06x
Kempsey 12 78.53x
Kettering 12 10.22x
Leeds 12 0.70x
Liverpool 12 0.54x
Paddington London 12 1.06x
West Grinstead 12 76.53x
Wiston 12 362.54x
Bishopwearmouth 11 1.40x
Dallington 11 196.08x
Harborne 11 3.30x
Harpurhey 11 21.65x
Leyton 11 10.49x
Middleton In Oldham 11 10.02x
Send Ripley 11 56.15x
South Mimms 11 26.00x
St George Hanover 11 2.73x
Staveley 11 12.83x
Canterbury St Mary N 10 140.65x
Clee With Weelsby 10 9.26x
Croydon 10 1.20x
East Farleigh 10 56.63x
Highworth 10 28.66x
Maiden Newton 10 118.06x
Merrow 10 159.24x
Plymouth St Andrew 10 2.02x
Putney 10 7.11x
Rotherfield 10 21.83x
Southwark St George Martyr 10 1.61x
Westbury 10 15.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 169
Elizabeth 135
Sarah 104
Emma 72
Eliza 70
Ann 56
Emily 52
Jane 51
Alice 49
Annie 47
Ellen 45
Louisa 32
Caroline 27
Charlotte 24
Edith 24
Martha 24
Ada 20
Esther 19
Harriet 19
Kate 19
Lucy 19
Florence 18
Maria 18
Fanny 17
Rose 17
Agnes 16
Catherine 15
Frances 15
Hannah 15
Rebecca 15
Harriett 14
Susan 14
Amelia 13
Clara 13
Anne 11
Margaret 11
Minnie 11
Sophia 11
Jessie 10
Lizzie 9
Matilda 9
Amy 8
Julia 8
Elizth. 7
Ethel 7
Flora 6
Gertrude 6
Henrietta 6
Rosa 6
Isabella 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 180
John 151
George 138
James 99
Thomas 97
Charles 78
Henry 65
Joseph 49
Frederick 44
Alfred 38
Edward 34
Samuel 32
Robert 30
Arthur 29
Frank 24
Edwin 23
Harry 20
Albert 19
Walter 19
Herbert 17
Ernest 16
Richard 15
Francis 11
Peter 11
Wm. 11
Daniel 9
Benjamin 8
Mark 8
Fred 7
Sydney 7
Sidney 6
Stephen 6
Thos. 5
Jesse 4
Leonard 4
Percy 4
Philip 4
Adolphus 3
Amos 3
Christopher 3
David 3
F. 3
Frederic 3
Fredk. 3
Isaac 3
Jacob 3
Lewis 3
Luke 3
Oliver 3
Tom 3

FAQ

Styles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Styles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,141 people were recorded with the Styles surname. That placed it at #1,435 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Styles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,740 in 2016. That gives Styles a modern rank of #1,434.

What does the Styles surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold stiles, which are steps for climbing over fences.

What does the Styles map show?

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