NameCensus.

UK surname

Vause

A variant spelling of the English surname Vaux, derived from a Norman French placename referring to a valley or vale.

In the 1881 census there were 461 people recorded with the Vause surname, ranking it #7,193 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 692, ranked #7,773, down from #7,193 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dean, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles and Bolton-le-Moors. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Selby and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vause is 772 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.1%.

1881 census count

461

Ranked #7,193

Modern count

692

2016, ranked #7,773

Peak year

1911

772 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vause had 461 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,193 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 692 in 2016, ranked #7,773.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 772 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Vause surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vause surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vause 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 288 #7,884
1861 historical 335 #7,610
1881 historical 461 #7,193
1891 historical 546 #6,925
1901 historical 705 #6,248
1911 historical 772 #5,620
1997 modern 706 #7,201
1998 modern 724 #7,290
1999 modern 732 #7,274
2000 modern 729 #7,270
2001 modern 712 #7,267
2002 modern 738 #7,199
2003 modern 739 #7,090
2004 modern 736 #7,119
2005 modern 717 #7,188
2006 modern 699 #7,356
2007 modern 708 #7,353
2008 modern 710 #7,396
2009 modern 720 #7,470
2010 modern 736 #7,479
2011 modern 725 #7,499
2012 modern 716 #7,481
2013 modern 725 #7,535
2014 modern 721 #7,598
2015 modern 710 #7,636
2016 modern 692 #7,773

Geography

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Where Vauses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dean, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles, Bolton-le-Moors, Weighton, Market and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Selby and Bolton. 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 Dean Lancashire
2 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
4 Weighton, Market Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 011 Wakefield
2 Wakefield 001 Wakefield
3 Selby 009 Selby
4 Wakefield 023 Wakefield
5 Bolton 019 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vause

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vause

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Vause surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Vause 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Vause is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Vause is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Vause

The surname VAUSE is of ancient Norman French origin. It is derived from the old French word "vaus", meaning a valley or small vale. The name first emerged in the regions of northern France and Normandy in the early medieval period, around the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded references of the surname is found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript record of landholders in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror. In this document, there are entries for individuals bearing the name Vaus or de Vaus, suggesting their Norman lineage and association with a particular valley or geographic location.

The VAUSE surname is believed to have been introduced to England during the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman families accompanied William the Conqueror and settled in various parts of the country. Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Vaus, Vaus, Vause, and Vawse, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the VAUSE surname was Robert de Vaus, a Norman nobleman who lived in the late 11th century. He was granted lands in Northumberland, England, after the Norman Conquest, and his descendants continued to use the surname in subsequent generations.

Another notable bearer of the VAUSE name was Sir John Vause (c. 1450-1512), an English knight and landowner from Northamptonshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was known for his involvement in local affairs and governance.

In the 16th century, Thomas Vause (c. 1490-1556) was a prominent English clergyman and scholar. He held positions at the University of Cambridge and was appointed as the Bishop of Meaux in France during the reign of Henry VIII.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Sir Robert Vause (1592-1668) was a Royalist supporter of King Charles I. He fought in several battles and was eventually captured by Parliamentary forces, but later pardoned after the Restoration of the monarchy.

