NameCensus.

UK surname

Belton

Derived from a place name meaning "farmstead or village in a belt of land," likely referring to a hill.

In the 1881 census there were 1,612 people recorded with the Belton surname, ranking it #2,650 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,169, ranked #2,982, down from #2,650 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Lincolnshire, Lochgelly East and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Belton is 2,350 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.6%.

1881 census count

1,612

Ranked #2,650

Modern count

2,169

2016, ranked #2,982

Peak year

2000

2,350 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Belton had 1,612 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,650 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,169 in 2016, ranked #2,982.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,346 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Belton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Belton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Belton 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 1,019 #2,741
1861 historical 928 #2,994
1881 historical 1,612 #2,650
1891 historical 1,715 #2,642
1901 historical 2,166 #2,484
1911 historical 2,346 #2,180
1997 modern 2,275 #2,728
1998 modern 2,343 #2,760
1999 modern 2,342 #2,781
2000 modern 2,350 #2,758
2001 modern 2,270 #2,784
2002 modern 2,275 #2,834
2003 modern 2,251 #2,800
2004 modern 2,243 #2,817
2005 modern 2,210 #2,822
2006 modern 2,205 #2,835
2007 modern 2,203 #2,860
2008 modern 2,172 #2,912
2009 modern 2,235 #2,910
2010 modern 2,316 #2,877
2011 modern 2,245 #2,927
2012 modern 2,195 #2,921
2013 modern 2,211 #2,952
2014 modern 2,205 #2,973
2015 modern 2,191 #2,963
2016 modern 2,169 #2,982

Geography

Back to top

Where Beltons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Horncastle (incl. Horncastle allotments) and Loughborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Lincolnshire, Lochgelly East, Charnwood, Suffolk Coastal and Denbighshire. 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 Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst Sussex
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Horncastle (incl. Horncastle allotments) Lincolnshire
5 Loughborough Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Lincolnshire 006 North Lincolnshire
2 Lochgelly East Fife
3 Charnwood 002 Charnwood
4 Suffolk Coastal 015 Suffolk Coastal
5 Denbighshire 013 Denbighshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Belton

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Belton

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

Belton 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

Belton 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 Belton 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 Belton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Belton

The surname Belton is an English name that originated in the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from various places in England called Belton, such as those found in Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Rutland. These place names are thought to have come from the Old English words "bel" meaning "bell" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "farmstead," suggesting a possible association with a bell-shaped hill or a settlement near a bell-shaped mound.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Belton can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, which mentions a person named Robert de Belton. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Belton, such as William de Belton and John de Belton, residing in various parts of Lincolnshire.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not directly mention the surname Belton, but it does record the existence of places called Beltone, which may have been the precursors to the current place names and subsequent surnames.

In the 14th century, records show a William de Belton who held lands in Leicestershire. Another notable early bearer of the name was John Belton, born around 1430, who was a member of the Guild of Corpus Christi in York, England.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Belton became more widespread, with individuals bearing the name appearing in various parts of England. One notable figure was Robert Belton, born in 1517, who was a member of the Merchant Taylors' Company in London and served as an alderman of the city.

Another prominent individual with the surname Belton was Sir Edmund Belton, born in 1587, who was a member of the English Parliament and served as the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1628. He was knighted in 1616 by King James I.

In the 18th century, the surname Belton continued to be found in various parts of England, with individuals such as John Belton (1695-1767), a landowner and justice of the peace in Lincolnshire, and Reverend John Belton (1721-1789), a clergyman and author from Yorkshire.

The 19th century saw the surname Belton extend beyond England, with individuals bearing the name emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One notable figure from this era was John Belton (1823-1902), an English cricketer who played for the Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Belton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Belton 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. Lincolnshire leads with 258 Beltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.27x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 258 10.27x
Surrey 183 2.39x
Middlesex 167 1.06x
Kent 125 2.33x
Yorkshire 110 0.71x
Nottinghamshire 107 5.05x
Norfolk 70 2.90x
Sussex 64 2.42x
Leicestershire 62 3.56x
Northamptonshire 51 3.45x
Essex 49 1.58x
Denbighshire 40 6.74x
Durham 39 0.83x
Hampshire 36 1.12x
Lancashire 28 0.15x
Shropshire 23 1.70x
Cheshire 22 0.63x
Rutland 22 19.08x
Cumberland 19 1.41x
Warwickshire 19 0.48x
Derbyshire 13 0.53x
Huntingdonshire 10 3.21x
Flintshire 9 2.13x
Staffordshire 9 0.17x
Northumberland 8 0.34x
Wiltshire 8 0.58x
Suffolk 7 0.37x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.60x
Devon 5 0.15x
Hertfordshire 5 0.46x
Monmouthshire 5 0.44x
Worcestershire 5 0.24x
Bedfordshire 4 0.49x
Dorset 4 0.39x
Somerset 4 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.21x
Cornwall 2 0.11x
Midlothian 2 0.10x
Argyllshire 1 0.23x
Berkshire 1 0.08x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.10x
Roxburghshire 1 0.35x
Royal Navy 1 0.53x
Stirlingshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horncastle in Lincolnshire leads with 51 Beltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 196.76x.

