NameCensus.

UK surname

Vowden

In the 1881 census there were 63 people recorded with the Vowden surname, ranking it #24,711 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 162, ranked #22,512, up from #24,711 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Colaton Rawleigh, Withycombe Rawleigh (incl. pt Exmouth) and Egloshayle. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Teignbridge, Cornwall and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vowden is 165 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 157.1%.

1881 census count

63

Ranked #24,711

Modern count

162

2016, ranked #22,512

Peak year

2011

165 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vowden had 63 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,711 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016, ranked #22,512.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 114 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Vowden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vowden surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vowden 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 28 #28,274
1861 historical 32 #29,944
1881 historical 63 #24,711
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 86 #24,508
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 139 #22,132
1998 modern 148 #21,841
1999 modern 148 #22,020
2000 modern 142 #22,544
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 153 #21,406
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 141 #22,688
2006 modern 144 #22,520
2007 modern 147 #22,510
2008 modern 141 #23,383
2009 modern 145 #23,473
2010 modern 153 #23,175
2011 modern 165 #21,829
2012 modern 157 #22,551
2013 modern 164 #22,236
2014 modern 164 #22,445
2015 modern 163 #22,407
2016 modern 162 #22,512

Geography

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Where Vowdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Colaton Rawleigh, Withycombe Rawleigh (incl. pt Exmouth), Egloshayle, St Mary Islington and Farringdon, Sowton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Teignbridge, Cornwall and Barnsley. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Colaton Rawleigh, Withycombe Rawleigh (incl. pt Exmouth) Devon
3 Egloshayle Cornwall
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Farringdon, Sowton Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Teignbridge 011 Teignbridge
2 Teignbridge 006 Teignbridge
3 Cornwall 010 Cornwall
4 Barnsley 021 Barnsley
5 Teignbridge 010 Teignbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vowden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vowden

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Vowden, 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 Vowden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Vowden 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Vowden is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Vowden is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Vowden falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Vowden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vowden 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 34 Vowdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.59x.

County Total Index
Devon 34 26.59x
Hampshire 10 7.94x
Cornwall 8 11.50x
Gloucestershire 5 4.15x
Somerset 2 2.02x
Wiltshire 2 3.68x
Middlesex 1 0.16x
Worcestershire 1 1.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Farringdon in Devon leads with 13 Vowdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 21666.67x.

Place Total Index
Farringdon 13 21666.67x
St Kew 8 3478.26x
Ipplepen 7 4117.65x
Stoke Damerel 7 78.21x
Colaton Raleigh 6 3750.00x
Hound 5 588.24x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 4 35.27x
Southampton St Mary 4 50.51x
Dulverton 2 689.66x
Preshute 2 606.06x
Aldershot 1 23.70x
Birlingham 1 1428.57x
Clifton 1 16.42x
Ealing 1 18.21x
Newton Abbot St Mary 1 93.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 6
John 5
George 4
James 4
Thomas 3
Albert 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Louis 1
Samuel 1
Wallace 1

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 Vowden households.

FAQ

Vowden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vowden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 63 people were recorded with the Vowden surname. That placed it at #24,711 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vowden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016. That gives Vowden a modern rank of #22,512.

What does the Vowden map show?

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