NameCensus.

UK surname

Betton

A locational surname referring to someone from Betton, a place name derived from the Old English words meaning "dwelling near a beach".

In the 1881 census there were 242 people recorded with the Betton surname, ranking it #11,333 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 370, ranked #12,591, down from #11,333 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, London parishes and Wingfield, North. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, North East Derbyshire and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Betton is 451 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.9%.

1881 census count

242

Ranked #11,333

Modern count

370

2016, ranked #12,591

Peak year

1911

451 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Betton had 242 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,333 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 370 in 2016, ranked #12,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 451 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Betton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Betton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Betton 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 172 #11,682
1861 historical 289 #8,711
1881 historical 242 #11,333
1891 historical 302 #11,058
1901 historical 335 #10,782
1911 historical 451 #8,489
1997 modern 350 #12,172
1998 modern 366 #12,148
1999 modern 379 #11,922
2000 modern 352 #12,510
2001 modern 341 #12,588
2002 modern 344 #12,777
2003 modern 345 #12,549
2004 modern 345 #12,571
2005 modern 343 #12,546
2006 modern 355 #12,316
2007 modern 354 #12,489
2008 modern 359 #12,459
2009 modern 379 #12,224
2010 modern 376 #12,548
2011 modern 381 #12,300
2012 modern 357 #12,757
2013 modern 373 #12,550
2014 modern 378 #12,512
2015 modern 370 #12,596
2016 modern 370 #12,591

Geography

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Where Bettons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, London parishes, Wingfield, North, Worthen and Cannock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire, North East Derbyshire, Shropshire, Northumberland 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Wingfield, North Derbyshire
4 Worthen Montgomeryshire
5 Cannock Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 013 Carmarthenshire
2 North East Derbyshire 009 North East Derbyshire
3 Shropshire 026 Shropshire
4 Northumberland 037 Northumberland
5 Bath and North East Somerset 021 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Betton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Betton

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Betton 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

Betton is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Betton falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Betton

The surname Betton has its roots in England, originating from a place name derived from the Old English words "bett" and "tun," meaning a homestead or enclosure near beets or beet crops. This name was borne by families residing in or near such locations, primarily in the counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire.

Records indicate that the Betton surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest known references found in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire from 1274, which mentions a Roger de Betton. Another early record appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, listing a William de Bettone.

The Domesday Book, a valuable historical record compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct mentions of the Betton surname. However, it does reference several places with similar names, such as Bettun in Shropshire and Bettendon in Buckinghamshire, which may have contributed to the evolution of the surname.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the Betton surname was Sir Thomas Betton, a wealthy landowner and knight from Shropshire, who lived during the 14th century. Another notable figure was William Betton, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who served as the Sheriff of London in 1464.

In the 16th century, the Betton family established themselves in the village of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland. Sir Thomas Betton, born in 1561, was a prominent member of this family and served as the Mayor of Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1588.

The Betton surname also has connections to the Bettisfield area in Flintshire, North Wales. One notable individual from this region was John Betton, a Welsh historian and clergyman born in 1642, who authored several works on the history of Wales.

During the 17th century, the Betton family maintained a presence in Shropshire, with notable members including Sir Richard Betton, a landowner and Member of Parliament for the borough of Bridgnorth in 1661, and Sir Thomas Betton, who served as the High Sheriff of Shropshire in 1694.

While the Betton surname has origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with various spelling variations emerging over time, such as Beton, Beaton, and Beatton.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Betton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Betton 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. Shropshire leads with 57 Bettons recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.18x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 57 28.18x
Staffordshire 47 5.95x
Lancashire 18 0.65x
Middlesex 18 0.77x
Yorkshire 14 0.60x
Surrey 11 0.96x
Cheshire 10 1.94x
Gloucestershire 10 2.18x
Leicestershire 8 3.08x
Warwickshire 8 1.36x
Derbyshire 6 1.64x
Durham 5 0.72x
Pembrokeshire 5 6.72x
Worcestershire 5 1.64x
Kent 4 0.50x
Inverness-shire 3 4.29x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.95x
Lincolnshire 2 0.53x
Norfolk 2 0.56x
Argyllshire 1 1.53x
Devon 1 0.21x
Sussex 1 0.25x
Westmorland 1 1.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cannock in Staffordshire leads with 18 Bettons recorded in 1881 and an index of 130.53x.

Place Total Index
Cannock 18 130.53x
Stoke Upon Trent 16 19.10x
Worthen Hope 15 3488.37x
Worthen 13 604.65x
West Derby 10 12.30x
Chester St John Baptist 9 96.88x
Horley 9 471.20x
Brightside Bierlow 7 15.38x
Wolstanton Chesterton 7 173.27x
Barnsley 6 25.07x
Broseley 6 167.13x
Liverpool 6 3.56x
Tupton 6 545.45x
Wentnor 6 1034.48x
Audley 5 63.94x
Bristol St James In 5 74.07x
Church Stretton 5 367.65x
Clifton 5 21.54x
Crook Billy Row 5 56.05x
Edgbaston 5 27.32x
Islington London 5 2.20x
Kings Norton 5 18.24x
Pontesbury 5 203.25x
Rosemarket 5 1851.85x
Hackney London 4 3.05x
Leicester St Margaret 4 6.32x
Loughborough 4 33.96x
Shoreditch London 4 3.94x
St Pancras London 4 2.12x
Birmingham 3 1.52x
Deptford St Paul 3 4.87x
Kilmuir 3 145.63x
Nottingham St Mary 3 3.68x
Ince In Makerfield 2 15.48x
Lee Brockhurst 2 2500.00x
Richards Castle 2 327.87x
Shrewsbury St Mary 2 25.06x
Spalding 2 26.92x
Wells Next Sea 2 95.24x
Ardnamurchan 1 30.21x
Barnes 1 20.75x
Chester St Mary On Hill 1 22.57x
Chirbury 1 84.03x
East Stonehouse 1 10.42x
Edmonton 1 5.30x
Handsworth 1 5.13x
Hove 1 5.77x
Lambeth 1 0.49x
Preston Patrick 1 227.27x
Sheffield 1 1.35x
Woolwich 1 3.39x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
George 13
William 13
Thomas 11
James 7
Richard 7
Alfred 6
Arthur 5
Charles 4
Albert 3
Edward 3
Harry 3
Henry 3
Reynold 3
Elijah 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Joseph 2
Philip 2
Samuel 2
Alexander 1
Andrew 1
Barty 1
Bashforth 1
Berty 1
Emmanuel 1
Enoch 1
Halard 1
Hugh 1
Jonathan 1
Nathaniel 1
Noah 1
Phillip 1
Smith 1
Stanier 1
Thos. 1
Walker 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Betton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Betton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 242 people were recorded with the Betton surname. That placed it at #11,333 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Betton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 370 in 2016. That gives Betton a modern rank of #12,591.

What does the Betton surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Betton, a place name derived from the Old English words meaning "dwelling near a beach".

What does the Betton map show?

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