NameCensus.

UK surname

Travers

One who lived near a bridge or river crossing, from the Old French word "traverse" meaning "to cross."

In the 1881 census there were 1,484 people recorded with the Travers surname, ranking it #2,817 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,431, ranked #1,987, up from #2,817 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Netherbury and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Poole, Airdrie North and Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Travers is 3,496 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 131.2%.

1881 census count

1,484

Ranked #2,817

Modern count

3,431

2016, ranked #1,987

Peak year

2010

3,496 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Travers had 1,484 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,817 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,431 in 2016, ranked #1,987.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,068 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Travers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Travers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Travers 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 654 #3,972
1861 historical 664 #4,033
1881 historical 1,484 #2,817
1891 historical 1,652 #2,718
1901 historical 2,068 #2,589
1911 historical 1,836 #2,687
1997 modern 3,257 #1,974
1998 modern 3,373 #1,984
1999 modern 3,396 #1,994
2000 modern 3,411 #1,978
2001 modern 3,302 #1,992
2002 modern 3,346 #2,021
2003 modern 3,303 #2,001
2004 modern 3,299 #2,001
2005 modern 3,229 #2,015
2006 modern 3,258 #2,011
2007 modern 3,305 #2,005
2008 modern 3,323 #2,012
2009 modern 3,405 #2,011
2010 modern 3,496 #1,989
2011 modern 3,483 #1,968
2012 modern 3,401 #1,978
2013 modern 3,478 #1,972
2014 modern 3,489 #1,981
2015 modern 3,428 #1,995
2016 modern 3,431 #1,987

Geography

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Where Travers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Netherbury, Glasgow and Loders, Allington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Poole, Airdrie North, Stoke-on-Trent and Viewpark. 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 Netherbury Dorset
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Loders, Allington Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Poole 008 Poole
2 Airdrie North North Lanarkshire
3 Stoke-on-Trent 004 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Poole 012 Poole
5 Viewpark North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Travers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Travers

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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, Travers 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

Travers is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Travers

The surname Travers originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "travers," meaning "across" or "transverse." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a crossroads or across a river.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert Travers, mentioned in the Doomesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. This suggests that the Travers family may have accompanied William the Conqueror from Normandy to England.

In the 12th century, a branch of the Travers family settled in the village of Travers in Normandy, France. This place name, from which they likely took their surname, is believed to be derived from the same Old French root word.

A notable early figure with the Travers surname was Sir Walter Travers (1548-1635), an English Puritan theologian and controversialist. He was involved in the Hampton Court Conference of 1604, where he argued for further reforms in the Church of England.

Another significant individual was Benjamin Travers (1783-1858), an English surgeon who made important contributions to the field of ophthalmology. He was the first to describe the condition now known as Travers' fracture, a specific type of eye socket fracture.

In the literary world, Mary Travers (1936-2009) was an American singer-songwriter and member of the famous folk music group Peter, Paul, and Mary. She was known for her powerful vocals and her advocacy for social and political causes.

During the American Revolution, Reuben Travers (1740-1823) served as a colonel in the Continental Army and fought in several battles, including the Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Yorktown.

The Travers name has also been associated with notable places, such as the Travers Stakes, a prestigious annual horse race held at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, since 1864.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Travers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Travers 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. Dorset leads with 266 Travers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.64x.

County Total Index
Dorset 266 27.64x
Lancashire 243 1.40x
Middlesex 179 1.22x
Lanarkshire 106 2.24x
Hampshire 83 2.76x
Yorkshire 64 0.44x
Somerset 41 1.74x
Cheshire 40 1.24x
Devon 38 1.25x
Derbyshire 36 1.57x
Surrey 35 0.49x
Sussex 33 1.34x
Kent 27 0.54x
Stirlingshire 27 4.99x
Durham 26 0.60x
Monmouthshire 21 1.98x
Angus 20 1.47x
Cornwall 16 0.96x
Ayrshire 14 1.28x
Channel Islands 14 3.22x
Hertfordshire 14 1.39x
Lincolnshire 14 0.60x
Brecknockshire 13 4.43x
Warwickshire 13 0.35x
Essex 12 0.41x
Gloucestershire 12 0.42x
Staffordshire 11 0.22x
Flintshire 10 2.54x
Berkshire 9 0.82x
Midlothian 8 0.41x
Shropshire 8 0.63x
Glamorgan 7 0.27x
East Lothian 6 3.09x
Northumberland 6 0.28x
Renfrewshire 6 0.53x
Royal Navy 5 2.86x
Northamptonshire 4 0.29x
Wiltshire 3 0.23x
Worcestershire 3 0.16x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.15x
Leicestershire 2 0.12x
Norfolk 2 0.09x
Bedfordshire 1 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.11x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.31x
Oxfordshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradpole in Dorset leads with 41 Travers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 520.30x.

