NameCensus.

UK surname

Abbot

An occupational surname referring to someone who was an abbot or worked in an abbey.

In the 1881 census there were 1,414 people recorded with the Abbot surname, ranking it #2,938 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 432, ranked #11,135, down from #2,938 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochee, Breckland and Wokingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Abbot is 1,414 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 69.4%.

1881 census count

1,414

Ranked #2,938

Modern count

432

2016, ranked #11,135

Peak year

1881

1,414 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Abbot had 1,414 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,938 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 432 in 2016, ranked #11,135.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,414 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Abbot surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Abbot surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Abbot 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 1,247 #2,293
1861 historical 1,149 #2,448
1881 historical 1,414 #2,938
1891 historical 1,217 #3,532
1901 historical 1,142 #4,255
1911 historical 500 #7,831
1997 modern 424 #10,531
1998 modern 431 #10,754
1999 modern 438 #10,695
2000 modern 414 #11,127
2001 modern 405 #11,121
2002 modern 412 #11,192
2003 modern 399 #11,284
2004 modern 380 #11,717
2005 modern 351 #12,343
2006 modern 384 #11,579
2007 modern 380 #11,820
2008 modern 392 #11,661
2009 modern 396 #11,815
2010 modern 409 #11,783
2011 modern 409 #11,663
2012 modern 418 #11,318
2013 modern 428 #11,304
2014 modern 451 #10,882
2015 modern 432 #11,183
2016 modern 432 #11,135

Geography

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Where Abbots are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, St Dunstan Stepney and Perth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochee, Breckland, Wokingham, Wiltshire and County Durham. 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 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 Perth Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochee Dundee City
2 Breckland 006 Breckland
3 Wokingham 012 Wokingham
4 Wiltshire 012 Wiltshire
5 County Durham 057 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Abbot

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Abbot

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Abbot is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Abbot is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Abbot falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Abbot

The surname Abbot is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word 'abbot', which means the head of a monastery or a convent. This name was likely first adopted by someone who held this position or lived near an abbey.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Abbot dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as 'Abbod'. During the medieval period, it was also spelled as 'Abot', 'Abott', and 'Abbote'.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it was recorded as 'Abbod'. The surname was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it was spelled as 'Abbot'.

One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was John Abbot, who was born in Reinstedburgh, Yorkshire, in 1587. He later became the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1611 until his death in 1633.

Another notable individual with this surname was Robert Abbot, an English theologian and writer who lived from 1560 to 1618. He was the Bishop of Salisbury and is known for his work titled "A Mirrour of Popish Subtilties".

In the 17th century, George Abbot, born in 1562 and died in 1633, was an influential figure in the Church of England. He served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1611 to 1633.

