NameCensus.

UK surname

Vyse

An English surname derived from the Old French "vise" meaning vice or screw.

In the 1881 census there were 438 people recorded with the Vyse surname, ranking it #7,465 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 636, ranked #8,321, down from #7,465 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Lewisham and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Flintshire and Swansea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Vyse is 658 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.2%.

1881 census count

438

Ranked #7,465

Modern count

636

2016, ranked #8,321

Peak year

1911

658 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Vyse had 438 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,465 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 636 in 2016, ranked #8,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 658 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Vyse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Vyse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Vyse 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 242 #9,001
1861 historical 186 #12,751
1881 historical 438 #7,465
1891 historical 516 #7,234
1901 historical 587 #7,189
1911 historical 658 #6,384
1997 modern 577 #8,371
1998 modern 639 #8,006
1999 modern 641 #8,050
2000 modern 647 #7,961
2001 modern 649 #7,803
2002 modern 657 #7,880
2003 modern 629 #8,020
2004 modern 635 #7,972
2005 modern 613 #8,142
2006 modern 615 #8,127
2007 modern 626 #8,086
2008 modern 625 #8,146
2009 modern 640 #8,168
2010 modern 656 #8,181
2011 modern 648 #8,171
2012 modern 655 #8,030
2013 modern 648 #8,238
2014 modern 650 #8,255
2015 modern 634 #8,360
2016 modern 636 #8,321

Geography

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Where Vyses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Lewisham, London parishes and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Flintshire, Swansea and Luton. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Lewisham London (South Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 035 Cheshire East
2 Flintshire 016 Flintshire
3 Swansea 011 Swansea
4 Cheshire East 037 Cheshire East
5 Luton 008 Luton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Vyse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Vyse

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

London Fringe

Within London, Vyse is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Vyse 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

Vyse falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Vyse

The surname VYSE is of English origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "fyrs," which means "furze" or "gorse," a type of prickly shrub. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked with furze bushes.

The earliest recorded instance of the name VYSE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landholder named Wulfric Vyse in Worcestershire. This indicates that the name was already in use during the Norman conquest of England.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name VYSE appeared in various records and documents, often with slight variations in spelling, such as Vyze, Vise, and Vize. These variations likely resulted from the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

One notable bearer of the VYSE surname was Sir Nicholas Vyse (1460-1538), who served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire during the reign of Henry VIII. He was also a prominent landowner and is believed to have been involved in the dissolution of monasteries in the 1530s.

Another famous individual with the surname VYSE was Robert William Vyse (1784-1853), a British soldier and Egyptologist. He is best known for leading an expedition to Egypt in 1837, during which he explored and documented the Pyramids of Giza and other ancient sites.

In the 18th century, the VYSE surname was associated with the village of Boughton in Northamptonshire. Several members of the Vyse family were prominent landowners and benefactors in the area, including John Vyse (1700-1788) and his son, Richard Vyse (1734-1825).

Another notable figure was Howard Vyse (1784-1853), a British architect and surveyor. He is remembered for his work on the restoration of Windsor Castle and for his innovative designs for prisons and other public buildings.

The VYSE surname has also been connected to various place names throughout England, such as Vyse Green in Worcestershire and Vise Wood in Warwickshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, indicating areas where families with the VYSE name once lived or owned land.

While the VYSE surname is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period in England. The name's origins and variations reflect the linguistic and cultural changes that have shaped the English language over centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Vyse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Vyse 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. Staffordshire leads with 66 Vyses recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.65x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 66 4.65x
Middlesex 63 1.50x
Hertfordshire 54 18.63x
Norfolk 47 7.27x
Warwickshire 44 4.15x
Kent 43 3.00x
Suffolk 20 3.91x
Essex 15 1.81x
Surrey 15 0.73x
Cheshire 12 1.29x
Glamorgan 11 1.50x
Northumberland 10 1.60x
Worcestershire 10 1.82x
Lancashire 7 0.14x
Durham 3 0.24x
Shropshire 3 0.83x
Bedfordshire 2 0.92x
Devon 1 0.11x
Dorset 1 0.36x
Gloucestershire 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Oxfordshire 1 0.39x
Sussex 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lewisham in Kent leads with 23 Vyses recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.07x.

