NameCensus.

UK surname

Uglow

A surname with origins potentially linked to a bright or shining appearance, derived from Old English roots.

In the 1881 census there were 218 people recorded with the Uglow surname, ranking it #12,158 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 359, ranked #12,898, down from #12,158 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, North Petherwin and Lifton, Bratton Clovelly, Broadwood Widger. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and West Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Uglow is 378 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 64.7%.

1881 census count

218

Ranked #12,158

Modern count

359

2016, ranked #12,898

Peak year

1998

378 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Uglow had 218 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,158 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 359 in 2016, ranked #12,898.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 357 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Uglow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Uglow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Uglow 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 219 #9,712
1861 historical 197 #12,166
1881 historical 218 #12,158
1891 historical 281 #11,630
1901 historical 325 #11,017
1911 historical 357 #10,132
1997 modern 354 #12,060
1998 modern 378 #11,871
1999 modern 362 #12,316
2000 modern 375 #11,949
2001 modern 369 #11,928
2002 modern 378 #11,939
2003 modern 364 #12,068
2004 modern 370 #11,936
2005 modern 345 #12,496
2006 modern 338 #12,779
2007 modern 343 #12,773
2008 modern 331 #13,237
2009 modern 367 #12,501
2010 modern 360 #12,953
2011 modern 341 #13,341
2012 modern 338 #13,304
2013 modern 352 #13,130
2014 modern 368 #12,770
2015 modern 369 #12,627
2016 modern 359 #12,898

Geography

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Where Uglows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, North Petherwin, Lifton, Bratton Clovelly, Broadwood Widger, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) and Launceston Borough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and West Devon. 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 3
2 North Petherwin Cornwall
3 Lifton, Bratton Clovelly, Broadwood Widger Devon
4 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
5 Launceston Borough Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 004 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 002 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 005 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 003 Cornwall
5 West Devon 004 West Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Uglow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Uglow

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Uglow is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Uglow is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Uglow falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Uglow

The surname Uglow is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "ug," meaning "ridge" or "hill," and the suffix "-low," which refers to a small hill or mound. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hill.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Uglow, who was mentioned in the parish records of Buckland Monachorum, Devon, in 1569. The name also appears in the records of the nearby village of Tavistock, where a William Uglow was listed in the 1641 Protestation Returns.

While the name Uglow is not found in the Domesday Book, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, its potential derivation from place names or geographical features is consistent with the common practice of adopting surnames based on one's place of residence or notable landmarks during that period.

Over the centuries, the name Uglow has undergone various spelling variations, including Uglo, Ugla, and Uglie, reflecting the inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects of the time. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the place names from which the surname originated, such as the village of Ugborough in Devon.

Notable individuals who have borne the surname Uglow include:

1. Richard Uglow (1805-1876), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Bridport from 1857 to 1865. 2. John Uglow (1867-1930), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the John Uglow Trust, which provided financial support for educational and charitable initiatives. 3. Jennifer Uglow (born 1947), a British biographer and academic who has written extensively on literary and historical figures, including Elizabeth Gaskell and Thomas Bewick. 4. Walter Uglow (1880-1948), an English artist known for his landscape paintings and his association with the St Ives artist colony in Cornwall. 5. George Uglow Pope (1820-1908), a British civil engineer who designed and oversaw the construction of several notable railway lines in India, including the East Indian Railway.

While the name Uglow is not among the most common surnames in England, it has persisted over the centuries and continues to be represented in various regions, particularly in the southwest of the country, where it likely originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Uglow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Uglow 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. Cornwall leads with 84 Uglows recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.74x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 84 34.74x
Devon 73 16.42x
Middlesex 36 1.69x
Lancashire 9 0.36x
Warwickshire 5 0.93x
Kent 4 0.55x
Essex 2 0.47x
Surrey 2 0.19x
Worcestershire 2 0.72x
Gloucestershire 1 0.24x
Staffordshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Jacobstow in Cornwall leads with 22 Uglows recorded in 1881 and an index of 7096.77x.

Place Total Index
Jacobstow 22 7096.77x
Stoke Damerel 22 70.69x
Islington London 9 4.35x
Perranzabuloe 9 430.62x
St Mary Magdalene 8 449.44x
East Budleigh 7 334.93x
Hornsey 7 25.92x
Lifton 7 654.21x
North Petherwyn 7 1111.11x
Sidmouth 7 274.51x
Bow London 6 22.07x
Merther 5 2777.78x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 14.60x
Salford 5 6.71x
St Juliot 5 3125.00x
Wolborough 5 88.97x
Birmingham 4 2.23x
Clerkenwell London 4 7.93x
Ince In Makerfield 4 33.93x
Minster 4 1212.12x
Warbstow 4 2857.14x
Week St Mary 4 1052.63x
Broad Clist 3 196.08x
Edmonton 3 17.43x
Gillingham 3 19.96x
Paddington London 3 3.82x
Poughill 3 1034.48x
St Stephen 3 348.84x
St Teath 3 205.48x
Ingatestone 2 294.12x
Kenwyn 2 31.65x
Oldbury 2 14.58x
St Austell 2 24.18x
St Blazey 2 94.34x
St Gennys 2 555.56x
Stoke Climsland 2 129.87x
Aston 1 0.67x
Barnstaple 1 14.33x
Battersea 1 1.27x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.08x
Caterham 1 21.74x
Chatham 1 4.99x
Coffinswell 1 714.29x
East Stonehouse 1 11.42x
Exeter Heavitree 1 30.12x
Exeter St Leonard 1 81.97x
Hammersmith London 1 1.90x
Harborne 1 4.33x
Holsworthy 1 80.00x
Honiton 1 40.65x
Kensington London 1 0.84x
Kilkhampton 1 140.85x
Leckhampton 1 38.76x
Padstow 1 62.11x
Plymouth Charles The 1 5.10x
St George Martyr 1 27.78x
St Thomas Apostle 1 133.33x
Tormoham 1 5.32x
Truro St Mary 1 49.26x
Woodland 1 909.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 13
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Florence 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Annie 2
Bessie 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Lilian 2
Margaret 2
Margery 2
May 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Blach 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Elimpia 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Eulalia 1
Flossie 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Janie 1
Judith 1
Laura 1
Lena 1
Lovedy 1
M.A. 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Ophelia 1
Philippa 1
Philipy 1
Wilmet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
John 14
James 8
George 7
Samuel 7
Frederick 4
Charles 3
Henry 3
Richard 3
Alfred 2
Edmund 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Harold 2
Nicholas 2
Simon 2
Thomas 2
Wymond 2
Abel 1
Alan 1
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Austin 1
Edgar 1
Emanuel 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Hubert 1
Jabez 1
Joseph 1
Lewin 1
Nicolas 1
Percy 1
W. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Uglow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Uglow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 218 people were recorded with the Uglow surname. That placed it at #12,158 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Uglow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 359 in 2016. That gives Uglow a modern rank of #12,898.

What does the Uglow surname mean?

A surname with origins potentially linked to a bright or shining appearance, derived from Old English roots.

What does the Uglow map show?

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