NameCensus.

UK surname

Cabot

An occupational surname derived from the French word "cabat" meaning a maker of caps or hats.

In the 1881 census there were 15 people recorded with the Cabot surname, ranking it #31,451 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, up from #31,451 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include New Forest, Hammersmith and Fulham and Croydon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cabot is 113 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 580.0%.

1881 census count

15

Ranked #31,451

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

2015

113 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cabot had 15 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,451 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 53 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Cabot surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cabot surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cabot 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 5 #32,456
1861 historical 2 #34,135
1881 historical 15 #31,451
1891 historical 28 #32,046
1901 historical 40 #29,678
1911 historical 53 #27,508
1997 modern 98 #27,179
1998 modern 99 #27,785
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 91 #28,952
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 91 #29,181
2003 modern 86 #29,752
2004 modern 90 #29,481
2005 modern 92 #29,271
2006 modern 97 #28,793
2007 modern 98 #29,019
2008 modern 101 #28,825
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 103 #29,733
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 109 #29,452
2015 modern 113 #28,645
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Cabots 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 New Forest, Hammersmith and Fulham, Croydon and Hart. 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 New Forest 014 New Forest
2 Hammersmith and Fulham 020 Hammersmith and Fulham
3 Croydon 036 Croydon
4 Hart 003 Hart
5 New Forest 011 New Forest

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cabot

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cabot

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Cabot surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Cabot 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cabot is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cabot 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

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

Meaning and origin of Cabot

The surname Cabot is believed to have originated from the French Normandy region, deriving from the Old French word "cabot" meaning a small dog or a hound. It is thought to have first appeared as a surname in the 11th century.

The earliest recorded use of the name Cabot can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a person named William Cabot who was a landowner in Essex, England. It is likely that this was a nickname that evolved into a hereditary surname.

In the 13th century, the name Cabot was recorded in various forms such as Cabott, Cabote, and Cabotus, indicating its Norman French origins. These variations were possibly influenced by the place name Cabotte, a small village in Normandy.

One of the most famous bearers of the surname Cabot was the Italian navigator and explorer Giovanni Caboto (c. 1450-1499), better known as John Cabot. He was the first European since the Vikings to explore the Atlantic coast of North America, laying the groundwork for future English claims to the region.

Another notable Cabot was Sebastian Cabot (c. 1474-1557), the son of John Cabot. He was an Italian explorer and cartographer who played a significant role in the exploration of North America and the search for the Northwest Passage.

In England, the Cabot family of Bristol, descended from John Cabot, produced several notable figures, including William Cabot (1699-1776), a prominent merchant and member of the British Parliament.

The surname Cabot also has a strong presence in France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. One notable French Cabot was Pierre Cabot (1598-1668), a Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively about the history of Normandy.

In the United States, the Cabot family of Massachusetts, descendants of John Cabot, produced several influential figures, including George Cabot (1751-1823), a prominent politician and one of the founders of the Federalist Party.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cabot families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cabot 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. Channel Islands leads with 210 Cabots recorded in 1881 and an index of 321.49x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 210 321.49x
Middlesex 4 0.18x
Caithness 2 6.63x
Somerset 2 0.56x
Cornwall 1 0.40x
Devon 1 0.22x
Glamorgan 1 0.26x
Gloucestershire 1 0.23x
Hampshire 1 0.22x
Royal Navy 1 3.81x
Suffolk 1 0.37x
Sussex 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 68 Cabots recorded in 1881 and an index of 319.70x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 68 319.70x
Trinity 50 3311.26x
St Lawrence 21 1179.78x
St Martin 20 500.00x
St Saviour 18 498.62x
Grouville 17 934.07x
St Clement 12 1212.12x
St John 3 240.00x
Bathwick 2 50.89x
Wick 2 20.51x
Cardiff St Mary 1 4.73x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.92x
Falmouth 1 11.33x
Gloucester 1 666.67x
Gorleston 1 14.66x
Hammersmith London 1 1.84x
Islington London 1 0.47x
Lundy Island 1 769.23x
Poplar London 1 2.40x
Portsmouth 1 9.62x
Southwick 1 50.76x
St Brelade 1 59.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Jane 11
Ann 6
Elizabeth 5
Julia 5
Clara 4
Eliza 4
Esther 4
Susan 4
Anne 3
Nancy 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Selina 2
Adelina 1
Ame 1
Amenda 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Delicia 1
Elisabeth 1
Elise 1
Ellen 1
Elvena 1
Emelia 1
Emile 1
Emily 1
Emittes 1
Eunnice 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Jeanneton 1
Jeannton 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Marguerit 1
Marguerite 1
Maria 1
Mrs. 1
Rachel 1
Sophie 1
Virginia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 23
Charles 14
Philip 10
Thomas 9
George 7
Alfred 3
Daniel 3
James 3
Joseph 3
Edward 2
Francis 2
Josue 2
Nicholas 2
Peter 2
Philippe 2
Walter 2
William 2
Arthur 1
Chas. 1
Clifford 1
Elias 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Jean 1
Jeremiah 1
Joshua 1
P. 1
Ph.P. 1
Phip. 1
Robt.Wm. 1
Tho.P.G. 1
Winter 1

FAQ

Cabot surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cabot surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15 people were recorded with the Cabot surname. That placed it at #31,451 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cabot surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Cabot a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Cabot surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the French word "cabat" meaning a maker of caps or hats.

What does the Cabot map show?

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