Place Total Index
Horncastle 51 196.76x
Nottingham St Mary 38 6.94x
St Pancras London 29 2.29x
Frensham 25 222.42x
Brymbo 20 96.81x
Snenton 20 24.05x
Broadwater 18 29.63x
Loughborough 18 22.78x
Deptford St Paul 17 4.11x
Old Bolingbroke 17 688.26x
Maidstone 16 10.02x
Battersea 15 2.60x
Ecclesall Bierlow 15 4.74x
Great Wakering 15 216.45x
Minera 15 186.57x
Willesden 15 10.13x
Penshaw 14 99.72x
Thornton Le Fen 14 748.66x
Edenbridge 13 123.69x
Kensington London 13 1.49x
Stanhoe 13 548.52x
Brighton 12 2.25x
Godstone 12 87.53x
Horne 12 320.00x
Birmingham 11 0.83x
Burringham 11 378.01x
Clapham 11 5.60x
Clayworth 11 466.10x
Clerkenwell London 11 2.97x
Crayford 11 47.01x
Croydon 11 2.59x
Escomb 11 51.23x
Headley 11 125.71x
Holkham 11 379.31x
Lambeth 11 0.80x
Langtoft 11 350.32x
Mile End Old Town London 11 3.29x
St Marylebone London 11 1.31x
Boston 10 13.13x
Foulness 10 262.47x
Leeds 10 1.14x
Manchester 10 1.19x
Manningham 10 5.22x
Ashby De La Zouch 9 22.30x
Bishops Castle In 9 113.78x
Clipsham 9 750.00x
East Ham 9 15.64x
Greenwich 9 3.60x
Heene 9 197.37x
Horsham 9 17.50x
Kegworth 9 77.79x
Nutfield 9 155.71x
Sandwich St Mary 9 185.19x
West Ham 9 1.31x
Whitehaven 9 12.49x
Wimbledon 9 10.47x
Beeston 8 32.89x
Burstow 8 123.27x
Crowhurst 8 347.83x
Garthorpe 8 264.90x
Goadby 8 1454.55x
Great Bedwin 8 81.14x
Harlestone 8 261.44x
Hatfield In Thorne 8 82.39x
Hope 8 38.10x
Paddington London 8 1.39x
Sculcoates 8 3.24x
Shoreditch London 8 1.18x
Wellington 8 10.49x
Belgrave 7 17.81x
Cantley 7 479.45x
Coulsdon 7 50.32x
Lee 7 9.00x
Lowestoft 7 7.75x
Nottingham St Nicholas 7 24.28x
Reigate Foreign 7 8.45x
Stamford St Mary 7 138.07x
Stayley 7 17.66x
Tranmere 7 5.49x
Wells Next Sea 7 49.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 104
Sarah 56
Elizabeth 53
Ann 39
Annie 34
Emma 25
Jane 25
Alice 24
Ellen 23
Eliza 22
Emily 22
Charlotte 16
Ada 15
Harriet 15
Caroline 14
Louisa 14
Hannah 13
Kate 13
Maria 12
Edith 11
Margaret 11
Fanny 10
Frances 10
Florence 9
Anne 8
Catherine 8
Harriett 7
Martha 7
Clara 6
Elizth. 6
Lizzie 6
Lucy 6
Rose 6
Lydia 5
Minnie 5
Susan 5
Anna 4
Bridget 4
Jessie 4
Maud 4
Susanna 4
Susannah 4
Agnes 3
Amelia 3
Eleanor 3
Gertrude 3
Grace 3
Laura 3
Matilda 3
Susanah 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 99
William 87
George 74
Thomas 49
Charles 42
James 42
Henry 28
Edward 21
Joseph 20
Frederick 19
Samuel 18
Alfred 16
Robert 16
Arthur 14
Richard 14
Albert 13
Harry 11
Walter 10
Daniel 9
David 7
Herbert 7
Edwin 6
Ernest 6
Francis 6
Benjamin 5
Frank 5
Fred 5
Isaac 5
Stephen 5
Patrick 4
Thos. 4
Christopher 3
Phillip 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Edwd. 2
Elijah 2
Fredrick 2
Harold 2
Horace 2
Jno. 2
Jonathan 2
Josiah 2
Levi 2
Michael 2
Smith 2
W.H. 2
Burt 1
Dennis 1
Edmund 1

FAQ

Belton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Belton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,612 people were recorded with the Belton surname. That placed it at #2,650 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Belton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,169 in 2016. That gives Belton a modern rank of #2,982.

What does the Belton surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "farmstead or village in a belt of land," likely referring to a hill.

What does the Belton map show?

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