NameCensus.

UK surname

Berrett

A locational surname originating from a place in France.

In the 1881 census there were 196 people recorded with the Berrett surname, ranking it #13,006 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 265, ranked #16,130, down from #13,006 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Trowbridge and Wilcot, North Newton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Calderdale and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Berrett is 432 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.2%.

1881 census count

196

Ranked #13,006

Modern count

265

2016, ranked #16,130

Peak year

1891

432 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Berrett had 196 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,006 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016, ranked #16,130.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 432 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Berrett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Berrett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Berrett 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 219 #9,712
1861 historical 386 #6,638
1881 historical 196 #13,006
1891 historical 432 #8,311
1901 historical 396 #9,539
1911 historical 383 #9,597
1997 modern 289 #13,859
1998 modern 316 #13,424
1999 modern 304 #13,843
2000 modern 296 #14,044
2001 modern 283 #14,247
2002 modern 287 #14,402
2003 modern 277 #14,577
2004 modern 286 #14,312
2005 modern 272 #14,742
2006 modern 270 #14,923
2007 modern 263 #15,366
2008 modern 249 #16,111
2009 modern 275 #15,349
2010 modern 272 #15,811
2011 modern 259 #16,237
2012 modern 258 #16,165
2013 modern 265 #16,138
2014 modern 269 #16,059
2015 modern 261 #16,318
2016 modern 265 #16,130

Geography

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Where Berretts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Trowbridge, Wilcot, North Newton, London parishes and Ashton, Steeple. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Calderdale, Kirklees and Newham. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Trowbridge Wiltshire
3 Wilcot, North Newton Wiltshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Ashton, Steeple Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 037 Wiltshire
2 Calderdale 026 Calderdale
3 Kirklees 036 Kirklees
4 Calderdale 018 Calderdale
5 Newham 034 Newham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Berrett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Berrett

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Berrett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Berrett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Berrett is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Berrett is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Berrett 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 Berrett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Berrett

The surname BERRETT originated in the French region of Normandy in the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word 'beret', which referred to a type of hat or cap worn by peasants and commoners. The name likely arose as a descriptive nickname for someone who habitually wore such a cap.

The earliest known recording of the BERRETT surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Berret' in entries from Norfolk and Suffolk counties. Other early spellings found in medieval records include Beret, Berret, and Berrett.

Over the centuries, variants of the name spread throughout England and into Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Notable bearers of the BERRETT surname include William Berrett (c.1430-1499), a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, and John Berrett (1570-1623), a Church of England clergyman who served as Rector of Watlington in Oxfordshire.

In the 17th century, the BERRETT name made its way to the American colonies, with records showing John Berrett arriving in Virginia in 1635. Another early American bearer was Thomas Berrett (1677-1738), a Quaker settler in Pennsylvania.

During the 19th century, the BERRETT surname could be found across the British Isles and in many parts of the United States and Canada. Prominent individuals from this period include James G. Berrett (1802-1862), an American politician who served as Mayor of Washington, D.C., and William E. Berrett (1815-1891), a British engineer and inventor of the first successful fire engine pump.

Other notable people named BERRETT throughout history include Walter Berrett (1876-1941), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, and Jeanne Berrett (1904-1989), a French artist and sculptor known for her abstract works.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Berrett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Berrett 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. Wiltshire leads with 73 Berretts recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.18x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 73 43.18x
Middlesex 25 1.31x
Surrey 18 1.93x
Gloucestershire 16 4.27x
Hampshire 13 3.32x
Somerset 11 3.57x
Kent 9 1.38x
Sussex 7 2.17x
Glamorgan 5 1.50x
Suffolk 5 2.15x
Norfolk 4 1.36x
Staffordshire 3 0.46x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.87x
Devon 1 0.25x
Dorset 1 0.80x
Essex 1 0.27x
Monmouthshire 1 0.72x
Montgomeryshire 1 2.28x
Northamptonshire 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Steeple Ashton in Wiltshire leads with 25 Berretts recorded in 1881 and an index of 5434.78x.

Place Total Index
Steeple Ashton 25 5434.78x
Wilcott 15 4054.05x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 10 28.33x
South Tidworth 9 6000.00x
Deptford St Paul 8 15.90x
Lambeth 8 4.80x
Poplar London 7 19.40x
South Savernake 7 5000.00x
St George Martyr London 7 180.88x
Henbury 6 327.87x
West Ashton 6 3000.00x
Bexhill 5 310.56x
Penderry 5 847.46x
Radstock 5 247.52x
Rotherhithe 5 21.17x
Great Yarmouth 4 16.43x
Walcot 4 24.41x
Corsham 3 121.46x
Great Hinton 3 2727.27x
Handsworth 3 18.86x
Orford 3 400.00x
Portsea 3 3.91x
St Pancras London 3 1.95x
Trowbridge 3 40.16x
Wimbledon 3 28.68x
Alton Priors 2 1538.46x
Hackney London 2 1.87x
Hammersmith London 2 4.25x
Ipswich St Mathew 2 30.63x
Little Hinton 2 1250.00x
North Bradley 2 162.60x
Semington 2 714.29x
Bicton 1 1000.00x
Bradford On Avon 1 18.48x
Camberwell 1 0.82x
Chadwell St Mary 1 256.41x
Corfe Mullen 1 222.22x
Devizes St James 1 44.44x
Devizes St John 1 78.74x
Hastings St Leonards 1 21.10x
Holy Rood 1 126.58x
Hove 1 7.07x
Limehouse London 1 4.76x
Monmouth 1 27.32x
Reigate Foreign 1 9.91x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 12.08x
St Marylebone London 1 0.98x
Steeple Claydon 1 178.57x
Tonbridge 1 4.25x
Tottenham 1 3.28x
Tregynon 1 217.39x
Weedon Beck 1 77.52x
Weston Super Mare 1 12.87x
Wilton 1 125.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Alice 7
Ann 7
Emma 7
Elizabeth 6
Ellen 5
Sarah 5
Eliza 3
Louisa 3
Martha 3
Annie 2
Edith 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Angelena 1
Anne 1
Cecila 1
Celia 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Francis 1
Georgina 1
Hameth 1
Harriett 1
Harriot 1
Ida 1
Jane 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Lousia 1
Lrzposa 1
Mabel 1
Margery 1
Minnie 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
Thomas 9
George 8
James 7
Henry 4
Samuel 4
Charles 3
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Job 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
John 2
Robert 2
Abner 1
Ada 1
Arthur 1
Benjman 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Eli 1
Elijah 1
Eliza 1
Francis 1
Friston 1
Horace 1
Leonardo 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Phillip 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Berrett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Berrett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 196 people were recorded with the Berrett surname. That placed it at #13,006 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Berrett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016. That gives Berrett a modern rank of #16,130.

What does the Berrett surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place in France.

What does the Berrett map show?

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