NameCensus.

UK surname

Atton

An English surname likely derived from a place name in Britain.

In the 1881 census there were 131 people recorded with the Atton surname, ranking it #16,824 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 270, ranked #15,913, up from #16,824 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, Winchendon, Upper and Braunston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge, Blaby and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Atton is 307 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 106.1%.

1881 census count

131

Ranked #16,824

Modern count

270

2016, ranked #15,913

Peak year

2010

307 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Atton had 131 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,824 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 270 in 2016, ranked #15,913.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 188 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Atton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Atton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Atton 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 126 #14,626
1861 historical 188 #12,628
1881 historical 131 #16,824
1891 historical 154 #18,004
1901 historical 133 #19,372
1911 historical 184 #15,742
1997 modern 254 #15,111
1998 modern 277 #14,646
1999 modern 284 #14,474
2000 modern 284 #14,457
2001 modern 274 #14,576
2002 modern 288 #14,373
2003 modern 285 #14,295
2004 modern 281 #14,489
2005 modern 285 #14,273
2006 modern 277 #14,667
2007 modern 291 #14,347
2008 modern 289 #14,502
2009 modern 302 #14,353
2010 modern 307 #14,485
2011 modern 305 #14,439
2012 modern 283 #15,115
2013 modern 277 #15,644
2014 modern 279 #15,661
2015 modern 271 #15,881
2016 modern 270 #15,913

Geography

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Where Attons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, Winchendon, Upper, Braunston, Oakham, Leigh Field Forest and Rotherham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge, Blaby, Scarborough, East Staffordshire and Melton. 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 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
2 Winchendon, Upper Buckinghamshire
3 Braunston Rutland
4 Oakham, Leigh Field Forest Rutland
5 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 007 Torridge
2 Blaby 007 Blaby
3 Scarborough 014 Scarborough
4 East Staffordshire 007 East Staffordshire
5 Melton 006 Melton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Atton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Atton

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Atton is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Atton is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Atton falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Atton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Atton

The surname Atton is of English origin and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English personal name Atta, which means "father" or "leader of men". This name was commonly found in areas of Sussex and Kent in southern England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Atton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as Atun, which was a common spelling variation during that time period.

During the Middle Ages, the Atton surname was often associated with landowners and nobles in southern England. In the 13th century, a Sir William Atton was a prominent knight and landowner in the county of Sussex. He is recorded as participating in the Barons' War against King Henry III in the 1260s.

In the 16th century, the Atton surname began to spread to other parts of England, particularly the Midlands and northern regions. John Atton, born in 1542 in Leicestershire, was a renowned scholar and translator who produced English translations of several Latin works.

Another notable figure was Sir Richard Atton, a 17th-century English diplomat and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for the City of London and was involved in negotiating the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession.

In the 18th century, the Atton surname was also found in Scotland, likely due to migration from England. One example is Robert Atton, a Scottish merchant and shipowner who was born in Glasgow in 1728 and played a significant role in the city's trading industry.

As the surname spread across different regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Atten, Attin, and Attoun, reflecting local dialects and scribal variations in record-keeping.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Atton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Atton 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. Rutland leads with 41 Attons recorded in 1881 and an index of 447.11x.

County Total Index
Rutland 41 447.11x
Yorkshire 19 1.54x
Leicestershire 18 13.00x
Lincolnshire 11 5.51x
Durham 10 2.69x
Hampshire 6 2.34x
Lancashire 6 0.41x
Staffordshire 6 1.42x
Middlesex 3 0.24x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.78x
Somerset 2 1.00x
Hertfordshire 1 1.16x
Kent 1 0.23x
Warwickshire 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. Braunston in Rutland leads with 20 Attons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11764.71x.

Place Total Index
Braunston 20 11764.71x
Kimberworth 11 160.12x
Ashwell 10 10000.00x
Bishop Auckland 10 200.80x
Stamford All Sts 9 803.57x
Burton Upon Trent 6 60.85x
Farnborough 5 185.87x
Leicester St Margaret 5 14.81x
Peckleton 5 4545.45x
Uppingham 5 458.72x
Pontefract 4 149.81x
Windle 4 47.96x
Hambleton 3 3000.00x
Hipperholme Cum 3 55.15x
Horninghold 3 6000.00x
Nottingham St Mary 3 6.89x
Gaulby 2 5000.00x
Melton Mowbray 2 80.32x
Oakham Lordshold 2 208.33x
Spalding 2 50.51x
Trull 2 487.80x
Aston 1 1.15x
Binsted 1 102.04x
Hampstead London 1 5.14x
Middlesbrough 1 6.21x
Mile End Old Town London 1 3.76x
Morcott 1 476.19x
Oldham 1 2.09x
Royston 1 136.99x
Somerby 1 434.78x
St Pancras London 1 1.00x
Westerham 1 102.04x
Wigan 1 4.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 8
Mary 7
Elizabeth 6
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Alice 3
Sarah 3
Anne 2
Ellen 2
Jane 2
Margt. 2
Susan 2
Adeliza 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
Theodosia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
William 8
George 6
Henry 6
Robert 5
Arthur 4
James 3
Alfred 2
Daniel 2
Job 2
Andrew 1
Dick 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Horatio 1
Joseph 1
Mansfield 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1
Nathaniel 1
Richd.Jno. 1
Rt.Ed. 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Atton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Atton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 131 people were recorded with the Atton surname. That placed it at #16,824 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Atton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 270 in 2016. That gives Atton a modern rank of #15,913.

What does the Atton surname mean?

An English surname likely derived from a place name in Britain.

What does the Atton map show?

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