NameCensus.

UK surname

Boat

An uncommon surname potentially derived from a nickname for someone who lived near a boat or worked on boats.

In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Boat surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #26,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swansea, Leicester and Harborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boat is 104 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 92.6%.

1881 census count

54

Ranked #26,009

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

2016

104 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boat had 54 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 98 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Boat surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boat surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Boat 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 98 #21,388
1881 historical 54 #26,009
1891 historical 68 #28,300
1901 historical 66 #26,794
1911 historical 85 #24,322
1997 modern 75 #30,109
1998 modern 77 #30,289
1999 modern 81 #30,037
2000 modern 74 #30,785
2001 modern 75 #30,481
2002 modern 82 #30,181
2003 modern 76 #30,883
2004 modern 78 #30,919
2005 modern 78 #31,058
2006 modern 80 #31,149
2007 modern 83 #31,183
2008 modern 85 #31,247
2009 modern 88 #31,352
2010 modern 92 #31,366
2011 modern 93 #31,169
2012 modern 90 #31,790
2013 modern 91 #32,020
2014 modern 95 #31,792
2015 modern 100 #31,005
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

Back to top

Where Boats are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swansea, Leicester, Harborough and Hinckley and Bosworth. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swansea 021 Swansea
2 Leicester 034 Leicester
3 Swansea 018 Swansea
4 Harborough 004 Harborough
5 Hinckley and Bosworth 002 Hinckley and Bosworth

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Boat

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Boat

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Boat, 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 Boat surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Boat 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Boat is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Boat is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Boat

The surname Boat is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "bat," which referred to a small boat or vessel used for transportation on rivers and other waterways.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Boat can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1275, where a certain Walter Boat is mentioned. This document provides evidence that the name was already in use during that time period.

In the 15th century, the surname Boat appears in various historical records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Boat is listed in 1451. This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of England by that point.

The surname Boat may also be associated with certain place names or locations, particularly those with a connection to water or maritime activities. For example, there is a village called Boat Hayton in Cumberland (now part of Cumbria), which may have influenced the surname's development.

One notable individual with the surname Boat was Robert Boat, a merchant and alderman who lived in the city of York in the late 16th century. He was a member of the influential Merchant Taylors' Company and held various civic positions during his lifetime.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Boat, a renowned English naval commander who lived in the 17th century. He served in the Royal Navy and played a significant role in several naval battles, including the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War.

In the 18th century, William Boat, a renowned architect and surveyor, left his mark on the city of London. He was responsible for designing and constructing several notable buildings, including St. Paul's Church in Covent Garden.

James Boat, a renowned explorer and naturalist, embarked on several expeditions in the 19th century, contributing valuable knowledge to the fields of geography and botany. His detailed accounts of his travels and discoveries were widely published and celebrated during his lifetime.

Lastly, in the early 20th century, Emily Boat was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools and organizations dedicated to promoting equal educational opportunities for women, leaving a lasting impact on the advancement of gender equality in education.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Boat families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boat 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. Leicestershire leads with 29 Boats recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.66x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 29 49.66x
Durham 6 3.83x
Glamorgan 6 6.54x
Nottinghamshire 5 7.04x
Middlesex 4 0.76x
Lancashire 1 0.16x
Staffordshire 1 0.56x
Surrey 1 0.39x
Sussex 1 1.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Countesthorpe in Leicestershire leads with 17 Boats recorded in 1881 and an index of 8500.00x.

Place Total Index
Countesthorpe 17 8500.00x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 88.37x
Swansea Town 6 79.79x
Leicester St Mary 5 105.93x
Nottingham St Mary 5 27.23x
Leicester All Sts 4 347.83x
Whitechapel London 4 77.07x
Leicester St Margaret 3 21.07x
Habergham Eaves 1 17.51x
Penge 1 29.76x
Rotherfield 1 128.21x
Wolstanton 1 18.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Eliza 3
Caroline 2
Ellen 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Ann 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Elenor 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Fanstona 1
Hannah 1
Leah 1
Louisa 1
Margret 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 4
Joseph 3
John 2
Matthew 2
Thomas 2
Aaron 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Cornniellius 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
G.Edward 1
George 1
H.F.G. 1
Herbert 1
Michael 1
Myer 1
Reuben 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Boat households.

FAQ

Boat surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boat surname in 1881?

In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Boat surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boat surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Boat a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Boat surname mean?

An uncommon surname potentially derived from a nickname for someone who lived near a boat or worked on boats.

What does the Boat map show?

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