NameCensus.

UK surname

Booty

A surname likely derived from the Old French word "boti" meaning a log or tree stump.

In the 1881 census there were 486 people recorded with the Booty surname, ranking it #6,925 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 614, ranked #8,552, down from #6,925 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Leiston with Sizewell, London parishes and King's Lynn St Margaret. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hampshire, Fenland and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Booty is 688 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.3%.

1881 census count

486

Ranked #6,925

Modern count

614

2016, ranked #8,552

Peak year

1911

688 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Booty had 486 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,925 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 614 in 2016, ranked #8,552.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 688 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Booty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Booty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Booty 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 400 #6,040
1861 historical 304 #8,340
1881 historical 486 #6,925
1891 historical 523 #7,161
1901 historical 630 #6,801
1911 historical 688 #6,165
1997 modern 647 #7,677
1998 modern 661 #7,806
1999 modern 662 #7,834
2000 modern 664 #7,808
2001 modern 644 #7,852
2002 modern 653 #7,915
2003 modern 630 #8,014
2004 modern 633 #7,994
2005 modern 617 #8,093
2006 modern 613 #8,151
2007 modern 623 #8,114
2008 modern 619 #8,210
2009 modern 638 #8,186
2010 modern 634 #8,412
2011 modern 628 #8,384
2012 modern 629 #8,285
2013 modern 626 #8,448
2014 modern 627 #8,500
2015 modern 637 #8,326
2016 modern 614 #8,552

Geography

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Where Bootys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Leiston with Sizewell, London parishes, King's Lynn St Margaret, St Pancras and Horsford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Hampshire, Fenland, Teignbridge, South Norfolk and North Lincolnshire. 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 Leiston with Sizewell Suffolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Horsford Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hampshire 010 East Hampshire
2 Fenland 003 Fenland
3 Teignbridge 003 Teignbridge
4 South Norfolk 001 South Norfolk
5 North Lincolnshire 014 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Booty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Booty

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

Booty 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

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

Meaning and origin of Booty

The surname "BOOTY" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "bota" or "bote," which referred to a small boat or vessel used for transportation. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone involved in boating or maritime activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "BOOTY" can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, where it appears as "Boteri." This variation likely stems from the Old French word "bote," also meaning "boat." The name's connection to waterways and rivers is further reinforced by its presence in places like Boothby, a village in Lincolnshire, which was historically known as "Boteby" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

During the 13th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Richard Booty, a merchant from York who was mentioned in legal records from 1280. Another early example is John Booty, who was recorded as a landowner in the village of Ashby in Leicestershire in 1327.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including the Parish Registers of Birstall, Yorkshire, where a John Booty was christened in 1582. Around this time, the surname also emerged in different spellings, such as "Bootie" and "Boote."

One of the most prominent figures with the surname "BOOTY" was Sir Thomas Booty (1588-1668), an English politician and member of Parliament who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1643. During the English Civil War, he supported the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.

Other notable individuals with the surname include John Booty (1762-1837), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and William Booty (1833-1892), an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in the 19th century.

