NameCensus.

UK surname

Varlow

In the 1881 census there were 168 people recorded with the Varlow surname, ranking it #14,380 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #14,380 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lincoln St Botolph, Caistor and Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Kesteven, Lewes and Islington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Varlow is 193 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 42.3%.

1881 census count

168

Ranked #14,380

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

1911

193 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2006

Key insights

  • Varlow had 168 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,380 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 193 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Varlow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Varlow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Varlow 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 110 #19,562
1881 historical 168 #14,380
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 165 #17,085
1911 historical 193 #15,294
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 122 #24,745
2000 modern 117 #25,324
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 112 #26,165
2003 modern 106 #26,775
2004 modern 104 #27,338
2005 modern 95 #28,817
2006 modern 103 #27,785
2007 modern 101 #28,505
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 111 #28,509
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 106 #29,740
2014 modern 105 #30,204
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

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Where Varlows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lincoln St Botolph, Caistor, Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton, Eccles and Doddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Kesteven, Lewes, Islington, Bristol and Weymouth and Portland. 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 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
2 Caistor Lincolnshire
3 Newark-on-Trent, East Stoke (East Stoke), Park Leys, Rolleston (Fiskerton), Morton Nottinghamshire
4 Eccles Lancashire
5 Doddington Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Kesteven 014 North Kesteven
2 Lewes 001 Lewes
3 Islington 014 Islington
4 Bristol 003 Bristol, City of
5 Weymouth and Portland 003 Weymouth and Portland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Varlow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Varlow

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Varlow, 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 Varlow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Varlow 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

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Varlow 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

Varlow is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Varlow 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 Varlow is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Varlow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Varlow 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. Lincolnshire leads with 53 Varlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.60x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 53 20.60x
Yorkshire 21 1.32x
Nottinghamshire 18 8.30x
Gloucestershire 16 5.07x
Lancashire 11 0.58x
Middlesex 9 0.56x
Huntingdonshire 8 25.03x
Cambridgeshire 7 6.87x
Dorset 5 4.73x
Kent 4 0.73x
Staffordshire 4 0.74x
Durham 3 0.63x
Warwickshire 3 0.74x
Somerset 2 0.77x
Bedfordshire 1 1.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Caistor in Lincolnshire leads with 21 Varlows recorded in 1881 and an index of 2058.82x.

Place Total Index
Caistor 21 2058.82x
Newark Upon Trent 16 205.13x
Frampton Cotterell 9 810.81x
Ramsey 8 312.50x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 8 220.99x
Glanford Brigg 7 760.87x
Westerleigh 7 985.92x
York St Maurice 7 233.33x
Bardney 6 779.22x
Ratcliffe London 6 67.49x
Acomb 5 602.41x
Barton Upon Irwell 5 34.77x
Benwick 5 1111.11x
Melcombe Regis 5 114.16x
Deptford St Paul 4 9.45x
Horncastle 4 150.38x
Birmingham 3 2.22x
Hulme 3 7.52x
Bedminster 2 8.22x
Broadholme 2 4000.00x
Burton Upon Trent 2 15.74x
Manchester 2 2.33x
Morley 2 24.13x
Rotherham 2 22.25x
Sedgefield 2 116.96x
St Peterat Arches 2 689.66x
Swineshead 2 235.29x
West Bromwich 2 6.43x
Whittlesey St Mary St 2 56.18x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 1 17.27x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 2.40x
Barnards Inn London 1 5000.00x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 18.35x
Durham St Nicholas 1 84.75x
Humbleton Flinton 1 454.55x
Kimberworth 1 11.30x
Muckton 1 2000.00x
New Sleaford 1 60.61x
Riseley 1 188.68x
Spittlegate 1 28.09x
St Luke London 1 3.87x
St Pancras London 1 0.77x
York St Peter Le 1 322.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Sarah 11
Ann 8
Elizabeth 6
Emily 3
Alice 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Julia 2
Martha 2
Selina 2
Ada 1
Annie 1
Carry 1
Cecelia 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elenor 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Henriette 1
Jennet 1
Keet 1
Lucey 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 13
Thomas 6
James 5
Alfred 4
Albert 3
Henry 3
Herbert 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Charles 2
George 2
Pearce 2
Samuel 2
Cornelius 1
Earnest 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Fritz 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Reubin 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Varlow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Varlow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 168 people were recorded with the Varlow surname. That placed it at #14,380 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Varlow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Varlow a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Varlow map show?

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