NameCensus.

UK surname

Vosper

A locational surname derived from the French "la Vespière", referring to a wasps' nest or bee colony.

In the 1881 census there were 561 people recorded with the Vosper surname, ranking it #6,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 674, ranked #7,950, down from #6,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), London parishes and Exeter City: St Sidwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Plymouth and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vosper is 766 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.1%.

1881 census count

561

Ranked #6,174

Modern count

674

2016, ranked #7,950

Peak year

1999

766 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vosper had 561 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 674 in 2016, ranked #7,950.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 690 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Vosper surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vosper surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vosper 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 357 #6,620
1861 historical 233 #10,501
1881 historical 561 #6,174
1891 historical 566 #6,713
1901 historical 690 #6,352
1911 historical 682 #6,200
1997 modern 700 #7,246
1998 modern 754 #7,064
1999 modern 766 #7,023
2000 modern 735 #7,220
2001 modern 716 #7,233
2002 modern 744 #7,153
2003 modern 706 #7,331
2004 modern 694 #7,456
2005 modern 670 #7,602
2006 modern 655 #7,756
2007 modern 672 #7,680
2008 modern 672 #7,711
2009 modern 695 #7,682
2010 modern 699 #7,787
2011 modern 677 #7,893
2012 modern 676 #7,825
2013 modern 691 #7,814
2014 modern 694 #7,826
2015 modern 686 #7,846
2016 modern 674 #7,950

Geography

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Where Vospers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), London parishes, Exeter City: St Sidwell, St Dominick and Plymouth St Charles the Martyr. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Plymouth and Cornwall. 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 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
2 London parishes London 3
3 Exeter City: St Sidwell Devon
4 St Dominick Cornwall
5 Plymouth St Charles the Martyr Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Plymouth 004 Plymouth
2 Plymouth 006 Plymouth
3 Cornwall 014 Cornwall
4 Plymouth 009 Plymouth
5 Plymouth 021 Plymouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vosper

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vosper

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Vosper surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Vosper household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Vosper is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Vosper is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Vosper falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Vosper

The surname Vosper originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be of Old English origin, derived from the words "fos" meaning a fox, and the suffix "-er" denoting an occupational name. Thus, the name Vosper likely referred to a hunter or trapper of foxes.

The name was most prevalent in the counties of Devon and Cornwall in the southwest of England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the parish records of Tavistock, Devon in 1574, where a John Vosper was listed as a resident.

In the 17th century, the Vosper name appeared in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, a historical document listing those who swore an oath of allegiance to the Protestant religion. Entries for the name were found in the Devon parishes of Stoke Gabriel and Cornwood.

Vosper is also thought to be associated with the place name Vosper's Cross, a hamlet in the parish of St. Gennys in Cornwall. This location was likely named after an early inhabitant with the Vosper surname.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the Vosper surname was Thomas Vosper (1591-1672), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Menheniott in Cornwall.

In the 18th century, John Vosper (1711-1788) was a prominent merchant and shipowner based in Dartmouth, Devon. He was involved in the Newfoundland cod trade and owned several vessels.

During the 19th century, William Vosper (1814-1891) was a notable figure. He was a shipbuilder and founder of the Vosper Thornycroft shipyard in Portsmouth, which became renowned for building high-speed naval vessels.

Another significant individual was Sir Albert John Vosper (1877-1962), a British naval architect and businessman who served as the managing director of Vosper Thornycroft. He was knighted in 1920 for his contributions to shipbuilding.

In more recent history, Crispin Vosper (1944-2007) was a well-known British actor and playwright, known for his roles in various television shows and films.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vosper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vosper 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. Devon leads with 223 Vospers recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.30x.

