NameCensus.

UK surname

Betts

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or layer of beds, from the Middle English word "bett".

In the 1881 census there were 6,392 people recorded with the Betts surname, ranking it #668 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,338, ranked #697, down from #668 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Sheffield and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broadland, Norwich and North Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Betts is 9,916 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.1%.

1881 census count

6,392

Ranked #668

Modern count

9,338

2016, ranked #697

Peak year

1999

9,916 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Betts had 6,392 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #668 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,338 in 2016, ranked #697.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,947 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Betts surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Betts surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Betts 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 4,056 #702
1861 historical 3,630 #771
1881 historical 6,392 #668
1891 historical 6,660 #688
1901 historical 8,243 #653
1911 historical 8,947 #552
1997 modern 9,647 #648
1998 modern 9,905 #655
1999 modern 9,916 #661
2000 modern 9,827 #662
2001 modern 9,599 #662
2002 modern 9,791 #666
2003 modern 9,536 #671
2004 modern 9,608 #659
2005 modern 9,394 #668
2006 modern 9,344 #666
2007 modern 9,344 #674
2008 modern 9,289 #686
2009 modern 9,487 #690
2010 modern 9,655 #693
2011 modern 9,621 #681
2012 modern 9,356 #691
2013 modern 9,481 #692
2014 modern 9,491 #695
2015 modern 9,368 #696
2016 modern 9,338 #697

Geography

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Where Betts' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Sheffield, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broadland, Norwich and North Norfolk. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broadland 006 Broadland
2 Norwich 002 Norwich
3 Norwich 004 Norwich
4 North Norfolk 011 North Norfolk
5 Broadland 013 Broadland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Betts

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Betts

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Betts is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Betts is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Betts

The surname Betts is of English origin, deriving from the Middle English personal name "Bate," a diminutive form of the name Bartholomew. The name Bartholomew is derived from the Aramaic bar-Talmai, meaning "son of the furrows," referring to a ploughman or farmer.

The earliest known record of the surname Betts dates back to the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mention a Richard Bette in Norfolk. The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain any recorded instances of the surname, but it does list individuals with the personal name Bate, suggesting the surname's origins predate the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where variations such as Bett, Bette, and Bettes were common. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, Betts.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was John Bettes, a member of the Parliament of England in 1328. In the 15th century, Thomas Betts (c. 1400-1472) was a prominent landowner and judge from Norfolk.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Betts surname spread across England, with notable individuals including Sir John Betts (1545-1604), a Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London, and Sir William Betts (1582-1639), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Worcestershire.

In the 18th century, John Betts (1687-1772) was a renowned clockmaker from London, whose timepieces were highly sought after by the aristocracy. Reverend John Betts (1755-1831) was a renowned Anglican clergyman and author from Huntingdonshire.

The 19th century saw the rise of Samuel Betts (1816-1878), a successful businessman and philanthropist from London, who founded the Betts Memorial Trust to support education and social welfare initiatives.

Throughout history, the Betts surname has been associated with various place names, such as Betteshanger in Kent, Bettesworth in Staffordshire, and Bettisfield in Flintshire, Wales. These place names likely derived from the surname, reflecting the influence and prominence of Betts families in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Betts families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Betts 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. Norfolk leads with 947 Betts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.86x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 947 9.86x
Middlesex 745 1.19x
Yorkshire 466 0.75x
Suffolk 374 4.92x
Kent 355 1.67x
Warwickshire 350 2.22x
Surrey 347 1.14x
Nottinghamshire 319 3.79x
Northamptonshire 307 5.23x
Lincolnshire 284 2.84x
Staffordshire 265 1.26x
Leicestershire 157 2.27x
Oxfordshire 153 3.97x
Sussex 148 1.41x
Essex 145 1.18x
Buckinghamshire 124 3.28x
Lancashire 123 0.17x
Derbyshire 109 1.11x
Durham 94 0.51x
Bedfordshire 65 2.01x
Cambridgeshire 59 1.49x
Hertfordshire 54 1.25x
Gloucestershire 48 0.39x
Worcestershire 39 0.48x
Rutland 37 8.07x
Glamorgan 35 0.32x
Hampshire 35 0.27x
Devon 29 0.22x
Huntingdonshire 25 2.02x
Monmouthshire 24 0.53x
Somerset 19 0.19x
Cornwall 18 0.25x
Berkshire 17 0.36x
Cheshire 16 0.12x
Stirlingshire 13 0.56x
Royal Navy 10 1.34x
Dorset 8 0.20x
Brecknockshire 7 0.56x
Northumberland 7 0.08x
Shropshire 7 0.13x
Midlothian 3 0.04x
Channel Islands 2 0.11x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.12x
Perthshire 2 0.07x
Westmorland 2 0.15x
Wiltshire 2 0.04x
Angus 1 0.02x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.04x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.07x
Kinross-shire 1 0.63x
Renfrewshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 119 Betts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.74x.

