NameCensus.

UK surname

Barnett

A locational surname derived from any of several places named Barnett, likely referring to a "burnt" or "cleared" area.

In the 1881 census there were 13,495 people recorded with the Barnett surname, ranking it #301 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 21,029, ranked #281, up from #301 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent, Forest of Dean and Chesterfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barnett is 22,257 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.8%.

1881 census count

13,495

Ranked #301

Modern count

21,029

2016, ranked #281

Peak year

1999

22,257 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barnett had 13,495 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #301 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 21,029 in 2016, ranked #281.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 19,666 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Barnett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barnett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barnett 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 8,234 #334
1861 historical 9,494 #277
1881 historical 13,495 #301
1891 historical 15,327 #277
1901 historical 18,074 #278
1911 historical 19,666 #230
1997 modern 20,905 #281
1998 modern 22,123 #271
1999 modern 22,257 #271
2000 modern 22,076 #270
2001 modern 21,491 #272
2002 modern 21,847 #275
2003 modern 21,346 #274
2004 modern 21,301 #273
2005 modern 20,887 #277
2006 modern 20,742 #278
2007 modern 20,870 #279
2008 modern 20,894 #280
2009 modern 21,297 #281
2010 modern 21,662 #282
2011 modern 21,498 #279
2012 modern 21,012 #278
2013 modern 21,433 #280
2014 modern 21,490 #281
2015 modern 21,195 #281
2016 modern 21,029 #281

Geography

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Where Barnetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Pancras and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent, Forest of Dean and Chesterfield. 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 1
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 017 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
3 Chesterfield 004 Chesterfield
4 Stoke-on-Trent 006 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Chesterfield 010 Chesterfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barnett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barnett

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

Barnett is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Barnett falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Barnett

The surname Barnett has its origins in medieval England, derived from the personal name Barnett, a diminutive of the name Barnard, which was a popular name during the Middle Ages. The name Barnard itself is believed to have come from the Germanic name Bernhard, composed of the elements "bera" meaning bear and "hard" meaning brave or hardy.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Barnett can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Barnard." This suggests that the surname was already in use in England during the 11th century, likely among those of Norman descent.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Barnett began to appear in various records and documents across England, particularly in areas such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire. The name was often spelled in different ways, including Barnett, Barnet, Barnitt, and Barnette, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and regional dialects.

One notable figure bearing the surname Barnett was John Barnett, a merchant and Member of Parliament for the city of London in the late 16th century (c. 1550-1598). Another was Richard Barnett, an English Jesuit priest who was executed for his faith during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in 1597.

In the 17th century, the Barnett surname was associated with several prominent individuals, including John Barnett (1615-1685), an English mathematician and astronomer, and Samuel Barnett (1644-1723), a Church of England clergyman and author.

The 18th century saw the rise of Sir John Barnett (1714-1804), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. Another notable figure was Richard Barnett (1760-1827), an English musician and composer best known for his operas and oratorios.

During the 19th century, the surname Barnett continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as John Barnett (1802-1890), an English architect and civil engineer, and Samuel Augustus Barnett (1844-1913), a social reformer and founder of the first university settlement in London.

