NameCensus.

UK surname

Britt

An English locational surname derived from the Old English word for someone living in or near Brittany, France.

In the 1881 census there were 528 people recorded with the Britt surname, ranking it #6,497 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 700, ranked #7,703, down from #6,497 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bristol, Hastings and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Britt is 788 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.6%.

1881 census count

528

Ranked #6,497

Modern count

700

2016, ranked #7,703

Peak year

1911

788 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Britt had 528 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,497 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 700 in 2016, ranked #7,703.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 788 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Britt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Britt surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Britt 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 471 #5,275
1861 historical 605 #4,382
1881 historical 528 #6,497
1891 historical 710 #5,533
1901 historical 721 #6,132
1911 historical 788 #5,532
1997 modern 677 #7,438
1998 modern 699 #7,485
1999 modern 701 #7,506
2000 modern 686 #7,606
2001 modern 671 #7,607
2002 modern 673 #7,753
2003 modern 652 #7,816
2004 modern 654 #7,796
2005 modern 640 #7,855
2006 modern 664 #7,691
2007 modern 675 #7,659
2008 modern 668 #7,753
2009 modern 692 #7,705
2010 modern 696 #7,815
2011 modern 697 #7,715
2012 modern 695 #7,649
2013 modern 691 #7,814
2014 modern 697 #7,798
2015 modern 700 #7,710
2016 modern 700 #7,703

Geography

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Where Britts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes, Hollington and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bristol, Hastings and Nottingham. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hollington Sussex
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bristol 045 Bristol, City of
2 Hastings 011 Hastings
3 Nottingham 006 Nottingham
4 Hastings 010 Hastings
5 Bristol 018 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Britt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Britt

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Britt, 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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Britt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Britt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Britt is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Britt is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Britt 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 Britt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Britt

The surname Britt has its origins in England, first appearing in the medieval period between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "Brit" or "Briton," referring to the native inhabitants of Britain before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons and Normans.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Britt can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Brita" or "Britta," indicating that it was already in use by that time.

The name Britt was likely adopted as a surname by individuals who were either of Briton descent or lived in areas with a strong Briton influence. Some variations of the spelling include Britt, Britte, Brite, and Bryte, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic changes that occurred over time.

One notable historical figure with the surname Britt was Sir Richard Britt, a British naval officer who lived in the late 16th century and played a significant role in the Anglo-Spanish War (1585-1604). Another prominent individual was John Britt, an English clergyman born in 1616, who served as the Dean of Arches and was involved in ecclesiastical law and administration.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Britt was particularly prevalent in counties such as Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall, which had a strong Briton heritage. In fact, some place names in these areas, like Brittville and Brittany, are thought to be derived from the same root as the surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Britt include Nathaniel Britt (1675-1737), an English mathematician and author known for his work on navigation and nautical astronomy, and William Britt (1801-1863), a British sailor who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several significant naval battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

As the name Britt spread throughout England and later to other parts of the world through emigration, it continued to be used as a surname, with various families and individuals carrying on the legacy and contributing to the rich tapestry of history associated with this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Britt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Britt 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. Sussex leads with 156 Britts recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.80x.

County Total Index
Sussex 156 17.80x
Surrey 57 2.25x
Yorkshire 42 0.82x
Lancashire 41 0.66x
Middlesex 39 0.75x
Gloucestershire 36 3.53x
Staffordshire 34 1.94x
Derbyshire 21 2.58x
Warwickshire 15 1.14x
Kent 14 0.79x
Durham 13 0.84x
Hampshire 10 0.94x
Essex 9 0.88x
Cornwall 7 1.19x
Lincolnshire 6 0.72x
Worcestershire 6 0.88x
Leicestershire 5 0.87x
Channel Islands 4 2.60x
Cheshire 4 0.35x
Cumberland 4 0.89x
Glamorgan 2 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.29x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.48x
Devon 1 0.09x
Dorset 1 0.29x
Hertfordshire 1 0.28x
Northamptonshire 1 0.20x
Royal Navy 1 1.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bexhill in Sussex leads with 25 Britts recorded in 1881 and an index of 572.08x.