The surname Abbot was also associated with place names, such as Abbotsbury in Dorset, which was derived from the Old English words 'abbot' and 'burgh', meaning 'the fortified place of the abbot'.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Charles Abbot, the 1st Baron Colchester, who lived from 1757 to 1829. He was a British politician and served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1802 to 1817.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Abbot families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Abbot 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. Yorkshire leads with 196 Abbots recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.43x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 196 1.43x
Middlesex 195 1.41x
Lancashire 145 0.89x
Angus 141 11.03x
Surrey 60 0.89x
Durham 56 1.36x
Dorset 42 4.64x
Devon 39 1.36x
Essex 39 1.43x
Hampshire 38 1.34x
Suffolk 38 2.26x
Kent 36 0.76x
Nottinghamshire 33 1.77x
Ayrshire 32 3.10x
Northamptonshire 30 2.31x
Cheshire 21 0.69x
Cumberland 20 1.68x
Somerset 20 0.90x
Glamorgan 19 0.79x
Wiltshire 17 1.39x
Warwickshire 16 0.46x
Hertfordshire 15 1.58x
Midlothian 15 0.81x
Buckinghamshire 14 1.68x
Leicestershire 14 0.92x
Perthshire 12 1.94x
Lincolnshire 11 0.50x
Lanarkshire 10 0.22x
Gloucestershire 9 0.33x
Cornwall 7 0.45x
West Lothian 7 3.37x
Bedfordshire 6 0.84x
Isle of Man 6 2.34x
Monmouthshire 6 0.60x
Staffordshire 5 0.11x
Sussex 5 0.22x
Worcestershire 5 0.28x
Derbyshire 4 0.19x
East Lothian 4 2.19x
Northumberland 4 0.19x
Huntingdonshire 3 1.10x
Shropshire 3 0.25x
Berkshire 2 0.19x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.36x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 1.00x
Norfolk 2 0.09x
Royal Navy 2 1.22x
Banffshire 1 0.35x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.11x
Denbighshire 1 0.19x
Oxfordshire 1 0.12x
Peeblesshire 1 1.54x
Westmorland 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 91 Abbots recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.08x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 91 19.08x
Liff Benvie 44 22.68x
Blackburn 25 5.74x
Kirkby In Ashfield 22 110.61x
Paddington London 20 3.94x
Bermondsey 18 4.38x
Chelsea London 17 4.09x
Denham 17 813.40x
Bromley London 16 5.27x
Lambeth 16 1.33x
Islington London 15 1.12x
Liverpool 14 1.41x
Bethnal Green London 13 2.17x
Manningham 12 7.13x
Shoreditch London 12 2.01x
Batley 11 8.47x
Crook Billy Row 11 20.93x
Darlington 11 6.94x
Dundonald 11 28.90x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 1.48x
Everton 11 2.11x
Hackney London 11 1.42x
Perth East Church 10 17.13x
Portsea 10 1.80x
Ystradyfodwg 10 4.75x
Cranford St John 9 508.47x
Fisherton Anger 9 39.86x
Lytchett Matravers 9 275.23x
Mile End Old Town London 9 3.07x
Nottingham St Mary 9 1.87x
Openshaw 9 11.74x
Poplar London 9 3.46x
St Marylebone London 9 1.22x
Wortley In Bramley 9 8.31x
Broadway 8 222.84x
Cattistock 8 318.73x
Chelmondiston 8 196.08x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 4.50x
Hound 8 41.69x
Kilmarnock 8 6.51x
Leeds 8 1.04x
Leicester St Mary 8 6.47x
Melbury Bubb 8 1159.42x
North Bierley 8 10.84x
St George Bloomsbury 8 10.11x
Withcall 8 714.29x
Wycombe 8 12.87x
Barony 7 0.62x
Bozeat 7 124.33x
Bretherton 7 209.58x
Canterbury St Mildred 7 62.67x
Catterick 7 228.01x
Hampton London 7 30.88x
Hemel Hempstead 7 16.34x
Leamington Hastings 7 321.10x
Little Wigborough 7 1627.91x
Mauchline 7 58.97x
Rotherhithe 7 4.11x
Uphall 7 30.65x
Wanstead 7 14.68x
West Derby 7 1.46x
West Teignmouth 7 31.88x
Aston Cum Aughton 6 53.67x
Duloe 6 131.00x
Elland Cum Greetland 6 9.75x
Halstead 6 18.89x
Horwich 6 33.61x
Ickham Well 6 222.22x
Longwood 6 27.24x
Macclesfield 6 4.43x
Onchan 6 8.13x
Riccall 6 161.73x
Sheffield 6 1.38x
St George Hanover Square 6 2.47x
St Helens 6 29.20x
Stockport 6 3.83x
Whitechapel London 6 4.41x
Wollaston 6 84.15x
Exhall 5 94.88x
Wivenhoe 5 46.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 66
William 55
George 54
Thomas 49
James 37
Charles 25
Henry 22
Alfred 15
Edward 13
Joseph 13
Arthur 12
Richard 12
Robert 12
Frederick 11
Walter 10
Samuel 9
David 7
Edwin 6
Harry 6
Fred 5
Wm. 5
Frank 4
Geo. 4
Herbert 4
Tom 4
Chas. 3
Francis 3
Isaac 3
Jno. 3
Timothy 3
Albert 2
Archibald 2
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
Edmund 2
Horatio 2
Jeremiah 2
Leonard 2
Peter 2
Stanton 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Allen 1
Barnaby 1
Beadley 1
Dick 1
Donald 1
E.W. 1
Edgar 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Abbot surname: questions and answers

How common was the Abbot surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,414 people were recorded with the Abbot surname. That placed it at #2,938 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Abbot surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 432 in 2016. That gives Abbot a modern rank of #11,135.

What does the Abbot surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who was an abbot or worked in an abbey.

What does the Abbot map show?

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