Place Total Index
Bradpole 41 520.30x
Southampton St Mary 38 20.11x
Liverpool 37 3.50x
Loders 35 732.22x
Netherbury 28 352.20x
Glasgow 25 2.97x
Beaminster 23 215.15x
Shoreditch London 23 3.62x
Govan 21 1.79x
Allington 19 221.45x
Kensington London 19 2.33x
Lovington 19 1862.75x
Paddington London 19 3.52x
Great Bolton 18 7.81x
Plymouth St Andrew 18 7.66x
Shettleston 18 42.40x
Islington London 17 1.20x
Everton 15 2.71x
St Woollos 15 12.68x
Longfleet 14 125.56x
West Derby 14 2.75x
Widnes 14 11.16x
Golborne 13 57.34x
Leeds 13 1.58x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 13 25.96x
Bromley London 12 3.72x
Falkirk 12 9.48x
Garston 12 23.37x
St Pancras London 12 1.02x
Hackney London 11 1.34x
Sandiacre 11 134.31x
St Peter Port 11 13.69x
Barony 10 0.83x
Bowling 10 6.95x
Brighton 10 2.01x
Fordington 10 48.24x
Lillington 10 210.53x
Odd Rode 10 62.38x
St Gluvias 10 107.64x
Westminster St 10 18.50x
Arbroath 9 20.00x
Dundee 9 1.77x
Little Bolton 9 4.02x
Littlebredy 9 927.84x
Maryhill 9 9.70x
Powerstock 9 218.45x
Sheffield 9 1.95x
Christchurch 8 12.28x
Kirkdale 8 2.73x
Limehouse London 8 4.97x
Llanasa 8 58.52x
Newington 8 1.48x
Tregoyd Velindre 8 500.00x
Wilne 8 152.38x
Abbots Langley 7 46.64x
Broadway 7 183.25x
Bury 7 3.52x
Carnwath 7 23.87x
Chadderton 7 8.23x
Cheltenham 7 3.16x
Darcy Lever 7 69.86x
Derby St Werburgh 7 5.28x
Elton 7 11.65x
Hampton Wick London 7 65.18x
Holdenhurst 7 8.88x
Middlesbrough 7 3.70x
Rainhill 7 62.78x
Swanage 7 58.92x
Whitchurch 7 28.48x
Worth Matravers 7 448.72x
Birkenhead 6 2.33x
Boldre 6 55.71x
Bowdon 6 46.73x
Deptford St Paul 6 1.56x
Hornblotton 6 1052.63x
South Stoneham 6 9.20x
St Ninians 6 11.19x
Stoke Abbott 6 216.61x
Warrington 6 2.91x
West Ham 6 0.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 87
Elizabeth 42
Sarah 29
Ann 27
Annie 27
Eliza 26
Ellen 25
Jane 22
Alice 17
Emily 14
Emma 14
Margaret 13
Susan 12
Catherine 11
Louisa 11
Anne 10
Hannah 9
Martha 9
Amelia 8
Caroline 8
Charlotte 8
Rose 8
Frances 7
Harriet 7
Beatrice 6
Edith 5
Esther 5
Julia 5
Kate 5
Maria 5
Agnes 4
Bridget 4
Constance 4
Fanny 4
Florence 4
Jessie 4
Mabel 4
Maud 4
Sophia 4
Ada 3
Elizth. 3
Harriett 3
Katherine 3
May 3
Helen 2
Infant 2
Isabella 2
Laura 2
Lucy 2
Margt. 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 99
William 64
George 44
James 41
Thomas 32
Henry 20
Charles 19
Arthur 18
Walter 17
Joseph 15
Frederick 13
Richard 13
Robert 13
Ernest 12
Francis 11
Alfred 10
Michael 10
Edward 8
Samuel 8
Albert 7
Harry 7
Herbert 6
David 5
Edwin 5
Frank 5
Patrick 5
Peter 5
Matthew 4
Andrew 3
Dan 3
Daniel 3
Harold 3
Martin 3
Owen 3
Cecil 2
Duncan 2
Edmund 2
Hyram 2
Joshua 2
Laurence 2
Levi 2
Marcus 2
Otto 2
Pat 2
Sidney 2
Willm. 2
Alf. 1
Augustus 1
Edger 1
Wm.P. 1

FAQ

Travers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Travers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,484 people were recorded with the Travers surname. That placed it at #2,817 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Travers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,431 in 2016. That gives Travers a modern rank of #1,987.

What does the Travers surname mean?

One who lived near a bridge or river crossing, from the Old French word "traverse" meaning "to cross."

What does the Travers map show?

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