I wanted to put in a recommendation for the web site Vince mentioned. The man running it is very thorough and very helpful. The only UK census that can be thoroughly searched from this web site is the 1881. This is the only census with an index. A few indices exist for previous censuses, but for limited areas. To search the 1881, it would be most helpful if you have a county (and a town), especially if yours is a very common surname. Good luck, Tracy