NameCensus.

UK surname

Verner

An occupational surname for a maker of glass or glassware, derived from Old French "verre" meaning "glass."

In the 1881 census there were 102 people recorded with the Verner surname, ranking it #19,518 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 206, ranked #19,183, up from #19,518 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basford, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Findhorn, Kinloss and Pluscarden Valley, Calderdale and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Verner is 221 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 102.0%.

1881 census count

102

Ranked #19,518

Modern count

206

2016, ranked #19,183

Peak year

2010

221 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Verner had 102 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,518 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016, ranked #19,183.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 181 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Verner surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Verner surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Verner 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 102 #19,518
1891 historical 181 #16,065
1901 historical 163 #17,205
1911 historical 130 #19,504
1997 modern 208 #17,219
1998 modern 217 #17,207
1999 modern 211 #17,662
2000 modern 199 #18,278
2001 modern 192 #18,388
2002 modern 189 #18,950
2003 modern 198 #18,252
2004 modern 194 #18,566
2005 modern 188 #18,866
2006 modern 189 #18,961
2007 modern 202 #18,359
2008 modern 209 #18,114
2009 modern 217 #18,070
2010 modern 221 #18,205
2011 modern 213 #18,502
2012 modern 211 #18,539
2013 modern 214 #18,671
2014 modern 211 #19,002
2015 modern 199 #19,640
2016 modern 206 #19,183

Geography

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Where Verners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basford, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Manchester, St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace and Oakham, Leigh Field Forest. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Findhorn, Kinloss and Pluscarden Valley, Calderdale, Nottingham, West Lancashire and Rushcliffe. 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 Basford Nottinghamshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace London (West Districts)
5 Oakham, Leigh Field Forest Rutland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Findhorn, Kinloss and Pluscarden Valley Moray
2 Calderdale 026 Calderdale
3 Nottingham 007 Nottingham
4 West Lancashire 013 West Lancashire
5 Rushcliffe 001 Rushcliffe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Verner

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Verner

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Verner surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Verner household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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, Verner 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

Verner 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

Verner falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Verner

The surname Verner is of Old German origin, derived from the word "fern" meaning "journey" or "distant." It first appeared in the 12th century in the region of Bavaria, used by families who traveled frequently or lived in remote areas.

One of the earliest documented references to the name is found in a 1389 register from the town of Augsburg, mentioning a "Hans Verner." Another early record is from 1427 in Nuremberg, listing a "Kunz Verner" as a merchant and landowner.

The name later spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions like Austria and Switzerland. Variations in spelling emerged, such as Ferner, Fernner, and Vernner, reflecting local dialects and scribal errors.

In the 16th century, a notable figure was Martin Verner (1492-1561), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony. He played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in Germany and authored several religious texts.

The Verner surname also appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, the great survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. It is recorded as "Vernour," likely referring to a Norman family that accompanied William during the conquest of England.

Another historically prominent individual was Sir Ralph Verner (1629-1690), an English politician and landowner from Derbyshire. He served as a member of Parliament and was knighted by King Charles II in recognition of his loyalty during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Verner (1701-1786) was a German philosopher and mathematician who made important contributions to the field of logic and set theory. His work laid the foundations for modern symbolic logic.

Among the famous bearers of the name in more recent times was the American architect Thomas Verner Moore (1865-1941), known for his Neoclassical and Beaux-Arts designs. He designed several notable buildings, including the Ohio State Office Building and the DeGolyer House in Dallas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Verner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Verner 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. Middlesex leads with 25 Verners recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.51x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 25 2.51x
Lanarkshire 19 5.91x
Sussex 11 6.56x
Lancashire 10 0.85x
Dorset 5 7.66x
Nottinghamshire 4 2.98x
Rutland 4 54.79x
Surrey 4 0.83x
Hampshire 3 1.47x
Kent 3 0.88x
Midlothian 3 2.25x
Devon 2 0.97x
Essex 2 1.02x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.66x
Cheshire 1 0.46x
Dumfriesshire 1 4.55x
Durham 1 0.34x
Monmouthshire 1 1.39x
Royal Navy 1 8.44x
Worcestershire 1 0.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 17 Verners recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.76x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 17 29.76x
Hove 6 81.52x
St Pancras London 6 7.49x
Brighton 5 14.78x
Great Bolton 5 31.99x
Kensington London 5 9.04x
Lytchett Minster 5 1724.14x
Basford 4 64.72x
Hackney London 4 7.17x
Oakham Lordshold 4 526.32x
Holdenhurst 3 56.07x
St George Hanover 3 23.11x
Barony 2 2.46x
Battersea 2 5.46x
Cheetham 2 22.73x
Croydon 2 7.43x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 3.73x
Greenwich 2 12.63x
Hammersmith London 2 8.16x
Leigh 2 294.12x
Littleham 2 132.45x
Paddington London 2 5.47x
Accrington 1 9.32x
Ardwick 1 9.39x
Barrow In Furness 1 6.23x
Birkenhead 1 5.71x
Cummertrees 1 270.27x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 29.50x
Gateshead 1 4.51x
Islington London 1 1.04x
Langley Marish 1 135.14x
Margate St John Baptist 1 16.10x
Royal Navy 1 9.87x
St Martin In Fields 1 16.78x
Trevethin 1 14.73x
Westminster St James 1 9.78x
Worcester St Martin 1 57.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Emma 3
Mary 3
Alice 2
Eliza 2
Evelyn 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Florrie 1
Hora 1
Jane 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Mar.F.H. 1
Nelly 1
Octavia 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1
Selham 1
Sophia 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 5
Charles 4
Ernest 2
James 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Alexr. 1
Alfred 1
Arnesby 1
Bartle 1
Benjamin 1
G. 1
Geo.C. 1
Guy 1
Hubert 1
Jno. 1
Martin 1
Wilford 1
Willinghley 1
Yorhem 1

FAQ

Verner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Verner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 102 people were recorded with the Verner surname. That placed it at #19,518 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Verner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 206 in 2016. That gives Verner a modern rank of #19,183.

What does the Verner surname mean?

An occupational surname for a maker of glass or glassware, derived from Old French "verre" meaning "glass."

What does the Verner map show?

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