NameCensus.

UK surname

Abbotts

An occupational surname referring to someone who worked for an abbot or at an abbey.

In the 1881 census there were 457 people recorded with the Abbotts surname, ranking it #7,240 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 834, ranked #6,681, up from #7,240 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Wolstanton and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Abbotts is 875 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.5%.

1881 census count

457

Ranked #7,240

Modern count

834

2016, ranked #6,681

Peak year

2011

875 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Abbotts had 457 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,240 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 834 in 2016, ranked #6,681.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 771 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Abbotts surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Abbotts surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Abbotts 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 276 #8,128
1861 historical 388 #6,602
1881 historical 457 #7,240
1891 historical 637 #6,081
1901 historical 632 #6,787
1911 historical 771 #5,627
1997 modern 709 #7,181
1998 modern 854 #6,411
1999 modern 853 #6,464
2000 modern 848 #6,468
2001 modern 842 #6,387
2002 modern 868 #6,366
2003 modern 852 #6,333
2004 modern 853 #6,335
2005 modern 817 #6,503
2006 modern 835 #6,394
2007 modern 830 #6,501
2008 modern 833 #6,533
2009 modern 826 #6,710
2010 modern 848 #6,706
2011 modern 875 #6,465
2012 modern 827 #6,666
2013 modern 836 #6,716
2014 modern 836 #6,746
2015 modern 838 #6,678
2016 modern 834 #6,681

Geography

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Where Abbotts' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Wolstanton, Burslem, Leamington Priors and Market Drayton or Drayton-in-Hales. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Aylesbury Vale. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Burslem Staffordshire
4 Leamington Priors Warwickshire
5 Market Drayton or Drayton-in-Hales Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 004 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Birmingham 054 Birmingham
3 Stoke-on-Trent 013 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Stoke-on-Trent 008 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Aylesbury Vale 004 Aylesbury Vale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Abbotts

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Abbotts

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Abbotts surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Abbotts household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Abbotts 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

Abbotts is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Abbotts falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Abbotts is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Abbotts, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Abbotts

The surname Abbotts originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "abbod" meaning "abbot" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "homestead". The name likely referred to someone who lived near an abbey or a religious house governed by an abbot.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century. The Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1196 mention a Robert Abbod, while the Curia Regis Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1207 reference a Richard Abbot. These early spellings highlight the gradual evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several listings of places with names containing the word "abbot", such as Abbotsbury in Dorset and Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire. These place names may have contributed to the development of the surname Abbotts.

Notable historical figures with the surname Abbotts include Sir Maurice Abbotts (c. 1565-1642), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1637-1638. Another prominent individual was Robert Abbotts (1588-1663), an English clergyman and religious writer.

In the realm of literature, Anne Abbot (1764-1818) was an English novelist and poet, while George Abbotts (1888-1995) was an American playwright and director known for his Broadway productions.

The name Abbotts has also been associated with various locations across England, such as Abbotts Ann in Hampshire and Abbotts Leigh in Somerset, further emphasizing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Abbotts families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Abbotts 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 160 Abbotts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.63x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 160 10.63x
Warwickshire 74 6.58x
Shropshire 64 16.62x
Worcestershire 19 3.26x
Yorkshire 19 0.43x
Lancashire 18 0.34x
Middlesex 13 0.29x
Herefordshire 11 6.02x
Northamptonshire 11 2.62x
Surrey 11 0.51x
Kent 9 0.59x
Devon 6 0.65x
Leicestershire 6 1.21x
Cheshire 5 0.51x
Dorset 5 1.71x
Huntingdonshire 5 5.65x
Oxfordshire 5 1.82x
Somerset 4 0.56x
Gloucestershire 3 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.74x
Berkshire 1 0.30x
Brecknockshire 1 1.12x
Cornwall 1 0.20x
Denbighshire 1 0.59x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.17x
Wiltshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burslem in Staffordshire leads with 28 Abbotts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.97x.

