NameCensus.

UK surname

Blunt

An English occupational surname for a person who makes or sells blunt instruments or weapons.

In the 1881 census there were 2,422 people recorded with the Blunt surname, ranking it #1,837 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,496, ranked #2,649, down from #1,837 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Goudhurst and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Winchester, North West Leicestershire and Tunbridge Wells.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blunt is 2,989 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.1%.

1881 census count

2,422

Ranked #1,837

Modern count

2,496

2016, ranked #2,649

Peak year

1911

2,989 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blunt had 2,422 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,837 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,496 in 2016, ranked #2,649.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,989 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Blunt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blunt surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blunt 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 1,713 #1,686
1861 historical 1,636 #1,745
1881 historical 2,422 #1,837
1891 historical 2,443 #1,928
1901 historical 2,807 #1,987
1911 historical 2,989 #1,739
1997 modern 2,555 #2,480
1998 modern 2,663 #2,475
1999 modern 2,670 #2,487
2000 modern 2,658 #2,486
2001 modern 2,611 #2,476
2002 modern 2,673 #2,474
2003 modern 2,596 #2,484
2004 modern 2,574 #2,501
2005 modern 2,469 #2,567
2006 modern 2,465 #2,573
2007 modern 2,469 #2,593
2008 modern 2,486 #2,595
2009 modern 2,556 #2,594
2010 modern 2,555 #2,647
2011 modern 2,541 #2,631
2012 modern 2,506 #2,617
2013 modern 2,559 #2,612
2014 modern 2,561 #2,625
2015 modern 2,537 #2,618
2016 modern 2,496 #2,649

Geography

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Where Blunts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Goudhurst, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Winchester, North West Leicestershire, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford and Doncaster. 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 Goudhurst Kent
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire) Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Winchester 012 Winchester
2 North West Leicestershire 005 North West Leicestershire
3 Tunbridge Wells 011 Tunbridge Wells
4 Ashford 004 Ashford
5 Doncaster 008 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blunt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blunt

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

Blunt is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Blunt falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Blunt

The surname Blunt originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "blunt," meaning "ruddy complexion" or "light brown hair." The name likely referred to someone with a reddish or fair complexion.

In its earliest forms, the name was recorded as "le Blunt" or "Blund" in various English records and documents from the 12th and 13th centuries. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, which listed a person named "Gilbertus Blundus."

The Blunt surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Blunt's Green in Oxfordshire and Blount's Farm in Wiltshire. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the Blunt surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Blunt surname can be found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants in England after the Norman Conquest. The name appeared as "Blundus" in this record.

Throughout history, the Blunt surname has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Sir Walter Blunt, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was present at the Battle of Crécy in 1346. Another prominent figure was Sir Christopher Blunt (1555-1615), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Henry Blunt (1634-1693) was an English Catholic writer and controversialist who authored several religious works. Later, Edmund Blunt (1770-1862) was a celebrated English navigator and hydrographer who surveyed and charted various regions of the world's oceans.

The Blunt surname also gained prominence in the literary world with the birth of Wilfred Scawen Blunt (1840-1922), an English poet and writer known for his works on Middle Eastern affairs and his involvement in the British colonial administration in India.