In the literary world, Henry Vause (1629-1689) was an English poet and translator who gained recognition for his translations of works by ancient Roman authors such as Ovid and Virgil.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the VAUSE surname, reflecting its enduring presence and significance across various fields and eras.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vause families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vause 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. Yorkshire leads with 260 Vauses recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.82x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 260 5.82x
Lancashire 112 2.09x
Lincolnshire 19 2.64x
Middlesex 16 0.36x
Nottinghamshire 15 2.47x
Surrey 8 0.36x
Northumberland 7 1.04x
Northamptonshire 6 1.42x
Durham 5 0.37x
Warwickshire 5 0.44x
Cheshire 3 0.30x
Essex 2 0.22x
Norfolk 2 0.29x
Ayrshire 1 0.30x
Royal Navy 1 1.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 52 Vauses recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.62x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 52 20.62x
Little Bolton 31 45.08x
Horwich 27 463.12x
Halliwell 24 123.33x
Barlow 15 4687.50x
Ecclesall Bierlow 15 16.51x
Market Weighton Arras 13 448.28x
Burton Salmon 11 2619.05x
Nottingham St Mary 9 5.73x
Pocklington 9 213.27x
Holy Trinity 8 7.45x
Knottingley 8 101.91x
Thorne 8 144.40x
Tottington Lower End 7 27.55x
Wheldrake 7 760.87x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 6 39.29x
Brightside Bierlow 6 6.85x
Sandal Magna 6 90.91x
Welburn In Malton 6 689.66x
Widnes 6 15.56x
York St John Micklegate 6 555.56x
York St Margaret 6 216.61x
Belton 5 170.65x
Blackburn 5 3.51x
Gateshead 5 4.98x
Hexham 5 48.17x
Huddleston Cum Lumby 5 1351.35x
Liverpool 5 1.54x
Newington 5 3.00x
Rugby 5 32.51x
South Cave 5 337.84x
Spalding 5 34.97x
West Stockwith 5 490.20x
Westminster St 5 30.10x
Amcotts 4 655.74x
Aston Cum Aughton 4 109.59x
Bishop Wilton Cum 4 465.12x
Hunmanby 4 192.31x
Rawcliffe In Goole 4 157.48x
Sancton Houghton 4 701.75x
Cliff Cum Lund 3 303.03x
Doncaster 3 9.19x
East Cottingwith 3 750.00x
Hackney London 3 1.19x
Headingley Cum Burley 3 10.43x
Kearsley 3 26.67x
Luddington 3 326.09x
Nutfield 3 180.72x
Potter Newton 3 38.07x
Sculcoates 3 4.24x
St Marylebone London 3 1.25x
Wakefield 3 8.75x
West Haddon 3 218.98x
Brotherton 2 111.73x
Castleford 2 12.30x
Clifton In York 2 21.41x
Crick 2 139.86x
East Denton 2 131.58x
Eastrington 2 338.98x
Great Yarmouth 2 3.48x
Melbourne 2 281.69x
Oldham 2 1.16x
Portington Cavil 2 1250.00x
Stockport 2 3.91x
Stoke Newington London 2 5.70x
West Ham 2 1.02x
York St Mary 2 10.81x
Barnsley 1 2.17x
Beith 1 9.94x
Bubwith 1 125.00x
Coneysthorpe 1 344.83x
Crowle 1 22.78x
Daventry 1 16.67x
Gilberdike Bishopsoil 1 156.25x
Holme On Spalding Moor 1 34.13x
Islington London 1 0.23x
Laytham 1 1000.00x
Messingham 1 57.14x
Pontefract 1 10.40x
Rumworth 1 13.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 34
John 32
Thomas 18
James 16
George 14
Charles 12
Fred 6
Frederick 6
Peter 6
Albert 5
Henry 5
Samuel 5
Joseph 4
Ralph 4
Richard 4
Robert 4
Arthur 3
Francis 3
Herbert 3
Josiah 3
Percy 3
Walter 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Edmund 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Harry 2
Jas. 2
Louis 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Benjamin 1
Bertram 1
Bowyer 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Claud 1
Edmond 1
Ephraim 1
Israel 1
Jeremey 1
Mark 1
Moses 1
Nathaniel 1
Reginald 1
Robt. 1
Stephen 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Vause surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vause surname in 1881?

In 1881, 461 people were recorded with the Vause surname. That placed it at #7,193 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vause surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 692 in 2016. That gives Vause a modern rank of #7,773.

What does the Vause surname mean?

A variant spelling of the English surname Vaux, derived from a Norman French placename referring to a valley or vale.

What does the Vause map show?

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