NameCensus.

UK surname

Attaway

Derived from a place name meaning "at the way," referring to someone who lived near a road or path.

In the 1881 census there were 83 people recorded with the Attaway surname, ranking it #21,808 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 120, ranked #27,563, down from #21,808 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tunbridge, Bidborough, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Preston-next-Faversham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nottingham and Maidstone.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Attaway is 162 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.6%.

1881 census count

83

Ranked #21,808

Modern count

120

2016, ranked #27,563

Peak year

1901

162 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Attaway had 83 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,808 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016, ranked #27,563.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 162 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Attaway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Attaway surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Attaway 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 105 #20,298
1881 historical 83 #21,808
1891 historical 146 #18,664
1901 historical 162 #17,271
1911 historical 148 #18,023
1997 modern 120 #24,158
1998 modern 125 #24,198
1999 modern 133 #23,487
2000 modern 124 #24,469
2001 modern 126 #23,883
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 118 #25,301
2006 modern 114 #26,120
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 115 #26,635
2009 modern 116 #27,062
2010 modern 122 #26,876
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 116 #27,550
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 115 #28,319
2016 modern 120 #27,563

Geography

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Where Attaways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tunbridge, Bidborough, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Preston-next-Faversham, Sittingbourne and St Giles Cripplegate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nottingham and Maidstone. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Preston-next-Faversham Kent
4 Sittingbourne Kent
5 St Giles Cripplegate London (Central Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nottingham 005 Nottingham
2 Nottingham 012 Nottingham
3 Maidstone 002 Maidstone
4 Nottingham 020 Nottingham
5 Nottingham 009 Nottingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Attaway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Attaway

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Attaway is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Attaway 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

Attaway 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 Attaway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Attaway

The surname Attaway is believed to have originated in England, with roots tracing back to the late 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "æt," meaning "at," and the word "weg," meaning "way" or "path." It's likely that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a well-traveled road or path.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1198, where a William Attewaye is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, referring to a Richard Atteway.

During the 13th century, the name was also found in various forms, such as Ateweye, Atteweye, and Attwaye, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. These early records suggest that the name was primarily concentrated in the southern and central regions of England.

In the 14th century, the name Attaway appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, where a John Atteway is recorded in 1327. Around the same time, a Thomas Attewaye is mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1334.

One notable historical figure bearing the Attaway surname was Sir John Attaway, a Member of Parliament for Wigan in 1554 during the reign of Queen Mary I. Records indicate that he was born in 1520 and played a significant role in local politics during the turbulent years of the English Reformation.

Another individual of note was William Attaway, who was born in 1635 in Somerset, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his descendants later emigrated to the American colonies in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Attaway surname appeared in the parish records of Gloucestershire, where a Robert Attaway was born in 1712. Later, in the 19th century, a John Attaway, born in 1823 in Oxfordshire, became a renowned scholar and author, publishing several works on English literature and history.

Throughout the centuries, the Attaway surname has been associated with various place names, such as Attaway Farm in Worcestershire and Attaway's Green in Somerset, further reinforcing the name's English origins and geographic connections.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Attaway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Attaway 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 51 Attaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.46x.

County Total Index
Kent 51 18.46x
Middlesex 18 2.22x
Sussex 7 5.13x
Surrey 5 1.27x
Berkshire 1 1.65x
Gloucestershire 1 0.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston Next Faversham in Kent leads with 13 Attaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 2000.00x.

Place Total Index
Preston Next Faversham 13 2000.00x
Faversham 12 456.27x
St Giles Cripplegate 9 841.12x
Kennington 7 3333.33x
St Pancras London 6 9.21x
Borden 5 1428.57x
Frant 5 515.46x
Woking 4 168.07x
Hollington 2 408.16x
Mersham 2 1000.00x
Ramsgate 2 44.35x
Smarden 2 625.00x
All Hallows Staining 1 2000.00x
Bobbing 1 769.23x
Chartham 1 144.93x
Deptford St Paul 1 4.69x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 37.45x
Egerton 1 416.67x
Gillingham 1 17.57x
Littleworth 1 666.67x
Lynsted 1 277.78x
Reading St Mary 1 20.53x
Sittingbourne 1 45.87x
Southwark St Thomas 1 454.55x
St Luke London 1 7.70x
St Michael Bassishaw 1 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Mary 5
Emily 3
Emma 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Jennie 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Margarate 1
Margaret 1
Priscilla 1
Rhodia 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Attaway households.

FAQ

Attaway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Attaway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 83 people were recorded with the Attaway surname. That placed it at #21,808 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Attaway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016. That gives Attaway a modern rank of #27,563.

What does the Attaway surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "at the way," referring to someone who lived near a road or path.

What does the Attaway map show?

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