Ethnicity Estimator is an online service which allows users to produce an estimated ethnicity distribution of a set of names supplied to it, based on the standard UK ONS ethnicity category groups. Upon supplying a CSV of names, it will return an indicative population count, split by the categories. The online service is secure and supplied names lists are deleted after the categorisation is complete.

The Ethnicity Estimator (EE) classifier is based on research which uses names data assembled by the Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC). The data are taken from consumer sources and from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which securely host data from England & Wales.

The research enables estimates of the ethnic distribution from datasets which contain names, using the best methodology. Users can now apply to access their own copy of the Ethnicity Estimator software. This software provides aggregate classifications reporting on estimated population for each of the standard ONS ethnicity groups.

Accepted applications will be for users who utilise the software for the public good, and applicants can be drawn from the academia, government or industry sectors. Please read our full Terms and Conditions (see document below) prior to making an application. Please note that the application review process takes a number of weeks.

The category groups are:

• ABD: Asian/Asian British - Bangladeshi
• AIN: Asian/Asian British - Indian
• APK: Asian/Asian British - Pakistani
• AAO: Asian/Asian British - Any Other (including Chinese)
• BAF: Black/Black British - African
• BCA: Black/Black British - Caribbean
• WBR: White - English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British
• WAO: White - Any Other (including White Irish, Gypsy or Irish Traveller)
• OXX: Any Other Ethnic Group (including Arab)
• Unclassified: Names that could not be classified into one of the above.