Throughout its history, the surname Barnett has been associated with various places and place names, particularly in England. For example, the town of Barnett in Hertfordshire is believed to have derived its name from the surname, reflecting the presence of families bearing this name in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barnett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barnett 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. Middlesex leads with 2,023 Barnetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.54x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,023 1.54x
Staffordshire 999 2.25x
Lancashire 854 0.55x
Surrey 778 1.21x
Warwickshire 771 2.32x
Yorkshire 760 0.58x
Cheshire 668 2.30x
Kent 536 1.19x
Hampshire 491 1.82x
Gloucestershire 414 1.60x
Sussex 387 1.74x
Worcestershire 347 2.02x
Lincolnshire 325 1.54x
Wiltshire 314 2.69x
Nottinghamshire 267 1.50x
Shropshire 237 2.08x
Somerset 222 1.05x
Glamorgan 213 0.93x
Derbyshire 208 1.01x
Leicestershire 201 1.38x
Northamptonshire 175 1.41x
Durham 170 0.43x
Aberdeenshire 160 1.31x
Berkshire 160 1.62x
Essex 127 0.49x
Herefordshire 127 2.35x
Oxfordshire 125 1.54x
Lanarkshire 118 0.28x
Devon 105 0.38x
Cornwall 92 0.62x
Buckinghamshire 88 1.10x
Monmouthshire 87 0.91x
Rutland 86 8.89x
Dorset 83 0.96x
Angus 69 0.57x
Midlothian 58 0.33x
Bedfordshire 54 0.79x
Orkney 43 2.97x
Denbighshire 41 0.82x
Hertfordshire 41 0.45x
Perthshire 36 0.61x
Norfolk 33 0.16x
Ross-shire 32 0.88x
Fife 30 0.38x
Northumberland 29 0.15x
Pembrokeshire 28 0.67x
Carmarthenshire 27 0.49x
Westmorland 27 0.93x
Huntingdonshire 26 0.99x
Kincardineshire 21 1.31x
Flintshire 18 0.51x
Cambridgeshire 17 0.20x
Anglesey 16 0.69x
Channel Islands 16 0.41x
Renfrewshire 15 0.15x
Merionethshire 13 0.54x
Cumberland 12 0.11x
East Lothian 12 0.69x
Royal Navy 12 0.76x
Brecknockshire 9 0.34x
Stirlingshire 9 0.19x
Caernarfonshire 8 0.15x
Suffolk 7 0.04x
Banffshire 5 0.18x
Isle of Man 4 0.16x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.13x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.08x
Inverness-shire 3 0.08x
Wigtownshire 3 0.17x
Argyllshire 2 0.05x
Ayrshire 2 0.02x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.10x
Peeblesshire 1 0.16x
Roxburghshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 257 Barnetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.32x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 257 2.32x
Islington London 199 1.56x
St Pancras London 140 1.32x
Wolverhampton 138 4.04x
St Marylebone London 134 1.90x
Aston 119 1.30x
Whitechapel London 119 9.16x
Lambeth 113 0.98x
Nottingham St Mary 113 2.46x
Stoke Upon Trent 110 2.33x
Mile End Old Town London 107 3.82x
Camberwell 88 1.05x
Bethnal Green London 84 1.47x
Shoreditch London 83 1.45x
Paddington London 82 1.69x
Portsea 81 1.53x
Kensington London 76 1.04x
Brighton 75 1.67x
Tottenham 68 3.24x
Spitalfields London 65 6.56x
Wolstanton 65 4.81x
Deptford St Paul 64 1.85x
Battersea 61 1.26x
Manchester 61 0.87x
Cheltenham 57 2.86x
Croydon 57 1.60x
Liverpool 57 0.60x
West Ham 56 0.98x
Macclesfield 55 4.25x
Nantwich 54 15.98x
St Botolph Aldgate London 53 19.53x
Burslem 52 4.08x
Bermondsey 50 1.27x
Gwennap 50 17.77x
Hackney London 50 0.68x
Bromley London 49 1.69x
Holy Trinity 48 1.53x
Salford 47 1.02x
St George In East London 47 3.79x
Govan 46 0.44x
Newington 45 0.92x
West Bromwich 45 1.77x
Haslington 43 52.55x
Monks Coppenhall 43 3.92x
Sedgley 43 2.60x
Aldershot 42 4.64x
Birkenhead 42 1.81x
Corsham 42 24.70x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 41 1.80x
Chelsea London 41 1.03x
Southampton St Mary 41 2.41x
Leicester St Margaret 39 1.09x
Whitchurch 39 45.51x
Ashton Under Hill 38 233.42x
Congleton 38 7.56x
St Luke London 38 1.80x
Leeds 37 0.50x
Barrow In Furness 36 1.69x
Lilbourne 36 300.00x
Kings Norton 35 2.27x
Richmond 35 3.89x
Coventry Holy Trinity 34 3.43x
Drayton In Hales 34 14.49x
East West Challow 34 132.50x
Pendleton In Salford 34 1.83x
Stockport 34 2.27x
Toxteth Park 34 0.64x
Walsall Foreign 34 1.48x
Aberdeen Old Machar 33 1.30x
Hillingdon 33 7.86x
Swansea Town 33 1.75x
Altrincham 32 6.30x
Coventry St Michael 32 3.00x
Glasgow 32 0.42x
Handsworth 32 2.92x
Rotherhithe 32 1.97x
Willenhall 32 3.84x
Barony 30 0.28x
Cheddleton 30 32.23x
Trowbridge 30 5.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 840
Elizabeth 522
Sarah 447
Jane 256
Ann 250
Eliza 216
Emma 207
Ellen 185
Annie 171
Hannah 159
Alice 153
Emily 150
Martha 100
Margaret 97
Harriet 95
Fanny 90
Louisa 86
Maria 82
Charlotte 77
Florence 77
Ada 75
Edith 73
Caroline 71
Harriett 67
Clara 63
Catherine 60
Kate 58
Esther 57
Rose 55
Anne 54
Amelia 53
Rebecca 49
Lucy 48
Julia 44
Frances 43
Agnes 41
Susan 39
Elizth. 33
Sophia 31
Rachel 30
Amy 28
Matilda 25
Minnie 25
Lydia 24
Leah 22
Henrietta 21
Isabella 21
Jessie 20
Eleanor 19
Lizzie 19

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 786
John 753
George 443
Thomas 400
James 378
Henry 299
Charles 249
Joseph 232
Alfred 156
Samuel 152
Edward 149
Richard 112
Robert 106
Frederick 105
Walter 101
Arthur 94
Albert 89
Harry 73
Ernest 57
Edwin 52
Frank 49
Herbert 44
Daniel 42
David 41
Benjamin 39
Abraham 37
Francis 37
Wm. 32
Isaac 29
Thos. 22
Stephen 21
Tom 20
Geo. 19
Fred 18
Michael 17
Morris 15
Fredk. 14
Jacob 14
Fredrick 13
Louis 13
Ralph 13
Sidney 12
Alexander 11
Andrew 11
Barnett 11
Jas. 11
Lewis 11
Percy 11
Philip 11
Saml. 11

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 Barnett households.

FAQ

Barnett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barnett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13,495 people were recorded with the Barnett surname. That placed it at #301 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barnett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 21,029 in 2016. That gives Barnett a modern rank of #281.

What does the Barnett surname mean?

A locational surname derived from any of several places named Barnett, likely referring to a "burnt" or "cleared" area.

What does the Barnett map show?

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