NameCensus.

UK surname

Atterton

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a town or settlement near waters.

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Atterton surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 202, ranked #19,475, down from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St Leonard Shoreditch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough and Braintree.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Atterton is 262 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.6%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

202

2016, ranked #19,475

Peak year

1911

262 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Atterton had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 202 in 2016, ranked #19,475.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 262 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Atterton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Atterton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Atterton 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 130 #17,164
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 237 #13,242
1901 historical 232 #13,769
1911 historical 262 #12,501
1997 modern 189 #18,267
1998 modern 191 #18,624
1999 modern 200 #18,237
2000 modern 202 #18,094
2001 modern 197 #18,108
2002 modern 193 #18,713
2003 modern 201 #18,089
2004 modern 201 #18,168
2005 modern 203 #17,961
2006 modern 194 #18,627
2007 modern 195 #18,799
2008 modern 199 #18,699
2009 modern 205 #18,722
2010 modern 214 #18,601
2011 modern 211 #18,630
2012 modern 203 #19,025
2013 modern 205 #19,218
2014 modern 207 #19,259
2015 modern 202 #19,433
2016 modern 202 #19,475

Geography

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Where Attertons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St Leonard Shoreditch, London parishes, Lambeth and Skelton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, Braintree and Thurrock. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Skelton Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 001 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Middlesbrough 004 Middlesbrough
3 Middlesbrough 011 Middlesbrough
4 Braintree 002 Braintree
5 Thurrock 014 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Atterton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Atterton

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Atterton is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Atterton 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

Atterton 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 Atterton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Atterton

The surname Atterton has its origins in England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "atter" meaning "at the" and "ton" meaning "farm" or "settlement," suggesting that the name originally referred to someone who lived at a particular farm or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named Roger de Atterton is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that region by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various medieval records, such as the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1260, where a William de Atterton is listed. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of northern England by that time.

The Atterton surname is also closely associated with the village of Atterton in Lincolnshire, which was likely named after an early bearer of the surname who had settled there. This place name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Atredone."

One notable individual bearing the Atterton surname was John Atterton, who lived in the 16th century and was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. Another was William Atterton, a 17th-century English clergyman who served as the Rector of Cringleford in Norfolk from 1642 to 1677.

In the 18th century, the Atterton surname gained prominence through individuals like Thomas Atterton (1728-1788), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. Another notable figure was James Atterton (1758-1828), an English composer and organist who served as the organist at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

The 19th century saw the rise of Edward Atterton (1812-1890), a British civil engineer who worked on several major railway projects, including the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the London and North Western Railway.

While the Atterton surname is not as common today as it once was, it continues to hold a rich historical legacy, particularly in its association with various places and notable individuals throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Atterton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Atterton 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. Surrey leads with 24 Attertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.74x.

County Total Index
Surrey 24 3.74x
Middlesex 18 1.37x
Yorkshire 13 1.00x
Suffolk 12 7.48x
Essex 10 3.85x
Gloucestershire 10 3.87x
Hampshire 8 2.96x
Norfolk 8 3.95x
Durham 7 1.79x
Bedfordshire 6 8.80x
Lincolnshire 4 1.90x
Staffordshire 4 0.90x
Flintshire 3 8.48x
Kent 3 0.67x
Hertfordshire 1 1.10x
Huntingdonshire 1 3.83x
Lancashire 1 0.06x
Northamptonshire 1 0.81x
Worcestershire 1 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 16 Attertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.94x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 16 13.94x
Shoreditch London 10 17.52x
Norwich St Peter 8 601.50x
St Faith Winchester 8 634.92x
Skelton In Guisbrough 7 198.30x
Bristol St James St Paul 6 69.69x
Leighton Buzzard 6 204.78x
Norton 6 416.67x
Stoke 6 4285.71x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 4 16.45x
Halstead 4 132.01x
Lichfield St Mary 4 312.50x
Middlesbrough 4 23.54x
Spittlegate 4 137.46x
Tilbury 4 4000.00x
Battersea 3 6.19x
Clare 3 389.61x
Haverhill 3 211.27x
Holywell 3 67.57x
Tottenham 3 14.31x
Barking 2 26.32x
Margate St John Baptist 2 24.30x
Reigate Foreign 2 28.78x
St Pancras London 2 1.89x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.75x
Bromley 1 14.60x
Bulwick 1 666.67x
Camberwell 1 1.19x
Elwick 1 1000.00x
Haslingden 1 15.46x
Hipperholme Cum 1 17.45x
Huntingdon All Sts 1 555.56x
Rotherhithe 1 6.15x
Sheffield 1 2.41x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 17.54x
St Marylebone London 1 1.42x
Tring 1 41.32x
Woking 1 25.84x
Worcester St Michael 1 500.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 6
Ann 5
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Alice 2
Ellen 2
Ethel 2
Harriet 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabth. 1
Emma 1
Eva 1
Evangelina 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Keziah 1
Lizzie 1
Louie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margert 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Naomi 1
Nellie 1
Rosa 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 8
George 7
James 7
Charles 5
Frederick 3
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Cecil 1
Chas.Walter 1
Fredrick 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Seaton 1
Sidney 1
Willey 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Atterton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Atterton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Atterton surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Atterton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 202 in 2016. That gives Atterton a modern rank of #19,475.

What does the Atterton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a town or settlement near waters.

What does the Atterton map show?

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