Place Total Index
Burslem 28 64.97x
Leamington Priors 23 83.15x
Coventry St Michael 15 41.54x
Tyrley 15 1282.05x
Horninglow 14 197.46x
Stoke Upon Trent 14 8.77x
Avon Dassett 13 3170.73x
Featherstone 13 262.10x
Wolstanton 13 28.45x
Drayton In Hales 11 138.54x
Hampstead London 10 14.40x
Ightfield 10 1923.08x
Stafford St Mary 10 46.95x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 6.92x
Evenley 8 1038.96x
Great Little Hampton 8 824.74x
Tredington 8 503.14x
West Bromwich 8 9.29x
Bilston 7 24.01x
Butterton 7 2000.00x
Cheriton 7 112.90x
Lambeth 7 1.80x
Birmingham 6 1.60x
Budbrooke 6 521.74x
Gnosall 6 165.29x
Halberton 6 277.78x
Hinstock 6 454.55x
Oswestry Rural 6 101.69x
Bentley 5 980.39x
Berrington 5 331.13x
Durweston 5 877.19x
Edgmond 5 117.92x
Eynesbury 5 243.90x
Leicester St Mary 5 12.52x
Moreton Say 5 505.05x
Wolverhampton 5 4.32x
Bodicote 4 380.95x
Burton Upon Trent 4 11.36x
Caverswall 4 51.15x
Compton Pauncefoot 4 1379.31x
Eston 4 41.58x
Hindley 4 17.74x
Seighford 4 333.33x
Shilton 4 634.92x
Stone 4 20.78x
Wem 4 69.81x
Alveley 3 196.08x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 3.57x
Colwall 3 132.16x
Grinshill 3 566.04x
Hampton Charles 3 2000.00x
Ledbury 3 47.77x
Mucklestone 3 208.33x
Aynho 2 232.56x
Bourton On The Water 2 112.36x
Camberwell 2 0.70x
Edmonton 2 5.57x
Frankby 2 714.29x
Leek Lowe 2 9.99x
Nuneaton 2 15.36x
Pedmore 2 263.16x
Rushall 2 22.60x
Shawbury 2 135.14x
Shrewsbury St Mary 2 13.16x
Smallthorne 2 35.84x
Antony 1 20.53x
Bermondsey 1 0.75x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 2.98x
Eastnor 1 163.93x
Great Bolton 1 1.43x
Minster In Sheppey 1 3.97x
Neithrop 1 10.81x
Preston Gubbals 1 153.85x
Ruabon 1 4.32x
Rugby 1 6.57x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 7.40x
Southampton All Sts 1 6.38x
St Pancras London 1 0.28x
Trowbridge 1 5.74x
Whittington 1 32.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 45
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 15
Emma 11
Ann 10
Ellen 9
Annie 8
Hannah 7
Jane 7
Alice 6
Eliza 6
Ada 5
Fanny 5
Anne 4
Emily 4
Harriet 4
Margaret 4
Edith 3
Florence 3
Jemima 3
Martha 3
Selina 3
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Charlotte 2
Esther 2
Frances 2
Louisa 2
Marion 2
Maud 2
Rosa 2
Susan 2
Bessie 1
Betsey 1
Catherine 1
Charlott 1
Egnes 1
Eliz. 1
Elizth. 1
Emalian 1
Esthor 1
Hester 1
Jessie 1
Lavinia 1
Lillie 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Margt.E. 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 30
John 29
Thomas 21
Joseph 18
James 14
George 12
Robert 11
Charles 7
Alfred 6
Henry 6
Ernest 5
Richard 5
Frederick 4
Walter 4
Albert 3
Thos. 3
Edward 2
Reuben 2
Samuel 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Basil 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Elijah 1
Emmanuel 1
Enos 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Guy 1
Harry 1
Isaiah 1
Jas.William 1
Jefferey 1
Jesse 1
Lancelot 1
Maria 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Raymond 1
Richd. 1
Ruben 1
Thom. 1
Whateley 1

FAQ

Abbotts surname: questions and answers

How common was the Abbotts surname in 1881?

In 1881, 457 people were recorded with the Abbotts surname. That placed it at #7,240 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Abbotts surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 834 in 2016. That gives Abbotts a modern rank of #6,681.

What does the Abbotts surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who worked for an abbot or at an abbey.

What does the Abbotts map show?

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