NameCensus.

UK surname

Botten

A surname derived from a place name or topographical feature meaning a valley or hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 303 people recorded with the Botten surname, ranking it #9,654 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 309, ranked #14,442, down from #9,654 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Horsemonden, Seal and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Medway, Epping Forest and Rochford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Botten is 557 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.0%.

1881 census count

303

Ranked #9,654

Modern count

309

2016, ranked #14,442

Peak year

1911

557 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Botten had 303 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,654 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016, ranked #14,442.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 557 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Botten surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Botten surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Botten 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 285 #7,952
1861 historical 233 #10,501
1881 historical 303 #9,654
1891 historical 397 #8,927
1901 historical 505 #7,988
1911 historical 557 #7,210
1997 modern 370 #11,666
1998 modern 390 #11,563
1999 modern 389 #11,678
2000 modern 373 #11,996
2001 modern 371 #11,881
2002 modern 376 #11,989
2003 modern 364 #12,068
2004 modern 357 #12,272
2005 modern 346 #12,464
2006 modern 335 #12,883
2007 modern 325 #13,291
2008 modern 333 #13,175
2009 modern 338 #13,302
2010 modern 357 #13,036
2011 modern 335 #13,528
2012 modern 308 #14,259
2013 modern 318 #14,160
2014 modern 312 #14,430
2015 modern 310 #14,402
2016 modern 309 #14,442

Geography

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Where Bottens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Horsemonden, Seal, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Brenchley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Medway, Epping Forest, Rochford, Waveney and Maidstone. 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 Horsemonden Kent
2 Seal Kent
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Brenchley Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Medway 028 Medway
2 Epping Forest 007 Epping Forest
3 Rochford 004 Rochford
4 Waveney 009 Waveney
5 Maidstone 013 Maidstone

Forenames

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First names often paired with Botten

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Botten

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

Botten is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Botten falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Botten

The surname Botten is of English origin, originating in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a topographical name referring to someone who lived near the bottom of a hill or valley. The name is often found spelled as Boton, Botun, or Botton in early records.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Botun" in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already established in northern England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name Botten is found in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230, where a William Botten is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include references to individuals named Botten in counties like Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

In the 14th century, the surname Botten appeared in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, indicating its continued presence in the region. One notable bearer of the name was John Botten, a prominent merchant from York who lived around 1380.

As the centuries progressed, the name Botten spread to other parts of England. In the 16th century, records show individuals with this surname in counties like Norfolk and Gloucestershire. One notable figure was Sir William Botten (1510-1579), a landowner and Member of Parliament from Norfolk.

The 17th century saw the arrival of the Botten family in the American colonies. John Botten (1620-1678) was one of the early settlers in Massachusetts, arriving in the 1630s. He became a prominent figure in the town of Newbury.

Other notable individuals with the surname Botten include Robert Botten (1722-1799), an English clergyman and author, and Samuel Botten (1784-1842), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

While the surname Botten is not as common as some other English names, it has a long and documented history, with roots dating back to the medieval period and a presence in various regions of England over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Botten families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Botten 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. Kent leads with 165 Bottens recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.53x.

County Total Index
Kent 165 16.53x
Surrey 42 2.95x
Middlesex 39 1.33x
Sussex 14 2.84x
Staffordshire 10 1.01x
Essex 9 1.56x
Buckinghamshire 5 2.83x
Hertfordshire 5 2.48x
Lancashire 4 0.12x
Lanarkshire 2 0.21x
Worcestershire 2 0.52x
Bedfordshire 1 0.66x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Norfolk 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tonbridge in Kent leads with 51 Bottens recorded in 1881 and an index of 141.63x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 51 141.63x
Brenchley 18 504.20x
Lambeth 14 5.49x
Speldhurst 14 275.59x
Bethnal Green London 12 9.44x
Horsemonden 12 821.92x
Hackney London 11 6.70x
Islington London 10 3.53x
Sevenoaks 9 111.25x
Withyam 9 426.54x
Colchester St Giles 8 140.11x
Deptford St Paul 8 10.39x
Tipton 8 26.45x
Northfleet 7 79.55x
Seal 7 434.78x
East Malling 6 251.05x
Long Ditton 6 257.51x
Snodland 6 212.01x
Chalfont St Giles 5 393.70x
St Albans St Peter 5 73.42x
Betchworth 4 227.27x
Cobham 4 170.94x
Cranbrook 4 94.56x
Croydon 4 5.05x
Gorton 4 12.25x
Rotherhithe 4 11.06x
Minster In Sheppey 3 18.14x
Richmond 3 15.02x
Crayford 2 45.87x
Govan 2 0.85x
Harborne 2 6.32x
Hougham 2 33.67x
Hunton 2 229.89x
Maidstone 2 6.72x
Northfield 2 27.59x
Pembury 2 140.85x
St Pancras London 2 0.85x
West Malling 2 88.89x
Brighton 1 1.00x
Broadwater 1 8.83x
Camberwell 1 0.54x
Carlton 1 212.77x
Chiddingstone 1 76.34x
East Farleigh 1 59.88x
Eltham 1 17.09x
Hollingbourn 1 86.96x
Lewes St Michael 1 102.04x
Limpsfield 1 73.53x
Marden 1 42.74x
Newington 1 0.93x
Paddington London 1 0.93x
Penshurst 1 59.52x
Portsea 1 0.85x
Rochester St Nicholas 1 32.15x
Shoreditch London 1 0.79x
South Bersted 1 23.81x
St George Bloomsbury 1 5.96x
Stalham 1 116.28x
Teddington London 1 15.08x
Ticehurst 1 33.11x
Walmer 1 23.04x
West Ham 1 0.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 19
George 16
Charles 11
James 11
Alfred 9
Edward 9
John 8
Thomas 8
Henry 5
Arthur 4
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Benjamin 3
Joseph 3
Stephen 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Ernest 2
Harry 2
Leonard 2
Samuel 2
Ambrose 1
Charlie 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Geo.James 1
Herbert 1
Luke 1
Martin 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
T.F. 1
Thos. 1
Thos.Wm. 1
Timothy 1

FAQ

Botten surname: questions and answers

How common was the Botten surname in 1881?

In 1881, 303 people were recorded with the Botten surname. That placed it at #9,654 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Botten surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 309 in 2016. That gives Botten a modern rank of #14,442.

What does the Botten surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name or topographical feature meaning a valley or hollow.

What does the Botten map show?

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