NameCensus.

UK surname

Blount

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "blunt" or "dull," likely referring to a flat-topped hill.

In the 1881 census there were 1,028 people recorded with the Blount surname, ranking it #3,821 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,897, ranked #3,351, up from #3,821 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Duffield, Shirland and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blount is 2,085 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 84.5%.

1881 census count

1,028

Ranked #3,821

Modern count

1,897

2016, ranked #3,351

Peak year

1998

2,085 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blount had 1,028 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,821 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,897 in 2016, ranked #3,351.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,721 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Blount surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blount surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blount 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 639 #4,063
1861 historical 675 #3,977
1881 historical 1,028 #3,821
1891 historical 1,211 #3,544
1901 historical 1,507 #3,406
1911 historical 1,721 #2,846
1997 modern 2,004 #3,046
1998 modern 2,085 #3,059
1999 modern 2,081 #3,084
2000 modern 2,065 #3,091
2001 modern 2,049 #3,045
2002 modern 2,057 #3,102
2003 modern 2,024 #3,084
2004 modern 1,996 #3,120
2005 modern 1,937 #3,167
2006 modern 1,949 #3,163
2007 modern 1,957 #3,181
2008 modern 1,941 #3,217
2009 modern 1,950 #3,286
2010 modern 1,968 #3,316
2011 modern 1,955 #3,300
2012 modern 1,900 #3,324
2013 modern 1,938 #3,327
2014 modern 1,932 #3,352
2015 modern 1,913 #3,339
2016 modern 1,897 #3,351

Geography

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Where Blounts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Duffield, Shirland, London parishes, St Werburgh and Ilkeston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Amber Valley. 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 Duffield Derbyshire
2 Shirland Derbyshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Amber Valley 010 Amber Valley
2 Amber Valley 011 Amber Valley
3 Amber Valley 009 Amber Valley
4 Amber Valley 006 Amber Valley
5 Amber Valley 007 Amber Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blount

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blount

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

Blount is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blount falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Blount is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Blount

The surname Blount is believed to have originated in France, derived from the Old French word "blund" meaning "fair" or "blonde". It is thought to have been initially a nickname given to someone with light-colored hair, which later became a hereditary surname.

The earliest recorded instances of the Blount surname date back to the 11th century in Normandy, France. One of the first individuals bearing this name was Sir Walter le Blount, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Sir Walter was granted lands in Staffordshire and Lincolnshire.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, several individuals with the surname Blount or variations such as Blunt or Blunt are mentioned. This suggests that the name had already become established in England by the late 11th century.

The Blount family held significant influence and power in England throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. Sir Thomas Blount (c.1349-1400) was a prominent member of the English Parliament and served as the High Sheriff of Derbyshire. His son, Sir Walter Blount (c.1348-1403), was a renowned military commander and fought alongside King Henry IV during the latter's rebellion against Richard II.

Another notable figure was Sir John Blount (c.1512-1567), who served as a member of the Privy Council under King Henry VIII and was instrumental in the dissolution of the monasteries in England. His son, Sir Michael Blount (c.1540-1628), was a prominent courtier and member of Parliament during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

In the United States, the Blount name has been present since the early colonial era. One of the first recorded instances is that of James Blount (c.1620-1692), who settled in Virginia in the mid-17th century and became a prominent planter and politician, serving as the Speaker of the House of Burgesses.

Other notable individuals with the Blount surname include William Blount (1749-1800), a signer of the United States Constitution and the first Governor of the Territory South of the River Ohio (now Tennessee), and Winnie Blount (1886-1944), an American vaudeville performer and actress.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blount families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blount 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. Derbyshire leads with 212 Blounts recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.52x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 212 13.52x
Worcestershire 132 10.09x
Middlesex 117 1.17x
Warwickshire 72 2.85x
Staffordshire 68 2.01x
Leicestershire 66 5.94x
Nottinghamshire 60 4.44x
Shropshire 57 6.59x
Surrey 40 0.82x
Lancashire 34 0.29x
Yorkshire 23 0.23x
Northamptonshire 17 1.80x
Kent 16 0.47x
Wiltshire 16 1.81x
Sussex 12 0.71x
Cheshire 11 0.50x
Herefordshire 11 2.68x
Bedfordshire 10 1.93x
Durham 5 0.17x
Gloucestershire 5 0.25x
Essex 4 0.20x
Glamorgan 4 0.23x
Hampshire 4 0.19x
Northumberland 4 0.27x
Oxfordshire 4 0.65x
Dorset 3 0.46x
Dumfriesshire 3 1.36x
Monmouthshire 3 0.41x
Rutland 3 4.08x
Ayrshire 2 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.33x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 1.38x
Berkshire 1 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.16x
Devon 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.14x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ilkeston in Derbyshire leads with 35 Blounts recorded in 1881 and an index of 79.60x.

