NameCensus.

UK surname

Venters

An English topographic surname derived from the plural of "vent," referring to dwellers near air vents or fissures.

In the 1881 census there were 203 people recorded with the Venters surname, ranking it #12,717 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 456, ranked #10,705, up from #12,717 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edinburgh, Beckenham and Peterborough St John the Baptist. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, Peterborough and Drylaw.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Venters is 456 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 124.6%.

1881 census count

203

Ranked #12,717

Modern count

456

2016, ranked #10,705

Peak year

2016

456 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Venters had 203 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,717 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 456 in 2016, ranked #10,705.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 315 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Venters surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Venters surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Venters 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 100 #17,164
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 203 #12,717
1891 historical 268 #12,087
1901 historical 315 #11,263
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 409 #10,818
1998 modern 441 #10,560
1999 modern 442 #10,606
2000 modern 431 #10,785
2001 modern 420 #10,811
2002 modern 429 #10,858
2003 modern 414 #10,980
2004 modern 419 #10,903
2005 modern 405 #11,078
2006 modern 407 #11,087
2007 modern 425 #10,837
2008 modern 430 #10,834
2009 modern 437 #10,947
2010 modern 449 #10,931
2011 modern 443 #10,924
2012 modern 428 #11,092
2013 modern 449 #10,850
2014 modern 448 #10,946
2015 modern 452 #10,785
2016 modern 456 #10,705

Geography

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Where Venters' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edinburgh, Beckenham, Peterborough St John the Baptist, Eye and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey, Peterborough, Drylaw, Kelty East and Kirkcaldy Central. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
2 Beckenham Kent
3 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
4 Eye Northamptonshire
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 005 East Lindsey
2 Peterborough 019 Peterborough
3 Drylaw City of Edinburgh
4 Kelty East Fife
5 Kirkcaldy Central Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Venters

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Venters

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Venters surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Venters household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Venters is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Venters is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Venters 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 Venters is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Venters

The surname Venters is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "fentor," which means "one who frequents or lives near a fen or marsh." The name was likely adopted as a descriptive surname for those who lived in or near marshlands.

The earliest records of the Venters surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Ventur." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Ventour" and "Ventur," in records from counties like Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. These variations reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Venters was John Venters, who lived in Oxfordshire in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir William Venters, a knight who fought alongside Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Venters surname was associated with several place names, such as Ventersburg in Kent and Venterstown in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely derived from the presence of Venters families in those areas.

During the 17th century, the surname gained prominence in literary circles with the poet and writer Thomas Venters (1635-1695), who was renowned for his satirical works and social commentary.

Other notable individuals with the Venters surname include Sir Robert Venters (1687-1754), a prominent politician and landowner in Gloucestershire, and Mary Venters (1788-1862), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in London.

Throughout the centuries, the Venters surname has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, particularly in the Midlands and Southern regions. While the spelling has evolved over time, the surname's roots can be traced back to the early medieval period, reflecting the rich history and heritage of English surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Venters families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Venters 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. Fife leads with 110 Venters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 93.84x.

County Total Index
Fife 110 93.84x
Northamptonshire 30 16.11x
East Lothian 13 49.56x
Cambridgeshire 10 7.97x
Hampshire 10 2.46x
Lanarkshire 7 1.09x
Midlothian 7 2.64x
Lincolnshire 5 1.58x
Clackmannanshire 2 12.23x
Lancashire 2 0.09x
Middlesex 2 0.10x
Northumberland 2 0.68x
Devon 1 0.24x
Durham 1 0.17x
Kent 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wemyss in Fife leads with 44 Venters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 887.10x.

Place Total Index
Wemyss 44 887.10x
Eye 16 1797.75x
Kirkcaldy 13 223.75x
Newborough 13 2708.33x
Burntisland 12 365.85x
Portsea 10 12.57x
Abbotshall 9 205.48x
Kinghorn 9 361.45x
Thorney 9 647.48x
Dysart 8 101.39x
Barony 7 4.32x
Beath 7 189.19x
Tranent 7 197.74x
Aberdour 6 508.47x
Haddington 6 155.04x
Crowland 5 251.26x
Cramond 3 149.25x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 2.81x
Byker 2 13.74x
Inverkeithing 2 112.99x
St George Martyr 2 59.88x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.98x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 14.18x
Cheetham 1 5.70x
Dollar 1 59.17x
Paston 1 126.58x
South Leith 1 3.35x
St Budeaux 1 78.13x
Tillicoultry 1 27.47x
Ulverston 1 14.62x
Whittlesey St Mary St 1 22.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Clementine 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Kezia 1
Maria 1
Mary 1
Nellie 1
Phoebe 1
Rosina 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

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 Venters households.

FAQ

Venters surname: questions and answers

How common was the Venters surname in 1881?

In 1881, 203 people were recorded with the Venters surname. That placed it at #12,717 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Venters surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 456 in 2016. That gives Venters a modern rank of #10,705.

What does the Venters surname mean?

An English topographic surname derived from the plural of "vent," referring to dwellers near air vents or fissures.

What does the Venters map show?

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