NameCensus.

UK surname

Acott

A toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "at the cottage" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 321 people recorded with the Acott surname, ranking it #9,277 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 534, ranked #9,515, down from #9,277 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Peckham, East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maidstone, Flintshire and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Acott is 595 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.4%.

1881 census count

321

Ranked #9,277

Modern count

534

2016, ranked #9,515

Peak year

1997

595 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Acott had 321 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,277 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 534 in 2016, ranked #9,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 565 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Acott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Acott surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Acott 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 157 #12,504
1861 historical 166 #14,039
1881 historical 321 #9,277
1891 historical 392 #9,019
1901 historical 487 #8,208
1911 historical 565 #7,146
1997 modern 595 #8,199
1998 modern 592 #8,470
1999 modern 584 #8,595
2000 modern 563 #8,781
2001 modern 560 #8,684
2002 modern 584 #8,598
2003 modern 561 #8,711
2004 modern 556 #8,794
2005 modern 546 #8,827
2006 modern 539 #8,954
2007 modern 536 #9,068
2008 modern 568 #8,753
2009 modern 581 #8,793
2010 modern 574 #9,064
2011 modern 574 #8,976
2012 modern 542 #9,279
2013 modern 555 #9,267
2014 modern 564 #9,208
2015 modern 540 #9,465
2016 modern 534 #9,515

Geography

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Where Acotts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes, Peckham, East, Loose, East Farleigh and Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Maidstone, Flintshire and South Lakeland. 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 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Peckham, East Kent
4 Loose, East Farleigh Kent
5 Yalding, Aylesford, Burham, Mereworth, Wateringbury, Nettlestead Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maidstone 016 Maidstone
2 Maidstone 008 Maidstone
3 Flintshire 005 Flintshire
4 South Lakeland 008 South Lakeland
5 Maidstone 013 Maidstone

Forenames

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First names often paired with Acott

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Acott

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Acott, 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 Acott surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Acott 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Acott is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Acott is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Acott falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Acott

The surname Acott is of English origin, deriving from a locational name for someone who lived near a cottage or small hut. The name is believed to have originated in the county of Devon, England, sometime in the late medieval period.

The name Acott is thought to be a variation of the Old English word "cot," meaning a small dwelling or hut, combined with a location prefix such as "ac" or "oak," referring to the oak trees in the area. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near an oak cottage or hut.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Devon from 1327, where a John Atte Cote is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Atte Cote," further supports the theory that the name is derived from the Old English word for a small dwelling.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various records with spellings such as "Acutt," "Accott," and "Akott," reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography at the time. One notable bearer of the name from this period was William Acott, a merchant and landowner in Devon who lived from approximately 1520 to 1590.

The Acott surname is also associated with several place names in Devon, such as Acott Farm in the parish of Pinhoe and Acott Hill in the parish of Honiton. These place names further reinforce the locational origin of the surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Acott include:

1. Richard Acott (1764-1834), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Swanscombe in Kent. 2. John Acott (1776-1859), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. 3. William Acott (1799-1879), an English clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Lew Trenchard in Devon. 4. Emily Acott (1836-1859), a British artist and watercolorist known for her landscapes and coastal scenes. 5. Thomas Dyke Acott (1837-1898), an English physician and medical writer who specialized in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory system.

While the surname Acott is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history rooted in the locational names of Devon and the evolution of English language and naming conventions over several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Acott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Acott 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. Kent leads with 209 Acotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.50x.

County Total Index
Kent 209 19.50x
Middlesex 20 0.64x
Surrey 16 1.05x
Gloucestershire 13 2.11x
Wiltshire 13 4.68x
Oxfordshire 12 6.19x
Sussex 11 2.08x
Dorset 10 4.85x
Berkshire 8 3.39x
Glamorgan 4 0.73x
Hampshire 2 0.31x
Northamptonshire 2 0.68x
Leicestershire 1 0.29x
Royal Navy 1 2.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Yalding in Kent leads with 53 Acotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1955.72x.

Place Total Index
Yalding 53 1955.72x
East Peckham 31 1390.13x
West Farleigh 24 5853.66x
Hackney London 12 6.81x
Tonbridge 12 31.05x
Nettlestead 11 1718.75x
Tudeley 11 1864.41x
Portland 10 90.17x
Maidstone 9 28.20x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 12.66x
Mereworth 7 813.95x
Northfleet 7 74.15x
South Hinksey 7 679.61x
Bexley 6 63.36x
Camberwell 6 2.99x
Eltham 6 95.54x
Oxford St Giles 6 64.86x
Purton 6 242.92x
West Peckham 6 1224.49x
Hunton 5 531.91x
Maiseyhampton 5 1388.89x
Wateringbury 5 357.14x
Great Shurdington 4 1739.13x
Oxford St Peter Le Bailey 4 416.67x
Roath 4 16.10x
Subdeanery 4 99.50x
Arundel 3 101.01x
Highworth 3 84.51x
Horfield 3 48.39x
Aylesford 2 67.34x
Brading 2 23.36x
Langley 2 500.00x
Snodland 2 65.79x
St George Hanover Square 2 3.61x
St Pancras London 2 0.79x
Swindon 2 9.28x
Westminster St John 2 5.23x
Wollaston 2 123.46x
Allington 1 625.00x
Ashford 1 9.58x
Blackbourton 1 434.78x
Bolney 1 116.28x
Brighton 1 0.94x
Broadwater 1 8.23x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.35x
Croydon 1 1.18x
Dartford 1 9.12x
East Farleigh 1 55.56x
Gravesend 1 11.03x
Great Wishford 1 263.16x
Hougham 1 15.70x
Ibstock 1 39.53x
Latton 1 357.14x
Lewisham 1 1.75x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 1 43.48x
Reading St Mary 1 5.30x
Royal Navy 1 3.13x
Shoreditch London 1 0.73x
Stone In Dartford 1 36.36x
Stroud 1 8.34x
Swanscombe 1 20.79x
West Wittering 1 140.85x
Westerham 1 40.49x
Wimbledon 1 5.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 20
John 18
William 18
Thomas 11
Alfred 10
James 9
Harry 7
Henry 7
Edward 4
Richard 4
Sidney 4
Charles 3
David 3
Frederick 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Lewis 2
Peter 2
Rupert 2
Stephen 2
Walter 2
Charley 1
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredrick 1
G. 1
Herbert 1
Hesekiah 1
Hezekiah 1
Horace 1
Horatio 1
Horrace 1
Howard 1
Jesse 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Lionel 1
Montague 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sarah 1
Silas 1
Timothy 1
W. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Acott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Acott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 321 people were recorded with the Acott surname. That placed it at #9,277 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Acott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 534 in 2016. That gives Acott a modern rank of #9,515.

What does the Acott surname mean?

A toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "at the cottage" in Old English.

What does the Acott map show?

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