NameCensus.

UK surname

Appleton

An English locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places called Appleton, meaning "orchard town."

In the 1881 census there were 4,692 people recorded with the Appleton surname, ranking it #948 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,391, ranked #1,056, down from #948 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Appleton is 6,874 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.2%.

1881 census count

4,692

Ranked #948

Modern count

6,391

2016, ranked #1,056

Peak year

1999

6,874 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Appleton had 4,692 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #948 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,391 in 2016, ranked #1,056.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,613 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Appleton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Appleton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Appleton 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 2,903 #1,000
1861 historical 3,394 #833
1881 historical 4,692 #948
1891 historical 5,216 #902
1901 historical 6,021 #922
1911 historical 6,613 #782
1997 modern 6,499 #999
1998 modern 6,764 #999
1999 modern 6,874 #989
2000 modern 6,740 #1,003
2001 modern 6,622 #998
2002 modern 6,684 #1,012
2003 modern 6,522 #1,017
2004 modern 6,508 #1,019
2005 modern 6,367 #1,029
2006 modern 6,434 #1,015
2007 modern 6,491 #1,014
2008 modern 6,500 #1,021
2009 modern 6,642 #1,019
2010 modern 6,741 #1,027
2011 modern 6,633 #1,030
2012 modern 6,413 #1,042
2013 modern 6,528 #1,046
2014 modern 6,559 #1,047
2015 modern 6,441 #1,053
2016 modern 6,391 #1,056

Geography

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Where Appletons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Warrington Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
2 St. Helens 007 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 020 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
5 St. Helens 022 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Appleton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Appleton

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Appleton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Appleton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Appleton 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

Appleton is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Appleton 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 Appleton 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 Appleton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Appleton

The surname Appleton is of English origin and derives from the Old English words "aeppel" meaning apple and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. It is a locational surname, indicating the name originated from a place where apple trees grew in abundance, likely a settlement or village named Appleton.

The name Appleton can be traced back to the 11th century in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Apeltuna" in Yorkshire. This early record suggests the surname was already in use before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records as "de Apelton" and "de Appilton", reflecting the common practice of adding the preposition "de" to indicate a person's place of origin.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Robert de Apilton, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1260.

Notable individuals with the surname Appleton include Sir Isaac Appleton (1616-1692), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1661. Jesse Appleton (1772-1819) was an American educator and theologian who served as the president of Bowdoin College from 1807 to 1819.

Thomas Appleton (1612-1670) was an early settler in New England and a co-founder of the town of Ipswich, Massachusetts. His descendants included several prominent figures, such as Nathan Appleton (1779-1861), a successful merchant and philanthropist, and Samuel Appleton (1766-1853), a businessman and philanthropist who was a member of the Massachusetts State Senate.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Edward Appleton (1892-1965), an English physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1947 for his contributions to the study of the ionosphere.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Appleton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Appleton 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. Lancashire leads with 1,302 Appletons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.40x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,302 2.40x
Yorkshire 803 1.77x
Middlesex 380 0.83x
Durham 348 2.55x
Kent 304 1.95x
Surrey 250 1.12x
Hampshire 240 2.56x
Essex 188 2.08x
Cheshire 183 1.81x
Norfolk 148 2.10x
Berkshire 138 4.02x
Northumberland 54 0.79x
Staffordshire 47 0.30x
Lincolnshire 45 0.61x
Gloucestershire 34 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 30 0.49x
Somerset 16 0.22x
Warwickshire 16 0.14x
Buckinghamshire 15 0.54x
Sussex 15 0.19x
Derbyshire 13 0.18x
Devon 13 0.14x
Leicestershire 13 0.26x
Renfrewshire 10 0.28x
Worcestershire 9 0.15x
Glamorgan 8 0.10x
Suffolk 7 0.13x
Cornwall 6 0.12x
Lanarkshire 6 0.04x
Northamptonshire 6 0.14x
Oxfordshire 6 0.21x
Wiltshire 6 0.15x
Merionethshire 5 0.60x
Shropshire 5 0.13x
Cumberland 4 0.10x
Hertfordshire 4 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.10x
Stirlingshire 3 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.11x
Dorset 2 0.07x
Denbighshire 1 0.06x
Isle of Man 1 0.12x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Monmouthshire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Windle in Lancashire leads with 111 Appletons recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.31x.