Place Total Index
Ilkeston 35 79.60x
Belper 34 111.81x
Polesworth 32 266.67x
Shirland 28 238.70x
Ripley 26 134.09x
Nottingham St Mary 21 6.01x
Bayton 18 1241.38x
Birmingham 17 2.02x
Hammersmith London 17 6.89x
Kettering 17 44.61x
St Marylebone London 17 3.18x
Thurmaston North 17 1180.56x
Bromley London 16 7.26x
Cleobury North 16 2461.54x
Croydon 16 5.90x
Kings Norton 16 13.64x
Harborne 15 13.84x
Heage 15 180.72x
Oldbury 14 21.75x
Lindridge 13 392.75x
Rock 13 248.57x
Derby St Peter 12 24.02x
West Bromwich 12 6.20x
Baddesley Ensor 10 308.64x
Brighton 10 2.93x
Cradley 10 84.53x
Normanton 10 75.47x
Tenbury 10 139.66x
Camberwell 9 1.41x
Hereford All Sts 9 47.82x
Islington London 9 0.93x
Kempston 9 76.40x
Neen Sollars 9 1384.62x
Ombersley 9 123.46x
Poplar London 9 4.76x
Sedgley 9 7.17x
Erith 8 23.75x
Greasley 8 26.26x
Leicester St Margaret 8 2.95x
St Pancras London 8 0.99x
Alfreton 7 14.69x
Alveley 7 204.08x
Burton Upon Trent 7 8.85x
Cropwell Bishop 7 321.10x
Dinton 7 445.86x
Kensington London 7 1.26x
Lenton 7 22.01x
Orston 7 421.69x
Swindon 7 10.19x
Swinton In Rotherham 7 26.67x
West Derby 7 2.01x
Wymeswold 7 218.07x
Battersea 6 1.63x
Chelsea London 6 1.99x
Derby St Werburgh 6 6.63x
Great Easton 6 324.32x
Neenton 6 1250.00x
Salford 6 1.72x
St Andrew Holborn 6 17.67x
Wessington 6 285.71x
Ashby De La Zouch 5 19.42x
Atherstone 5 38.76x
Bishop Auckland 5 12.50x
Dudley 5 3.14x
Hyde 5 7.66x
Leicester St Mary 5 5.57x
Loughborough 5 9.92x
Manchester 5 0.94x
Ribbesford 5 45.91x
Staveley 5 17.96x
Upper Penn 5 59.03x
Wirksworth 5 35.06x
Burwarton 4 800.00x
Elford 4 273.97x
Elswick 4 3.36x
Gorton 4 3.58x
Holy Trinity 4 1.68x
Lewisham 4 2.19x
Litchurch 4 6.34x
Shrewsbury St Julian 4 18.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 65
William 53
Thomas 39
George 38
Henry 23
Charles 22
James 19
Edward 18
Samuel 17
Alfred 16
Walter 16
Joseph 14
Richard 12
Robert 10
Arthur 9
Edwin 9
Harry 9
Ernest 6
Isaac 6
Albert 5
Herbert 5
Wm. 5
David 4
Alexander 3
Archibald 3
Frank 3
Job 3
Thos. 3
Willm. 3
Anthony 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Mathew 2
Oswald 2
Allen 1
Benjamin 1
Bertram 1
C.K. 1
Edwd.A. 1
Eli 1
Emanuel 1
Emmanuel 1
Enoch 1
Ferran 1
Hiram 1
Horatio 1
Hugh 1
Isiac 1
J.A.Walker 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Blount surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blount surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,028 people were recorded with the Blount surname. That placed it at #3,821 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blount surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,897 in 2016. That gives Blount a modern rank of #3,351.

What does the Blount surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "blunt" or "dull," likely referring to a flat-topped hill.

What does the Blount map show?

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