NameCensus.

UK surname

Alcott

Derived from an Old English place name meaning "cottage by the wood" or "Ella's cottage."

In the 1881 census there were 95 people recorded with the Alcott surname, ranking it #20,349 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 176, ranked #21,298, down from #20,349 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rugby, Kingsbury and Upton Snodsbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cannock Chase, Huntingdonshire and South Gloucestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Alcott is 178 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.3%.

1881 census count

95

Ranked #20,349

Modern count

176

2016, ranked #21,298

Peak year

2015

178 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Alcott had 95 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,349 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016, ranked #21,298.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 151 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Alcott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Alcott surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Alcott 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 65 #21,747
1861 historical 151 #15,209
1881 historical 95 #20,349
1891 historical 139 #19,311
1901 historical 114 #21,166
1911 historical 137 #18,880
1997 modern 147 #21,393
1998 modern 144 #22,221
1999 modern 154 #21,455
2000 modern 150 #21,781
2001 modern 152 #21,294
2002 modern 161 #20,925
2003 modern 155 #21,217
2004 modern 160 #20,926
2005 modern 155 #21,318
2006 modern 147 #22,221
2007 modern 151 #22,120
2008 modern 158 #21,690
2009 modern 164 #21,628
2010 modern 170 #21,560
2011 modern 164 #21,900
2012 modern 173 #21,135
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 178 #21,149
2016 modern 176 #21,298

Geography

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Where Alcotts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rugby, Kingsbury, Upton Snodsbury, Croft and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cannock Chase, Huntingdonshire and South Gloucestershire. 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 Rugby Warwickshire
2 Kingsbury Staffordshire
3 Upton Snodsbury Worcestershire
4 Croft Herefordshire
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cannock Chase 008 Cannock Chase
2 Huntingdonshire 013 Huntingdonshire
3 Cannock Chase 010 Cannock Chase
4 Cannock Chase 007 Cannock Chase
5 South Gloucestershire 024 South Gloucestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Alcott

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Alcott

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Alcott 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

Alcott 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

Alcott falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Alcott

The surname Alcott originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ald" and "cot," which together mean "old cottage" or "old dwelling." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a particular location or residence.

One of the earliest documented instances of the Alcott name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners and tenants in various counties of England. The name is spelled "Aldecote" in this record, reflecting its Old English roots.

By the 14th century, variations such as "Aldecott" and "Aldcott" had emerged, as evidenced in historical records like the Poll Tax Returns of 1379. These slight spelling variations were common during that era, as standardized spellings were not yet widely established.

In the 16th century, the Alcott surname appeared in various parish records and court documents across different regions of England, including Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name had spread and become more widespread by that time.

One notable historical figure bearing the Alcott surname was Thomas Alcott (c. 1490-1557), who served as the Abbot of Waltham Abbey in Essex during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another prominent individual was Michael Alcott (c. 1550-1620), an English clergyman and theologian who authored several religious works.

In the 17th century, the surname Alcott gained further recognition with the birth of Nathaniel Alcott (1638-1692), an English-born settler who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony and became a prominent landowner and tavern keeper in the town of Lynn.

The 19th century saw the rise of one of the most famous individuals with the Alcott surname – Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), the renowned American novelist best known for her classic work "Little Women." Her father, Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), was an educational reformer and philosopher.

Other noteworthy individuals with the Alcott name include William Alcott (1798-1859), an American physician and educator who promoted vegetarianism and temperance; and Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney Alcott (1888-1960), an American novelist and biographer.

Throughout its history, the Alcott surname has maintained a strong presence, with its origins rooted in the English countryside and its legacy spanning numerous generations of notable individuals across various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Alcott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Alcott 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. Warwickshire leads with 27 Alcotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.43x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 27 11.43x
Middlesex 22 2.35x
Glamorgan 8 4.91x
Herefordshire 7 18.23x
Sussex 7 4.43x
Hampshire 6 3.13x
Kent 5 1.57x
Lancashire 5 0.45x
Worcestershire 5 4.09x
Surrey 2 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.79x
Staffordshire 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kensington London in Middlesex leads with 8 Alcotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.37x.

Place Total Index
Kensington London 8 15.37x
Roath 8 108.11x
Brighton 7 21.98x
Bedworth 6 348.84x
Chelsea London 6 21.27x
Coventry Holy Trinity 6 85.11x
Knockholt 5 2000.00x
Nuneaton 5 182.48x
Rugby 5 156.74x
Upton Snodsbury 5 4166.67x
Hereford St Owen 4 314.96x
Willesden 4 45.30x
Portsea 3 7.98x
Shoreditch London 3 7.39x
Warblington 3 394.74x
Merevale 2 3333.33x
Sutton Coldfield 2 80.65x
Toxteth Park 2 5.32x
Walton On Hill 2 33.22x
Aston 1 1.54x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.46x
Crasswall 1 1000.00x
Epsom 1 45.05x
Hereford All Sts 1 56.82x
Hope Under Dinmore 1 625.00x
Leek Lowe 1 23.81x
Newark Upon Trent 1 22.03x
Weybridge 1 102.04x
Wigan 1 6.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Eliza 4
Emma 3
Sarah 3
A. 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Agness 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Annetta 1
Clara 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Elishabeth 1
Esther 1
F. 1
Frances 1
Harrett 1
Harriett 1
Jennie 1
John 1
Keate 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Serreffa 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
Thomas 5
John 4
Joseph 3
Edward 2
George 2
James 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Everard 1
F. 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Richard 1
S. 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Alcott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Alcott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 95 people were recorded with the Alcott surname. That placed it at #20,349 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Alcott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016. That gives Alcott a modern rank of #21,298.

What does the Alcott surname mean?

Derived from an Old English place name meaning "cottage by the wood" or "Ella's cottage."

What does the Alcott map show?

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