County Total Index
Devon 223 19.30x
Cornwall 169 26.90x
Surrey 31 1.15x
Durham 24 1.45x
Gloucestershire 22 2.02x
Hampshire 20 1.76x
Middlesex 18 0.32x
Lancashire 16 0.24x
Yorkshire 8 0.15x
Glamorgan 6 0.62x
Channel Islands 5 3.04x
Fife 5 1.52x
Monmouthshire 4 1.00x
Royal Navy 4 6.05x
Dorset 3 0.82x
Kent 2 0.11x
Lanarkshire 2 0.11x
Renfrewshire 2 0.47x
Somerset 2 0.22x
Cheshire 1 0.08x
Essex 1 0.09x
Lincolnshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 54 Vospers recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.67x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 54 60.67x
Plymouth Charles The 44 86.44x
Stoke Damerel 32 39.57x
Saltash 23 472.28x
St Dominick 18 1139.24x
Maker 17 293.10x
Pillaton 17 2656.25x
Laneast 15 3061.22x
Newton Abbot St Mary 14 144.48x
Plympton St Mary 13 194.61x
Exeter St Sidwell 12 45.35x
Islington London 11 2.04x
Mylor 11 261.28x
Portsea 11 4.93x
Camberwell 10 2.82x
Tewkesbury 10 102.99x
North Hill 9 447.76x
Reigate Foreign 9 30.74x
Rotherhithe 8 11.67x
Allerton 7 99.86x
Broughton In Salford 7 11.62x
Exeter St Mary Steps 7 268.20x
Holy Trinity 7 289.26x
Kyo 7 90.09x
Lawhitton 7 853.66x
Walton On Hill 7 19.62x
Bristol St Paul In 6 20.69x
East Stonehouse 6 26.36x
Exeter St Mary Major 6 86.08x
Liskeard 6 57.09x
Portsmouth 6 22.91x
St Budeaux 6 166.67x
St Mary Magdalene 6 129.87x
Bishopwearmouth 5 3.53x
Cardiff St Mary 5 9.39x
Dunfermline 5 9.90x
South Biddick 5 5555.56x
Tormoham 5 10.23x
Calstock 4 32.47x
Egg Buckland 4 203.05x
Fowey 4 138.89x
Monmouth 4 37.59x
Morval 4 312.50x
Newington 4 1.95x
Royal Navy 4 7.07x
St Clether 4 975.61x
St Peter 4 84.39x
Urpeth 4 124.22x
Westbury On Trym 4 10.85x
Altarnun 3 137.61x
Davidstow 3 384.62x
Harraton 3 93.17x
South Petherwin 3 191.08x
St Stephens By Saltash 3 110.70x
Wimborne Minster 3 50.93x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.37x
Devonport 2 15.06x
East Greenock 2 4.92x
Exeter St Leonard 2 63.29x
Govan 2 0.45x
Kensington London 2 0.65x
Quethiock 2 217.39x
Silverton 2 82.99x
Stapleton 2 9.69x
Whitchurch 2 98.52x
Alverstoke 1 2.43x
Chelsea London 1 0.60x
Cheriton Fitzpaine 1 68.03x
Chester St John Baptist 1 4.54x
Exeter Holy Trinity 1 22.08x
Lanlivery 1 37.88x
Paulton 1 24.45x
Rame 1 61.73x
St Andrew Holborn 1 5.31x
St Germans 1 22.83x
St Winnow 1 46.51x
Stamford All Sts 1 20.12x
Tintagel 1 58.48x
Topsham 1 18.35x
Westminster St John 1 1.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 39
Elizabeth 31
Emma 13
Jane 13
Alice 12
Susan 10
Louisa 8
Annie 7
Beatrice 7
Ellen 7
Sarah 6
Emily 5
Florence 5
Harriet 5
Lucy 5
Eliza 4
Elizth. 4
Grace 4
Agnes 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Ethel 3
Fanny 3
Hannah 3
Harriett 3
Lavinia 3
Maud 3
Amelia 2
Blanch 2
Blanche 2
Clara 2
Helen 2
Minnie 2
Rachel 2
Ann 1
Bertha 1
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Christina 1
Cicely 1
Darthula 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth.J. 1
Florance 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Harriat 1
W.K. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 43
John 30
George 21
Thomas 17
Charles 16
James 14
Alfred 11
Frederick 11
Francis 9
Henry 9
Richard 8
Samuel 6
Edward 5
Albert 4
Daniel 4
Frank 4
Robert 4
Walter 4
Edwin 3
Elias 3
Joseph 3
Aaron 2
Arthur 2
Ernest 2
Frances 2
Harry 2
Reginald 2
Benj. 1
Cecil 1
Charley 1
Earnest 1
Fred 1
Fredick 1
Geo. 1
Gerald 1
Gorge 1
Herbert 1
J.B.B. 1
Jas. 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Lawrence 1
Maurice 1
Nathail 1
Nathaniel 1
Norman 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Seveons 1
Wm.Saml. 1

FAQ

Vosper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vosper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 561 people were recorded with the Vosper surname. That placed it at #6,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vosper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 674 in 2016. That gives Vosper a modern rank of #7,950.

What does the Vosper surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the French "la Vespière", referring to a wasps' nest or bee colony.

What does the Vosper map show?

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