NameCensus.

UK surname

Suthers

A locational surname denoting a person from a southern region or place name.

In the 1881 census there were 347 people recorded with the Suthers surname, ranking it #8,811 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 312, ranked #14,350, down from #8,811 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Halifax and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Ribble, Calderdale and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Suthers is 440 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 10.1%.

1881 census count

347

Ranked #8,811

Modern count

312

2016, ranked #14,350

Peak year

1901

440 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Suthers had 347 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,811 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 312 in 2016, ranked #14,350.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 440 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Suthers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Suthers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Suthers 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 295 #7,737
1861 historical 257 #9,629
1881 historical 347 #8,811
1891 historical 358 #9,655
1901 historical 440 #8,843
1911 historical 437 #8,698
1997 modern 320 #12,966
1998 modern 325 #13,166
1999 modern 331 #13,106
2000 modern 323 #13,268
2001 modern 319 #13,168
2002 modern 328 #13,186
2003 modern 326 #13,076
2004 modern 333 #12,927
2005 modern 335 #12,795
2006 modern 320 #13,289
2007 modern 320 #13,442
2008 modern 318 #13,604
2009 modern 312 #14,040
2010 modern 317 #14,166
2011 modern 313 #14,200
2012 modern 323 #13,780
2013 modern 318 #14,160
2014 modern 320 #14,181
2015 modern 319 #14,118
2016 modern 312 #14,350

Geography

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Where Suthers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Halifax, Bradford and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Ribble, Calderdale, Rochdale and Rossendale. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Ribble 011 South Ribble
2 Calderdale 022 Calderdale
3 Rochdale 004 Rochdale
4 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
5 Rochdale 012 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Suthers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Suthers

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Suthers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Suthers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Suthers is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Suthers 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

Suthers falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Suthers

The surname Suthers is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the county of Yorkshire in Northern England. This name is believed to have derived from the Old English word "sūthere," which means "southerner" or "one who comes from the south."

During the medieval period, the name Suthers was commonly found in various records and manuscripts from Yorkshire and surrounding areas. One of the earliest known references to this surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a certain Adam Suthers as a landowner in the village of Sowerby, near Halifax.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the form "Southers" in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, indicating its connection to the geographical location of the south. This variation in spelling was common during that era due to the lack of standardized orthography.

The Suthers surname is also linked to several place names in Yorkshire, such as Sutherland and Sutherworth, which further reinforces its regional origins. Over time, the name evolved into its modern spelling, "Suthers," as documented in various parish records and legal documents from the 16th and 17th centuries.

One notable figure bearing this surname was John Suthers (1509-1572), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another historical reference can be found in the records of the Suthers family from the village of Bradfield, near Sheffield, where they were prominent landowners and farmers in the 17th and 18th centuries.

During the 18th century, the Suthers name gained prominence in other parts of England, with notable individuals such as William Suthers (1720-1792), a renowned clockmaker from London, and Thomas Suthers (1761-1832), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Bristol.

In the 19th century, the Suthers family continued to leave their mark, with individuals like John Suthers (1819-1893), a prominent industrialist and inventor from Manchester, and Edward Suthers (1828-1901), a celebrated artist and painter from Cornwall.

Throughout its history, the Suthers surname has been carried by many individuals who have contributed to various fields, from commerce and industry to arts and sciences, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who bear this ancient English name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Suthers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Suthers 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. Lancashire leads with 203 Suthers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.04x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 203 5.04x
Yorkshire 129 3.83x
Cheshire 6 0.80x
Durham 5 0.50x
Middlesex 2 0.06x
Gloucestershire 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 2.47x
Warwickshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stansfield in Yorkshire leads with 28 Suthers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 226.17x.

Place Total Index
Stansfield 28 226.17x
Newchurch 24 72.84x
Todmorden Walsden 24 222.43x
Oldham 22 16.92x
Langfield 20 339.56x
Spotland 20 44.66x
Barnoldswick 18 382.98x
Horton In Bradford 13 24.75x
Tottington Lower End 11 57.47x
Ashton Under Lyne 10 11.36x
Burnley 9 26.53x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 14.06x
Accrington 8 21.85x
Manchester 8 4.42x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 8 68.97x
Bradford 7 8.60x
Oswaldtwistle 7 49.19x
Halifax 6 12.15x
Hunslet 6 11.44x
Leeds 6 3.16x
Manningham 5 12.07x
North Meols 5 12.68x
Sowerby In Halifax 5 45.45x
Barton Upon Irwell 4 13.19x
Farnworth 4 16.58x
Hale 4 155.04x
Huddersfield 4 8.16x
Layton With Warbreck 4 27.06x
Pemberton 4 24.91x
Pilkington 4 26.14x
Wardleworth 4 17.38x
Heptonstall 3 63.56x
Higher Booths 3 41.32x
St Giles 3 47.62x
Stretford 3 13.54x
Chelsea London 2 1.96x
Cliviger 2 88.11x
Dukinfield 2 5.78x
Pelton 2 41.67x
Wadsworth 2 36.50x
Wortley In Bramley 2 7.51x
Berkeley 1 27.03x
Birtle Cum Bamford 1 38.02x
Blatchinworth 1 10.91x
Bolehall Glascote 1 27.55x
Castleton 1 2.49x
Clayton Le Moors 1 12.79x
Hapton 1 39.68x
Holbeck 1 4.49x
Middlesbrough 1 2.28x
Royal Navy 1 2.89x
Skinningrove 1 48.54x
Thornton In Craven 1 37.04x
Yate Pickup Bank 1 125.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Sarah 18
Elizabeth 10
Alice 9
Ann 8
Jane 8
Margaret 7
Martha 6
Emma 5
Ruth 5
Clara 4
Emily 4
Gertrude 4
Grace 4
Harriet 4
Susan 4
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Ethel 3
Maria 3
Susy 3
Ada 2
Bertha 2
Betsey 2
Betty 2
Charlotte 2
Esther 2
Hannah 2
Margt. 2
Selina 2
Susannah 2
Anne 1
Betsy 1
Drusilla 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emmaline 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1
Lavinia 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Marth 1
Mercy 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 19
William 19
James 15
Robert 13
Henry 9
Joseph 8
Samuel 6
Charles 5
Fred 4
Herbert 4
Walter 4
Edmund 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Luke 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Harry 2
Richard 2
Spencer 2
Tom 2
Abraham 1
Albert 1
Alfd. 1
Alfred 1
Bengamin 1
Bentley 1
Crossley 1
Edwin 1
Enoch 1
Ephraim 1
Fredk. 1
George 1
Gorge 1
Greenwood 1
Harold 1
Isaac 1
Israel 1
Jeremiah 1
Joe 1
Jus. 1
Laban 1
Miles 1
Sam 1
Sam. 1
Sarah 1
Tiepe 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Suthers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Suthers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 347 people were recorded with the Suthers surname. That placed it at #8,811 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Suthers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 312 in 2016. That gives Suthers a modern rank of #14,350.

What does the Suthers surname mean?

A locational surname denoting a person from a southern region or place name.

What does the Suthers map show?

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