Place Total Index
Lewisham 23 30.07x
Aston 22 7.54x
Stoke Upon Trent 18 11.96x
Birmingham 12 3.40x
Dickleburgh 12 1008.40x
Heigham 12 34.58x
Newcastle Under Lyme 11 43.81x
Tivetshall St Margaret 11 2244.90x
Forton 10 1282.05x
Northaw 10 1190.48x
Tynemouth 10 29.85x
Bromley 9 41.17x
Chipping Barnet 9 818.18x
Islington London 9 2.21x
Kings Norton 9 18.28x
Redgrave 9 1125.00x
Ridge 9 1551.72x
Bayford 8 2000.00x
Cliffe 8 246.91x
St George Hanover 8 14.58x
Hatfield 7 119.25x
Lambeth 7 1.91x
Middleton 7 1044.78x
Swansea Town 7 11.66x
West Ham 7 3.82x
Witham 7 163.93x
East Barnet 6 104.35x
Eccleshall 6 111.52x
Tottenham 6 8.96x
Wolstanton 6 13.92x
Birkenhead 5 6.76x
Hertford St John 5 115.74x
Kensington London 5 2.14x
Norton In Moors 5 66.58x
Wolstanton Chesterton 5 68.97x
Wortwell 5 833.33x
Bury 4 7.02x
Chiswick 4 17.41x
Clase 4 14.70x
Harrow 4 62.21x
Oakley 4 1000.00x
Poringland 4 588.24x
Alsager 3 129.87x
Edgbaston 3 9.13x
North Mimms 3 164.84x
Sandbach 3 37.88x
Westoe 3 4.23x
Beccles 2 24.27x
Burton Extra 2 24.57x
Camberwell 2 0.74x
Chelsea London 2 1.58x
Elstree 2 210.53x
Everton 2 1.26x
Ipswich St Margaret 2 11.51x
Newington 2 1.29x
Shenley 2 104.71x
Shrewsbury St Mary 2 13.96x
South Mimms 2 34.66x
St Andrew Holborn 2 14.04x
St Pancras London 2 0.59x
Wangford 2 208.33x
Bedford St Mary 1 17.83x
Bengeo 1 29.76x
Bristol St Augustine 1 7.51x
Clapham 1 1.90x
Colchester Holy Trinity 1 54.35x
Eling 1 11.45x
Hammersmith London 1 0.97x
Hampton London 1 14.47x
Hampton Wick London 1 32.47x
Hornsey 1 1.88x
Luton 1 2.65x
Margate St John Baptist 1 3.81x
Norton In Hales 1 185.19x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 1 23.87x
Sale 1 8.79x
St Clement Danes 1 14.68x
Sutton 1 6.75x
Westminster St 1 6.45x
Wimborne Minster 1 22.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 34
George 25
John 18
Charles 14
James 14
Edward 12
Thomas 11
Henry 7
Joseph 7
Frederick 5
Harry 5
Robert 5
Albert 4
Arthur 4
Alfred 2
Chas. 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Euclid 2
Herbert 2
Richard 2
Valentine 2
Aaron 1
Adam 1
Augusta 1
Augustus 1
Cecil 1
Cyril 1
Edwd. 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredk 1
G. 1
Geo. 1
Griffin 1
Harrold 1
Howard 1
Jabez 1
Julian 1
Rowland 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Thos.H. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Vyse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Vyse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 438 people were recorded with the Vyse surname. That placed it at #7,465 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Vyse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 636 in 2016. That gives Vyse a modern rank of #8,321.

What does the Vyse surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Old French "vise" meaning vice or screw.

What does the Vyse map show?

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