Place Total Index
Windle 111 36.31x
Warrington 74 11.49x
Liverpool 67 2.03x
Sutton 63 34.57x
Stockton On Tees 58 8.83x
Battersea 57 3.38x
Manchester 56 2.29x
Newton In Makerfield 56 33.66x
Leeds 54 2.11x
Eccleston In Prescot 51 18.70x
Hulme 44 3.88x
Toxteth Park 44 2.39x
Hackney London 40 1.56x
West Derby 40 2.52x
Whitstable 39 50.89x
Prescot 38 38.67x
Nonington 37 297.19x
Wigan 37 4.87x
Lambeth 35 0.88x
Bethnal Green London 34 1.71x
Everton 33 1.91x
Middlesbrough 32 5.42x
North Walsham 32 63.03x
Sherfield Upon Loddon 32 318.09x
Holy Trinity 30 2.75x
Ardwick 29 5.92x
Skelmersdale 28 30.92x
Parr 27 13.89x
Feltham 26 56.87x
Moss Side 26 9.09x
Newington 26 1.54x
Thirsk 26 49.67x
Islington London 25 0.56x
Kirkdale 25 2.74x
St Lawrence 25 23.28x
Widnes 25 6.38x
Bishopstoke 24 99.63x
Darlington 24 4.56x
Kensington London 24 0.94x
Wavertree 24 13.80x
Longworth 23 246.25x
Oldham 23 1.31x
Billingham 22 93.82x
Portsea 22 1.20x
Southwark St George Martyr 22 2.39x
Bradford 21 1.91x
Whitby 21 13.73x
Reading St Mary 20 7.26x
St Pancras London 20 0.54x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 19 12.24x
Ince In Makerfield 19 7.52x
Maidstone 19 4.08x
Mile End Old Town London 19 1.95x
Stoke Upon Trent 19 1.16x
Tunstead 19 287.88x
Beverley St Martin 18 23.77x
Brompton In 18 88.76x
Chorlton On Medlock 18 2.09x
Latchford 18 26.81x
Nottingham St Mary 18 1.13x
Sculcoates 18 2.50x
Shoreditch London 18 0.91x
Bermondsey 17 1.25x
Bickerstaffe 17 47.81x
Camberwell 17 0.58x
Lymm 17 23.14x
Poulton With Fearnhead 17 146.17x
Tolleshunt D Arcy 17 132.09x
Birkenhead 16 1.99x
Great Yarmouth 16 2.74x
Simonswood 16 219.48x
Westoe 16 2.07x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 15 1.77x
Deal 15 11.26x
Scarborough 15 3.64x
St George Hanover Square 15 1.86x
Tadley 14 87.66x
West Ham 14 0.70x
Barnton 13 53.90x
Gate Fulford 13 12.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 348
Elizabeth 205
Sarah 162
Jane 119
Ann 92
Alice 81
Annie 81
Ellen 80
Margaret 76
Eliza 68
Emma 60
Martha 56
Hannah 51
Emily 37
Maria 31
Charlotte 28
Ada 27
Catherine 26
Caroline 25
Edith 25
Amelia 21
Harriet 21
Anne 20
Clara 20
Esther 20
Louisa 20
Florence 19
Isabella 17
Agnes 15
Fanny 14
Frances 14
Kate 14
Lucy 14
Rose 14
Rebecca 13
Elizth. 12
Sophia 12
Harriett 9
Susan 9
Eleanor 8
Gertrude 8
Matilda 8
Betsy 7
Helen 7
Isabel 7
Jessie 7
Lydia 7
Rachael 7
Margt. 6
Priscilla 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 297
John 292
Thomas 175
James 173
George 164
Henry 108
Joseph 77
Charles 73
Samuel 63
Robert 60
Edward 55
Alfred 53
Richard 52
Walter 38
Frederick 36
Arthur 35
Peter 29
Albert 21
Wm. 21
Thos. 19
Ernest 16
Harry 16
Edwin 14
Herbert 14
David 13
Geo. 11
Fred 10
Christopher 9
Jas. 9
Frank 8
Isaac 8
Stephen 8
Chas. 7
Robt. 7
Tom 7
Francis 6
Matthew 6
Willm. 6
Josiah 5
Aaron 4
Benjamin 4
Daniel 4
Edwd. 4
Jno. 4
Leonard 4
Moses 4
Saml. 4
Simon 4
Alexander 3
Joshua 3

FAQ

Appleton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Appleton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,692 people were recorded with the Appleton surname. That placed it at #948 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Appleton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,391 in 2016. That gives Appleton a modern rank of #1,056.

What does the Appleton surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places called Appleton, meaning "orchard town."

What does the Appleton map show?

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