NameCensus.

UK surname

Auchterlonie

A surname with Scottish origins, potentially derived from a place name.

In the 1881 census there were 208 people recorded with the Auchterlonie surname, ranking it #12,511 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 276, ranked #15,673, down from #12,511 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Arbroath and St. Vigeans and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirkcaldy Templehall West, Coupar Angus and Meigle and City Centre.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Auchterlonie is 366 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.7%.

1881 census count

208

Ranked #12,511

Modern count

276

2016, ranked #15,673

Peak year

1901

366 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Auchterlonie had 208 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,511 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016, ranked #15,673.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 366 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Auchterlonie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Auchterlonie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Auchterlonie 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 102 #16,933
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 208 #12,511
1891 historical 317 #10,611
1901 historical 366 #10,099
1911 historical 54 #27,423
1997 modern 301 #13,492
1998 modern 308 #13,661
1999 modern 313 #13,587
2000 modern 331 #13,045
2001 modern 312 #13,392
2002 modern 320 #13,414
2003 modern 293 #14,037
2004 modern 297 #13,971
2005 modern 292 #14,072
2006 modern 285 #14,361
2007 modern 284 #14,548
2008 modern 297 #14,230
2009 modern 303 #14,315
2010 modern 287 #15,195
2011 modern 266 #15,937
2012 modern 272 #15,586
2013 modern 271 #15,875
2014 modern 275 #15,831
2015 modern 270 #15,911
2016 modern 276 #15,673

Geography

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Where Auchterlonies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirkcaldy Templehall West, Coupar Angus and Meigle, City Centre, Blairgowrie West and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirkcaldy Templehall West Fife
2 Coupar Angus and Meigle Perth and Kinross
3 City Centre Dundee City
4 Blairgowrie West Perth and Kinross
5 Bath and North East Somerset 002 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Auchterlonie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Auchterlonie

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Auchterlonie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Auchterlonie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Auchterlonie 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

Auchterlonie is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Auchterlonie falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Auchterlonie

The surname Auchterlonie is of Scottish origin, derived from the lands of Auchterlony near the town of Forfar in Angus. It is believed to have emerged in the 13th century and is thought to be a locational name, meaning "the field of the green hill."

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the "Exchequer Rolls of Scotland" in 1296, where it appears as "Auchterlounie." Other early forms of the name include Auchterlony, Auchtirlony, and Oughtirlony.

In the 16th century, the Auchterlonie family was well-established in Angus, with several members holding prominent positions. One notable figure was John Auchterlonie, who was appointed as the Rector of Guthrie in 1563.

The Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England and parts of Wales completed in 1086, does not contain any references to the surname Auchterlonie, as it is a distinctly Scottish name.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Auchterlonie surname. These include Sir John Auchterlonie (1696-1767), a Scottish military officer who served in the British Army during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.

Another prominent figure was James Auchterlonie (1793-1867), a Scottish minister and author who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland in 1849.

In the 19th century, Alexander Auchterlonie (1829-1908) was a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Dubuque, Iowa, where he resided.

Sir Dugald Clerk Auchterlonie (1866-1942) was a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Justice Clerk, the second highest judicial office in Scotland.

More recently, John Auchterlonie (1924-2014) was a Scottish actor and writer, best known for his roles in television series such as "Dr. Finlay's Casebook" and "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Auchterlonie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Auchterlonie 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. Fife leads with 89 Auchterlonies recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.82x.

County Total Index
Fife 89 74.82x
Angus 32 17.19x
Lanarkshire 23 3.54x
Dunbartonshire 16 29.63x
Renfrewshire 7 4.50x
Lancashire 6 0.25x
Northumberland 6 2.01x
Buteshire 5 41.08x
Durham 5 0.84x
Roxburghshire 5 13.74x
Midlothian 3 1.11x
Surrey 3 0.31x
Aberdeenshire 2 1.07x
Perthshire 2 2.22x
Stirlingshire 1 1.35x
West Lothian 1 3.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Andrews in Fife leads with 33 Auchterlonies recorded in 1881 and an index of 609.98x.

Place Total Index
St Andrews 33 609.98x
Dundee 21 30.22x
Monimail 17 2931.03x
Kirkintilloch 11 149.86x
Forfar 9 89.29x
Abbotshall 7 157.66x
Barony 7 4.26x
Govan 7 4.36x
Paisley High Church 7 56.45x
Berwick Upon Tweed 6 94.79x
Bute North 5 609.76x
Creich 5 1851.85x
Dumbarton 5 66.49x
Flisk 5 2777.78x
Kelso 5 137.74x
Maryhill 5 39.31x
Westoe 5 14.75x
Cupar 4 77.37x
Dunfermline 4 21.87x
Everton 4 5.26x
Battersea 3 4.06x
Cambusnethan 3 20.79x
Kilmany 3 681.82x
Kilrenny 3 136.36x
Largo 3 194.81x
Abernethy 2 169.49x
Crail 2 165.29x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 1.85x
Tarves 2 113.64x
Toxteth Park 2 2.48x
Arbirlot 1 175.44x
Bothkennar 1 45.25x
Bothwell 1 5.68x
Collessie 1 72.99x
Dairsie 1 208.33x
Dalmeny 1 86.21x
Kinghorn 1 39.68x
North Leith 1 8.03x
St Vigeans 1 9.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Eliza 1
Euphemia 1
Harriet 1
Helan 1
Jane 1
Magdalene 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 3
John 2
William 2
Andrew 1
Crawford 1
Minni 1
N. 1

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 Auchterlonie households.

FAQ

Auchterlonie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Auchterlonie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 208 people were recorded with the Auchterlonie surname. That placed it at #12,511 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Auchterlonie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 276 in 2016. That gives Auchterlonie a modern rank of #15,673.

What does the Auchterlonie surname mean?

A surname with Scottish origins, potentially derived from a place name.

What does the Auchterlonie map show?

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