In more recent times, the surname "BOOTY" has been associated with several literary and artistic figures, such as Carolyn Booty (born 1941), an American playwright and screenwriter, and Shaun Booty (born 1966), a British artist known for his abstract paintings and mixed media works.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Booty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Booty 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 113 Bootys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.53x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 113 15.53x
Middlesex 103 2.18x
Suffolk 60 10.41x
Kent 47 2.91x
Surrey 47 2.04x
Yorkshire 40 0.85x
Essex 35 3.75x
Sussex 15 1.88x
Warwickshire 7 0.59x
Northumberland 5 0.71x
Northamptonshire 4 0.90x
Gloucestershire 3 0.32x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.33x
Cornwall 1 0.19x
Hampshire 1 0.10x
Hertfordshire 1 0.31x
Lincolnshire 1 0.13x
Worcestershire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 18 Bootys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.73x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 18 4.73x
Battersea 16 9.19x
Margaretting 16 1882.35x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 14 64.10x
Horsford 11 973.45x
Leiston 11 277.78x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 10 62.38x
Grange Gillingham 10 1388.89x
Heigham 10 25.61x
Kensington London 10 3.80x
Norwich St Paul 10 229.89x
Great Yarmouth 9 14.94x
Hackney London 9 3.39x
Upchurch 9 494.51x
Brighton 8 4.97x
Speldhurst 8 97.32x
Bethnal Green London 7 3.41x
Birmingham 7 1.76x
Bromley London 7 6.73x
Denham 7 972.22x
Norwich St James 7 122.59x
Rainham 7 157.66x
Roxwell 7 530.30x
Swannington 7 1320.75x
Walsham Le Willows 7 364.58x
Hastings St Leonards 6 51.19x
Ipswich St Nicholas 6 189.27x
Mile End Old Town London 6 5.96x
Mirfield 6 23.31x
Ratcliffe London 6 22.96x
Shoreditch London 6 2.93x
Terrington St Clement 6 182.37x
Wandsworth 6 13.18x
Cowpen 5 30.85x
Gorleston 5 34.15x
Ipswich St Peter 5 64.43x
Islington London 5 1.09x
Paddington London 5 2.87x
St Dunstan In West London 5 337.84x
West Ham 5 2.43x
Bramley In Bramley 4 22.28x
Camberwell 4 1.32x
Ixworth 4 245.40x
Norwich St Peter 4 83.86x
Reigate Foreign 4 16.03x
Rudston 4 408.16x
Scarborough 4 9.39x
Thorpe Next Norwich 4 51.88x
Timworth 4 1379.31x
Tunstead 4 588.24x
West Hanningfield 4 571.43x
Chelsea London 3 2.10x
Dewsbury 3 6.24x
Eaton St Andrew 3 148.51x
Horley 3 77.72x
Lewisham 3 3.49x
Margate St John Baptist 3 10.15x
Metfield 3 315.79x
Reigate Borough 3 56.39x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 3.15x
St George In East London 3 6.74x
St Marylebone London 3 1.19x
Tonbridge 3 5.15x
Beverley St Martin 2 25.58x
Blakeney 2 153.85x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 2 18.50x
Catton 2 163.93x
Chatham 2 4.50x
East Carleton 2 400.00x
Gatton 2 540.54x
Great Saxham 2 512.82x
Hampstead London 2 2.71x
Mickleton 2 163.93x
Mitcham 2 13.73x
Old Buckenham 2 107.53x
Owthorne 2 227.27x
Sprowston 2 62.31x
St George Hanover Square 2 2.40x
Twickenham 2 9.86x
Upwell 2 59.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Elizabeth 20
Alice 14
Eliza 12
Ellen 10
Emma 10
Sarah 9
Jane 6
Annie 5
Caroline 5
Charlotte 5
Emily 5
Lucy 5
Ada 4
Ann 4
Frances 4
Amelia 3
Edith 3
Florence 3
Hannah 3
Harriett 3
Kate 3
Lydia 3
Maria 3
Adah 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Augusta 2
Beatrice 2
Clara 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Laura 2
Margaret 2
Marianne 2
Martha 2
Maud 2
Phillis 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Elizth.A. 1
Eloise 1
Evangilyn 1
Florance 1
Jannetta 1
Jessy 1
Julia 1
W.Annie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 33
James 25
George 21
John 17
Charles 16
Edward 14
Alfred 9
Arthur 7
Thomas 7
Robert 6
Frederick 5
Henry 5
David 4
Francis 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Fredrick 3
Horace 3
Joseph 3
Walter 3
Benjamin 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Rubin 2
Vincent 2
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Emanuel 1
Fancis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.H. 1
Hezekiah 1
Jeremiah 1
Lester 1
Matthew 1
Nathan 1
Perc 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Reuben 1
Robt. 1
Robt.Wm. 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Wm.W. 1

FAQ

Booty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Booty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 486 people were recorded with the Booty surname. That placed it at #6,925 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Booty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 614 in 2016. That gives Booty a modern rank of #8,552.

What does the Booty surname mean?

A surname likely derived from the Old French word "boti" meaning a log or tree stump.

What does the Booty map show?

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