While the Blunt surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and descendants of the original bearers of the name. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it first emerged as a descriptive name associated with physical characteristics and place names.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blunt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blunt 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. Middlesex leads with 288 Blunts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.22x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 288 1.22x
Northamptonshire 274 12.35x
Kent 214 2.66x
Lancashire 161 0.58x
Staffordshire 142 1.78x
Cambridgeshire 137 9.17x
Surrey 122 1.06x
Leicestershire 118 4.51x
Warwickshire 118 1.98x
Worcestershire 113 3.67x
Buckinghamshire 88 6.17x
Shropshire 66 3.24x
Derbyshire 53 1.43x
Sussex 52 1.31x
Yorkshire 49 0.21x
Hertfordshire 42 2.58x
Essex 37 0.79x
Durham 36 0.51x
Monmouthshire 32 1.88x
Gloucestershire 31 0.67x
Cheshire 27 0.52x
Denbighshire 24 2.69x
Devon 24 0.49x
Bedfordshire 17 1.39x
Glamorgan 16 0.39x
Huntingdonshire 16 3.41x
Herefordshire 15 1.55x
Lincolnshire 15 0.40x
Norfolk 15 0.41x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.38x
Lanarkshire 10 0.13x
Oxfordshire 10 0.69x
Hampshire 7 0.14x
Flintshire 6 0.95x
Northumberland 6 0.17x
Somerset 6 0.16x
Merionethshire 5 1.16x
Cumberland 4 0.20x
Berkshire 2 0.11x
Rutland 2 1.15x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.05x
Channel Islands 1 0.14x
Dorset 1 0.06x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.13x
Royal Navy 1 0.36x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 68 Blunts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.97x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 68 2.97x
Whittlesey St Mary St 65 124.52x
Goudhurst 54 242.26x
Aston 53 3.23x
Lambeth 49 2.38x
Wellingborough 48 43.01x
Birmingham 31 1.56x
Rowley Regis 31 13.97x
Loughborough 28 23.58x
Staveley 27 41.17x
Rampton 26 1390.37x
Grafton Regis 25 1824.82x
Northampton St Giles 25 29.57x
Maidstone 24 10.01x
Heap 23 15.49x
Peterborough 22 13.69x
Kensington London 21 1.60x
Dudley 20 5.34x
St George Hanover Square 19 4.57x
St Marylebone London 19 1.51x
Hackney London 18 1.36x
Silverstone 18 192.31x
Marden 17 90.04x
Moulton 17 137.76x
Pilkington 17 15.98x
Clerkenwell London 16 2.87x
Monmouth 16 35.37x
Kineton 15 176.26x
St Pancras London 15 0.79x
West Ham 15 1.46x
Ditton Priors 14 288.66x
Kings Norton 14 5.07x
Kinver 14 60.98x
Northampton St Sepulchre 14 12.40x
Battersea 13 1.50x
Northampton Priory St 13 9.76x
Rock 13 105.61x
Bilston 12 7.77x
Brenchley 12 41.65x
Bury 12 3.75x
Croydon 12 1.88x
East Farleigh 12 88.82x
Enfield 12 7.75x
Frant 12 42.57x
March 12 23.98x
Speldhurst 12 29.28x
Wolstanton 12 4.96x
Bersham 11 28.93x
Bradwell 11 54.78x
Camberwell 11 0.73x
Chelsea London 11 1.55x
Cradley 11 39.47x
Leicester St Margaret 11 1.72x
Stoke Upon Trent 11 1.30x
Westminster St James 11 4.53x
Woodford 11 20.86x
Bishop Stortford 10 18.41x
Breedon 10 172.71x
Chester St Oswald 10 10.60x
Hetton Le Hole 10 11.24x
Radcliffe 10 7.41x
Shrewsbury St Chad 10 13.98x
Bradford 9 6.87x
Burslem 9 3.94x
Chesham 9 17.12x
Deptford St Paul 9 1.45x
Derby St Werburgh 9 4.22x
Hammersmith London 9 1.55x
Kidderminster Foreign 9 20.66x
Long Crendon 9 94.24x
Ribbesford 9 35.09x
Ruabon 9 7.34x
St Anne Soho London 9 6.68x
Swepstone 9 211.76x
Wilby 9 272.73x
Wolverhampton 9 1.47x
Wotton Underwood 9 502.79x
Brighton 8 1.00x
Kirkdale 8 1.70x
Lolworth 8 583.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 164
Elizabeth 96
Sarah 81
Ann 48
Ellen 48
Eliza 44
Emma 42
Alice 40
Jane 34
Emily 28
Annie 24
Caroline 22
Hannah 20
Louisa 18
Florence 17
Martha 17
Frances 16
Harriet 16
Kate 16
Ada 15
Edith 15
Anne 13
Catherine 13
Charlotte 13
Fanny 13
Amelia 12
Esther 10
Maria 10
Harriett 9
Susan 9
Ethel 8
Agnes 7
Gertrude 7
Margaret 7
Rebecca 7
Susannah 7
Amy 6
Anna 6
Helen 6
Jessie 6
Lucy 6
Lydia 6
Ruth 6
Selina 6
Sophia 6
Georgina 5
Isabella 5
Julia 5
Minnie 5
Rosa 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 149
John 129
Thomas 90
George 84
Charles 52
James 52
Henry 40
Arthur 34
Joseph 31
Alfred 27
Edward 27
Samuel 22
Frederick 20
Albert 19
Harry 18
Stephen 18
Herbert 17
Walter 17
Richard 15
Robert 15
Frank 14
Ernest 13
Francis 11
Benjamin 10
David 8
Edwin 7
Fred 7
Wm. 7
Daniel 6
Thos. 6
Alexander 5
Fredk. 5
Reuben 5
Anthony 4
Isaac 4
Jesse 4
Matthew 4
Cornelius 3
Horace 3
Jno. 3
Josiah 3
Lewis 3
Maurice 3
Owen 3
Andrew 2
Eli 2
Mathew 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Reginald 2

FAQ

Blunt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blunt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,422 people were recorded with the Blunt surname. That placed it at #1,837 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blunt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,496 in 2016. That gives Blunt a modern rank of #2,649.

What does the Blunt surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a person who makes or sells blunt instruments or weapons.

What does the Blunt map show?

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