NameCensus.

UK surname

Verity

A surname derived from the Latin "veritas" meaning truth or truthfulness.

In the 1881 census there were 1,276 people recorded with the Verity surname, ranking it #3,200 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,440, ranked #4,261, down from #3,200 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Bradford and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harrogate, Kingston upon Hull and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Verity is 1,582 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.9%.

1881 census count

1,276

Ranked #3,200

Modern count

1,440

2016, ranked #4,261

Peak year

1911

1,582 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Verity had 1,276 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,200 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,440 in 2016, ranked #4,261.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,582 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Verity surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Verity surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Verity 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 759 #3,510
1861 historical 748 #3,651
1881 historical 1,276 #3,200
1891 historical 1,357 #3,204
1901 historical 1,558 #3,306
1911 historical 1,582 #3,069
1997 modern 1,410 #4,117
1998 modern 1,432 #4,203
1999 modern 1,435 #4,217
2000 modern 1,454 #4,172
2001 modern 1,402 #4,216
2002 modern 1,427 #4,226
2003 modern 1,413 #4,194
2004 modern 1,389 #4,252
2005 modern 1,402 #4,183
2006 modern 1,393 #4,211
2007 modern 1,405 #4,219
2008 modern 1,429 #4,192
2009 modern 1,457 #4,209
2010 modern 1,483 #4,224
2011 modern 1,510 #4,133
2012 modern 1,453 #4,192
2013 modern 1,457 #4,233
2014 modern 1,461 #4,257
2015 modern 1,439 #4,271
2016 modern 1,440 #4,261

Geography

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Where Veritys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Bradford and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harrogate, Kingston upon Hull and Bradford. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harrogate 006 Harrogate
2 Harrogate 001 Harrogate
3 Kingston upon Hull 002 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Bradford 015 Bradford
5 Kingston upon Hull 004 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Verity

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Verity

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Verity is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Verity is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Verity 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 Verity is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Verity

The surname Verity originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "verite," which means "truth." The name likely referred to someone who was known for their honesty or truthfulness.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195, which mention a Richard Verite. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include references to individuals with the surname Verity, such as Walter Verite in Oxfordshire and William Verite in Cambridgeshire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various forms, including Verite, Veryte, and Virité, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation at the time. These variations were common before standardized spelling became widespread.

The surname Verity was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire, where many early bearers of the name were recorded. Some notable historical figures with this surname include:

1. Richard Verity (c. 1570 - c. 1630), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge from 1598 to 1630.

2. John Verity (1638 - 1721), an English nonconformist minister and writer who was a prominent figure in the Protestant dissenting movement.

3. Enoch Verity (1697 - 1767), an English dissenting minister and tutor who founded the Verity Academy, a prestigious dissenting academy in Yorkshire.

4. Samuel Verity (c. 1730 - 1803), an English industrialist and ironmaster who played a significant role in the development of the iron industry in Yorkshire during the Industrial Revolution.

5. Arthur Wilson Verity (1865 - 1942), an English classical scholar and educator who served as the Headmaster of Dulwich College from 1906 to 1930.

While the name Verity has no known association with any specific place names, it has been a part of English history for centuries, with many notable bearers contributing to various fields, including religion, education, industry, and scholarship.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Verity families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Verity 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 968 Veritys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.85x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 968 7.85x
Lancashire 140 0.95x
Middlesex 53 0.43x
Cheshire 26 0.95x
Northamptonshire 16 1.37x
Surrey 16 0.26x
Glamorgan 12 0.55x
Kent 9 0.21x
Monmouthshire 8 0.89x
Gloucestershire 5 0.20x
Staffordshire 5 0.12x
Hampshire 4 0.16x
Devon 3 0.12x
Essex 3 0.12x
Warwickshire 3 0.10x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.09x
Ayrshire 1 0.11x
Durham 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.07x
Sussex 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pudsey in Yorkshire leads with 97 Veritys recorded in 1881 and an index of 147.13x.

