NameCensus.

UK surname

Vacher

A French surname referring to someone who tended cattle or cows.

In the 1881 census there were 173 people recorded with the Vacher surname, ranking it #14,112 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 241, ranked #17,233, down from #14,112 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, West Tytherley, East Tytherley, West Dean, East and West Buckholt (incl. Crown Farm), Broughton, Bos and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Southend-on-Sea and South Tyneside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vacher is 282 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.3%.

1881 census count

173

Ranked #14,112

Modern count

241

2016, ranked #17,233

Peak year

2010

282 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vacher had 173 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,112 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016, ranked #17,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 196 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Vacher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vacher surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vacher 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 62 #22,232
1861 historical 119 #18,393
1881 historical 173 #14,112
1891 historical 159 #17,636
1901 historical 191 #15,579
1911 historical 196 #15,150
1997 modern 240 #15,678
1998 modern 248 #15,772
1999 modern 249 #15,844
2000 modern 251 #15,692
2001 modern 246 #15,684
2002 modern 261 #15,369
2003 modern 246 #15,769
2004 modern 250 #15,695
2005 modern 229 #16,631
2006 modern 242 #16,097
2007 modern 240 #16,392
2008 modern 245 #16,295
2009 modern 264 #15,798
2010 modern 282 #15,410
2011 modern 272 #15,653
2012 modern 252 #16,424
2013 modern 245 #17,025
2014 modern 248 #16,991
2015 modern 248 #16,905
2016 modern 241 #17,233

Geography

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Where Vachers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, West Tytherley, East Tytherley, West Dean, East and West Buckholt (incl. Crown Farm), Broughton, Bos, Portsmouth, Portsea, Milton Abbas, Winterbourne Whitechurch, Owermoigne, Cheselborne 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 Northumberland, Southend-on-Sea and South Tyneside. 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 West Tytherley, East Tytherley, West Dean, East and West Buckholt (incl. Crown Farm), Broughton, Bos Hampshire
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Milton Abbas, Winterbourne Whitechurch, Owermoigne, Cheselborne Dorset
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 025 Northumberland
2 Southend-on-Sea 013 Southend-on-Sea
3 Southend-on-Sea 012 Southend-on-Sea
4 South Tyneside 013 South Tyneside
5 South Tyneside 019 South Tyneside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vacher

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vacher

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

Vacher is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Vacher falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Vacher

The surname VACHER is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "vacher," meaning a cowherd or cattle keeper. This occupation-based surname likely emerged in the late 11th or early 12th century in northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy, Brittany, and Picardy, where cattle farming was prevalent.

One of the earliest known references to the surname VACHER can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which records a person named Radulfus Vacher residing in Oxfordshire, England. This suggests that the name had already spread to other parts of Europe during the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, records show a Robert le Vacher living in Somerset, England, and a Guillaume Vacher residing in Burgundy, France. The use of the prefix "le" or "de" before the surname was common during this period, indicating the person's occupation or place of origin.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname VACHER appeared in various documents across France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Île-de-France. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Jacques Vacher (1370-1432), a merchant from Rouen, and Jean Vacher (1420-1489), a renowned architect who worked on the construction of several churches in Paris.

In the 16th century, the VACHER surname spread further across Europe, with records showing families in England, Germany, and the Netherlands. One notable individual was William Vacher (1548-1622), a British explorer and navigator who accompanied Sir Walter Raleigh on his expeditions to the Americas.

The 17th and 18th centuries saw the VACHER name continue to appear in various regions of Europe, with some individuals achieving notable status. These include Pierre Vacher (1672-1735), a French mathematician and astronomer, and Jean-Baptiste Vacher (1730-1801), a renowned painter from Marseille, France.

As the name spread across continents, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Vacher, Vachier, Vachère, and Vachery, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic influences. However, the core meaning and origin remained rooted in the French word "vacher," signifying the occupation of cattle herding or farming.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vacher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vacher 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 77 Vachers recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.35x.

County Total Index
Dorset 77 70.35x
Middlesex 37 2.22x
Lancashire 17 0.86x
Hampshire 7 2.05x
Somerset 5 1.86x
Surrey 5 0.62x
Durham 4 0.81x
Gloucestershire 4 1.22x
Ross-shire 4 8.73x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.33x
Devon 2 0.58x
Berkshire 1 0.80x
Hertfordshire 1 0.87x
Kent 1 0.18x
Midlothian 1 0.45x
Sussex 1 0.36x
Wiltshire 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Milton Abbas in Dorset leads with 64 Vachers recorded in 1881 and an index of 11851.85x.

Place Total Index
Milton Abbas 64 11851.85x
Withnell 11 909.09x
Kensington London 10 10.78x
Islington London 8 4.95x
St Pancras London 7 5.21x
St Marylebone London 6 6.74x
Batcombe 5 1428.57x
Blandford Forum 5 231.48x
Haughton 5 173.01x
Bitton Oldland 4 119.76x
Crossgate 4 184.33x
Kingston On Thames 4 20.49x
Urray 4 281.69x
Holdenhurst 3 33.44x
Ordsall 3 174.42x
Winterborne Whitechurch 3 1250.00x
Alverstoke 2 16.17x
Hilton 2 526.32x
Paignton 2 75.76x
Portsea 2 2.99x
Puddletown 2 298.51x
St George Hanover 2 9.19x
Beddington 1 31.85x
Cranston 1 175.44x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 1 112.36x
Frant 1 50.25x
Hackney London 1 1.07x
Liverpool 1 0.83x
Milton In Gravesend 1 11.72x
New Windsor 1 23.75x
Salisbury St Thomas 1 85.47x
St John Zachary London 1 1428.57x
St Martin In Fields 1 10.01x
Teddington London 1 26.46x
Watton 1 212.77x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
James 8
Charles 7
John 6
George 5
Richard 4
Andrew 3
Joseph 3
Walter 3
Absalom 2
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Robert 2
Stephen 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Baruch 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Enos 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Geo.Stephen 1
Gustavi 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Jethero 1
Jethro 1
Leonard 1
Reginald 1
Reuben 1
Samuel 1
Standpill 1

FAQ

Vacher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vacher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 173 people were recorded with the Vacher surname. That placed it at #14,112 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vacher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016. That gives Vacher a modern rank of #17,233.

What does the Vacher surname mean?

A French surname referring to someone who tended cattle or cows.

What does the Vacher map show?

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