NameCensus.

UK surname

Trowers

An English habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Trowers.

In the 1881 census there were 27 people recorded with the Trowers surname, ranking it #29,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 124, ranked #26,975, up from #29,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Wiltshire and Waltham Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Trowers is 126 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 359.3%.

1881 census count

27

Ranked #29,793

Modern count

124

2016, ranked #26,975

Peak year

2010

126 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Trowers had 27 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016, ranked #26,975.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 44 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Trowers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Trowers surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Trowers 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 25 #28,853
1861 historical 15 #31,942
1881 historical 27 #29,793
1891 historical 44 #30,838
1901 historical 31 #30,616
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 87 #28,749
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 111 #26,260
2006 modern 112 #26,415
2007 modern 117 #26,066
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 123 #26,098
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 126 #26,060
2012 modern 111 #28,332
2013 modern 116 #27,992
2014 modern 122 #27,358
2015 modern 121 #27,405
2016 modern 124 #26,975

Geography

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Where Trowers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Wiltshire, Waltham Forest and Barking and Dagenham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 014 Bradford
2 Bradford 011 Bradford
3 Wiltshire 033 Wiltshire
4 Waltham Forest 020 Waltham Forest
5 Barking and Dagenham 007 Barking and Dagenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Trowers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Trowers

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Trowers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Trowers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Trowers 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

Trowers 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

Trowers 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 Trowers is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

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

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Trowers

The surname Trowers originates from England, specifically in the area of Dorset and Wiltshire, and can be traced back to the early 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "trohhar," meaning a trough maker or carver of troughs.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of Wiltshire in 1273, where it is spelled "le Trohghare." This suggests that the name was initially an occupational surname given to those who crafted troughs for agricultural or household purposes.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Dorset in 1327, where it is listed as "Trohare," and the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire in 1332, where it appears as "Trowere." These variations in spelling were common in the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Trowers was John Trowers, a landowner who lived in the village of Winterbourne Stoke, Wiltshire, in the late 14th century. Records show that he owned several acres of land in the area.

In the 16th century, the surname Trowers began to appear more frequently in parish records across various counties in southern England, including Hampshire, Somerset, and Devon. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Trowers, a merchant from Bristol who was involved in the lucrative wool trade (born c. 1520, died c. 1585).

In the 17th century, the name Trowers was associated with several prominent figures, including John Trowers (c. 1610 - 1677), a wealthy landowner and Justice of the Peace in Somerset, and William Trowers (c. 1640 - 1712), a successful merchant and ship owner from Poole, Dorset.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Trowers surname continued to be found across various parts of England, particularly in the southern counties. Notable individuals from this period include Sir Edmund Trowers (1768 - 1842), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars, and Robert Trowers (1795 - 1878), a renowned architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London.

It is worth mentioning that the surname Trowers has also been associated with place names in England, such as Trowers Hill in Dorset and Trowers Lane in Wiltshire, further emphasizing the connection between the name and the geographical areas where it originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Trowers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Trowers 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 9 Trowers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 9 3.42x
Kent 7 7.79x
Stirlingshire 5 51.49x
Angus 2 8.20x
Surrey 2 1.56x
Lancashire 1 0.32x
Sussex 1 2.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bromley in Kent leads with 7 Trowers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 510.95x.

Place Total Index
Bromley 7 510.95x
Campsie 5 943.40x
Shoreditch London 3 26.29x
Chelsea London 2 25.22x
Dundee 2 21.98x
Islington London 2 7.84x
Bethnal Green London 1 8.75x
Hastings St Mary 1 90.91x
Shere 1 666.67x
St Luke London 1 23.70x
Wandsworth 1 39.53x
West Derby 1 10.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 2
Louisa 2
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Emma 1
Jenny 1
Mabel 1
Mary 1
Rosetia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 2
Chas. 1
Fredrick 1
George 1
Herbert 1
John 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Trowers households.

FAQ

Trowers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Trowers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 27 people were recorded with the Trowers surname. That placed it at #29,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Trowers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016. That gives Trowers a modern rank of #26,975.

What does the Trowers surname mean?

An English habitational surname referring to someone from a place called Trowers.

What does the Trowers map show?

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