Place Total Index
Pudsey 97 147.13x
Leeds 53 7.61x
Idle 49 85.68x
Hunslet 48 24.96x
Horton In Bradford 41 21.29x
Manningham 37 24.35x
Great Driffield 32 126.43x
Bradford 30 10.05x
Bramley In Bramley 28 59.30x
Batley 27 23.03x
Beverley St Nicholas 26 257.17x
Stonebeck Down 24 1702.13x
Chapel Allerton 18 97.51x
Salford 18 4.14x
Doncaster 17 18.87x
Alwoodley 16 837.70x
Bowling 16 13.10x
Skircoat 15 30.84x
Upper Stonebeck 15 1239.67x
Wortley In Bramley 13 13.31x
Barnoldswick 12 69.69x
Chorlton On Medlock 12 5.11x
Hunsworth 12 185.47x
Rothwell 12 48.17x
Baildon 11 47.35x
Beverley St Martin 11 53.42x
Broughton In Salford 11 8.15x
Gomersal 11 19.11x
Lancaster 11 12.52x
Westminster St James 11 8.60x
Bewerley 10 197.24x
Dewsbury 10 7.91x
Habergham Eaves 10 7.41x
Scarborough 10 8.92x
Shipley 10 15.62x
Hyde 9 11.10x
Kensington London 9 1.30x
Middleton In Oldham 9 20.32x
Wakefield 9 9.50x
Adel Cum Eccup 8 156.86x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 8 18.96x
Dalton In Rotherham 8 459.77x
Fulshaw 8 158.10x
Headingley Cum Burley 8 10.08x
Ilton Cum Pott 8 1454.55x
St Marylebone London 8 1.20x
Trevethin 8 9.41x
West Ardsley 8 53.91x
West Derby 8 1.85x
Healey With Sutton 7 660.38x
Ilkley 7 34.72x
Morley 7 10.92x
Northampton Priory St 7 9.96x
York St Mary 7 13.70x
Beeston 6 48.08x
Bollington In 6 24.53x
Coyty Lower 6 42.64x
Holbeck 6 7.34x
Linton In Skipton 6 480.00x
Middlesbrough 6 3.74x
Pendleton In Salford 6 3.41x
Plumstead 6 4.24x
Potter Newton 6 27.57x
Rowley 6 223.05x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 2.40x
Sutton 6 42.67x
Thruscross 6 444.44x
Warley 6 16.83x
Worsley 6 6.59x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 4.35x
Bradford 5 7.23x
East Witton Without 5 543.48x
Fountains Earth 5 362.32x
Halifax 5 2.76x
Heworth 5 155.76x
Hook 5 18.43x
Keighley 5 3.80x
Kingswinford 5 3.28x
Northampton St Sepulchre 5 8.39x
St George Bloomsbury 5 7.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 83
William 70
Joseph 42
Charles 35
James 35
Thomas 35
George 27
Robert 20
Arthur 18
Benjamin 15
Henry 14
Samuel 12
Alfred 11
Harry 10
Walter 10
Albert 9
Matthew 9
Edward 8
Edwin 8
Herbert 8
Wm. 8
Fred 6
Frederick 6
Tom 6
Frank 5
Ernest 4
Peter 4
Abraham 3
Ben 3
Christopher 3
David 3
Francis 3
Joshua 3
Miles 3
Richard 3
Thos. 3
Abram 2
Benj. 2
Benjn. 2
Ephraim 2
Ezra 2
Jonathan 2
Leonard 2
Mark 2
Matthias 2
Oswald 2
Simeon 2
Watson 2
Bertram 1
Fred. 1

FAQ

Verity surname: questions and answers

How common was the Verity surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,276 people were recorded with the Verity surname. That placed it at #3,200 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Verity surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,440 in 2016. That gives Verity a modern rank of #4,261.

What does the Verity surname mean?

A surname derived from the Latin "veritas" meaning truth or truthfulness.

What does the Verity map show?

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