Place Total Index
Aston 119 2.74x
Heigham 94 18.24x
Islington London 81 1.34x
Birmingham 76 1.45x
Camberwell 69 1.73x
Nether Hallam 66 7.88x
St Pancras London 65 1.29x
Lambeth 63 1.16x
Hackney London 60 1.71x
Sileby 60 137.36x
Sheffield 50 2.54x
Great Yarmouth 48 6.03x
Kensington London 48 1.38x
Hadleigh 47 63.68x
Mansfield 45 15.45x
Clerkenwell London 41 2.78x
Wymondham 41 41.75x
Brighton 40 1.88x
Battersea 38 1.65x
Lakenham 38 27.85x
Shoreditch London 37 1.37x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 36 61.63x
Norwich St Clement 35 31.44x
Great Grimsby 34 5.36x
Wolverhampton 34 2.10x
Maidstone 33 5.20x
Tonbridge 33 4.29x
Boston 32 10.56x
Chelsea London 32 1.70x
Woodford 32 97.95x
Bethnal Green London 31 1.14x
Thorpe Next Norwich 30 29.47x
West Bromwich 30 2.49x
Lewisham 29 2.55x
Southwark St George Martyr 29 2.31x
Nottingham St Mary 28 1.29x
Barnack 27 215.48x
Basford 27 6.96x
Beccles 27 22.05x
Ecclesall Bierlow 27 2.14x
Bow London 26 3.27x
Lt Milton 26 334.19x
Uttoxeter 26 24.09x
Deal 25 13.75x
Bulwell 24 13.11x
Derby St Werburgh 24 4.25x
St Andrewthe Less 24 5.31x
St Woollos 24 4.76x
Stockton On Tees 24 2.68x
Edgbaston 23 4.71x
Hastings All Sts 23 23.18x
Leeds 23 0.66x
Poplar London 23 1.95x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 22 35.30x
St George Hanover Square 22 2.00x
Ipswich St Mathew 21 9.85x
Sutton In Ashfield 21 11.49x
West Ham 21 0.77x
Brightside Bierlow 20 1.65x
Clapham 20 2.56x
Kenilworth 20 22.53x
Leicester St Margaret 20 1.18x
St Marylebone London 20 0.60x
Thetford St Cuthbert 20 57.60x
Upton With Fishley 20 175.44x
Paddington London 19 0.83x
Trowse Cum Newton 19 80.00x
Bury St Edmunds St James 18 8.86x
Dover St James 18 19.27x
Dover St Mary Virgin 18 8.73x
Falmouth 18 7.19x
Felthorpe 18 180.36x
Mansfield Woodhouse 18 32.13x
Newchurch 18 2.97x
Walsall Foreign 18 1.65x
Hastings St Mary In The 17 7.57x
Newington 17 0.74x
Northampton All Sts 17 8.53x
Stamford Baron St Martin 17 54.02x
Stoke Upon Trent 17 0.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 382
Elizabeth 276
Sarah 238
Alice 122
Ann 115
Eliza 115
Emma 115
Annie 106
Ellen 100
Jane 99
Emily 75
Hannah 67
Louisa 60
Martha 54
Maria 48
Harriet 47
Ada 44
Charlotte 41
Florence 41
Edith 39
Fanny 37
Susan 34
Caroline 29
Clara 28
Kate 28
Lucy 28
Harriett 24
Esther 23
Catherine 22
Lydia 22
Margaret 22
Frances 21
Anne 20
Agnes 19
Rose 19
Amelia 18
Laura 18
Susannah 17
Julia 16
Gertrude 15
Anna 14
Beatrice 14
Rebecca 14
Matilda 13
Susanna 12
Amy 11
Jessie 11
Rachel 11
Ethel 10
Maud 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 419
John 323
George 230
James 192
Thomas 183
Charles 148
Henry 124
Alfred 102
Arthur 92
Edward 82
Robert 77
Joseph 76
Walter 67
Samuel 62
Frederick 61
Albert 51
Herbert 41
Richard 41
Harry 37
Ernest 36
Frank 29
Benjamin 26
Wm. 20
Edwin 17
David 13
Thos. 13
Daniel 12
Edmund 12
Francis 12
Fred 12
Horace 11
Isaac 11
Tom 10
Abraham 9
Edgar 9
Geo. 9
Matthew 8
Frederic 7
Fredk. 7
Jesse 7
Stephen 7
Amos 6
Harold 6
Leonard 6
Nathaniel 6
Sidney 6
Willie 6
Christopher 5
Percy 5
Stanley 5

FAQ

Betts surname: questions and answers

How common was the Betts surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,392 people were recorded with the Betts surname. That placed it at #668 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Betts surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,338 in 2016. That gives Betts a modern rank of #697.

What does the Betts surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or layer of beds, from the Middle English word "bett".

What does the Betts map show?

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