Place Total Index
Bexhill 25 572.08x
Hollington 23 737.18x
Normanby In 17 123.46x
Tamworth 16 170.58x
Newington 15 7.81x
Lambeth 14 3.09x
Mayfield 14 270.27x
Ore 14 214.72x
Chesterfield 13 42.61x
Hastings St Mary 13 59.58x
Bristol St Stephen 12 452.83x
Rye 12 144.06x
Salehurst 12 315.79x
Bethnal Green London 10 4.43x
Bickenhill 9 989.01x
Bristol St Augustine 8 48.60x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 8.33x
Camberwell 8 2.41x
Croydon 8 5.69x
Hedleyhope 8 298.51x
Liverpool 8 2.14x
Whittington 8 222.84x
Hackney London 7 2.40x
Northiam 7 325.58x
Salford 7 3.86x
Widnes 7 15.73x
Crowhurst 6 789.47x
Hellingly 6 204.78x
Brightside Bierlow 5 4.95x
Gillingham 5 13.67x
Hampstead London 5 6.18x
Kings Norton 5 8.21x
Oldham 5 2.51x
Toxteth Park 5 2.39x
York Holy Trinity 5 112.36x
Bermondsey 4 2.58x
Bristol St James In 4 26.67x
Chiswick 4 14.08x
Fisherwick 4 2352.94x
Gainsborough 4 20.41x
Great Clifton 4 231.21x
Hastings St Andrew 4 127.39x
Hastings St Mary In The 4 21.39x
Kirkheaton 4 47.85x
Padstow 4 102.30x
Southampton St Mary 4 5.97x
St Peter Port 4 14.04x
Sutton Cum Duckmanton 4 470.59x
Aston 3 0.83x
Hastings St Leonards 3 23.27x
Holy Trinity 3 2.42x
Maidstone 3 5.68x
Mountfield 3 270.27x
Saffron Walden 3 27.68x
St Pancras London 3 0.72x
Stockport 3 5.08x
Tillingham 3 165.75x
West Grinstead 3 113.64x
Whorlton 3 245.90x
Battle 2 33.78x
Brede 2 108.70x
Church Broughton 2 190.48x
Falmouth 2 9.60x
Great Grimsby 2 3.79x
Guisbrough 2 17.76x
Harborne 2 3.56x
Hastings St Clement 2 24.24x
Heap 2 6.11x
Lower Booths 2 18.10x
Manchester 2 0.72x
Middridge 2 130.72x
Penarth 2 22.60x
Southwick 2 43.10x
St Luke London 2 2.40x
Stoke Newington London 2 4.94x
Stone In Dartford 2 43.96x
Westbury On Trym 2 5.79x
Westoe 2 2.28x
Whitherley 2 217.39x
Wimbledon 2 7.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 35
John 27
James 23
George 21
Thomas 14
Alfred 12
Charles 12
Henry 12
Patrick 10
Joseph 6
Albert 5
Edward 5
Frank 5
Frederick 5
Arthur 4
Robert 4
Chas. 3
Ernest 3
Geo. 3
Samuel 3
Stephen 3
Daniel 2
David 2
Michael 2
Walter 2
Wyndham 2
Dennis 1
Earnest 1
Edmond 1
Eli 1
Frederic 1
Gerals 1
Harry 1
Henru 1
Hurburt 1
Isaac 1
Ivor 1
J.E.D. 1
Jane 1
Jarvis 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Leslie 1
Luke 1
Lydia 1
Moses 1
Richard 1
Robt.E. 1
Rupert 1
Sidney 1

FAQ

Britt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Britt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 528 people were recorded with the Britt surname. That placed it at #6,497 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Britt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 700 in 2016. That gives Britt a modern rank of #7,703.

What does the Britt surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from the Old English word for someone living in or near Brittany, France.

What does the Britt map show?

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