NameCensus.

UK surname

Cart

A surname derived from an occupational term referring to the driver of a horse-drawn cart.

In the 1881 census there were 177 people recorded with the Cart surname, ranking it #13,889 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 149, ranked #23,844, down from #13,889 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Polesworth, Belgrave and Great Sheepy, Mythe, Lea Marston, Merevale, Orton-on-the-Hill (Market Bosworth, Leicestershire). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Nuneaton and Bedworth, North Warwickshire and North East Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cart is 438 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 15.8%.

1881 census count

177

Ranked #13,889

Modern count

149

2016, ranked #23,844

Peak year

1861

438 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cart had 177 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,889 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016, ranked #23,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 438 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Cart surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cart surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cart 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 222 #9,597
1861 historical 438 #5,884
1881 historical 177 #13,889
1891 historical 307 #10,914
1901 historical 259 #12,848
1911 historical 217 #14,214
1997 modern 154 #20,780
1998 modern 159 #20,916
1999 modern 149 #21,924
2000 modern 141 #22,648
2001 modern 136 #22,855
2002 modern 131 #23,793
2003 modern 126 #24,146
2004 modern 125 #24,443
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 118 #25,913
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 127 #25,564
2010 modern 140 #24,569
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 141 #24,855
2015 modern 145 #24,246
2016 modern 149 #23,844

Geography

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Where Carts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Polesworth, Belgrave, Great Sheepy, Mythe, Lea Marston, Merevale, Orton-on-the-Hill (Market Bosworth, Leicestershire), Nuneaton and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Nuneaton and Bedworth, North Warwickshire and North East Derbyshire. 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 Polesworth Warwickshire
2 Belgrave Leicestershire
3 Great Sheepy, Mythe, Lea Marston, Merevale, Orton-on-the-Hill (Market Bosworth, Leicestershire) Warwickshire
4 Nuneaton Warwickshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Nuneaton and Bedworth 005 Nuneaton and Bedworth
2 North Warwickshire 001 North Warwickshire
3 Nuneaton and Bedworth 004 Nuneaton and Bedworth
4 North East Derbyshire 013 North East Derbyshire
5 North Warwickshire 002 North Warwickshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cart

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cart

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cart is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cart is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cart falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cart is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cart

The surname CART is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period in England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cræt," which referred to a small cart or wagon used for transportation. This connection suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname, given to individuals whose trade involved working with carts or wagons.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name CART can be found in various records from counties such as Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Norfolk in England. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a John le Cartere.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct mentions of the surname CART. However, there are references to individuals with similar occupational surnames related to carts, such as "Caretarius" and "Carectarius."

One notable historical figure bearing the surname CART was Nicholas Cart (c. 1420-1489), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1486-1487.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Sir John Cart (c. 1550-1628), an English politician and landowner from Wiltshire. He served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in the early 17th century.

In the 16th century, variations of the name such as "Carte" and "Cartt" can be found in records from counties like Wiltshire, Somerset, and Gloucestershire. The village of Carterton in Oxfordshire may have derived its name from the surname CART, indicating a connection to place names.

During the 17th century, the name CART appeared in various parish records across England, including those from Berkshire, Hampshire, and Suffolk. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Cart (c. 1620-1685), a prominent landowner and justice of the peace from Dorset.

Another individual of note was William Cart (c. 1675-1742), a wealthy merchant and ship owner from Bristol, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the early 18th century.

While the surname CART is not among the most common in English-speaking countries today, it has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with connections to occupations, places, and notable individuals over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cart families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cart 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 84 Carts recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.16x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 84 45.16x
Warwickshire 40 9.45x
Middlesex 14 0.83x
Lancashire 10 0.50x
Staffordshire 7 1.24x
Kent 5 0.87x
Northamptonshire 5 3.17x
Midlothian 2 0.89x
Devon 1 0.29x
Durham 1 0.20x
Glamorgan 1 0.34x
Northumberland 1 0.40x
Surrey 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Syston in Leicestershire leads with 29 Carts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1666.67x.

Place Total Index
Syston 29 1666.67x
Polesworth 21 1044.78x
Leicester St Margaret 16 35.27x
Nuneaton 14 285.71x
Osbaston 13 10000.00x
St George In East London 8 50.70x
Thrussington 8 2285.71x
Harborne 7 38.57x
Cottesbrooke 5 4166.67x
Blackburn 4 7.55x
Ibstock 4 296.30x
Sileby 4 341.88x
Crumpsall 3 63.97x
Leicester St Mary 3 19.96x
Mancetter 3 245.90x
North Meols 3 15.39x
Hackney London 2 2.13x
Margate St John Baptist 2 19.08x
Orton On The Hill 2 1250.00x
Rearsby 2 740.74x
Shoreditch London 2 2.75x
Aylestone 1 68.03x
Balsall 1 151.52x
Billesdon 1 208.33x
Birmingham 1 0.71x
Buckland In Dover 1 52.63x
Charlton 1 26.32x
Deal 1 20.49x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.11x
Elswick 1 5.02x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 12.50x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 4.63x
Islington London 1 0.61x
Lambeth 1 0.68x
Newbold Verdon 1 232.56x
South Leith 1 3.95x
St George Bloomsbury 1 10.38x
Swansea Town 1 4.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 14
George 9
William 9
Thomas 6
James 5
Arthur 4
Joseph 4
Samuel 3
Jesse 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Berty 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Jonathan 1
Joshia 1
Manahath 1
Needham 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thomkas 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Cart surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cart surname in 1881?

In 1881, 177 people were recorded with the Cart surname. That placed it at #13,889 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cart surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016. That gives Cart a modern rank of #23,844.

What does the Cart surname mean?

A surname derived from an occupational term referring to the driver of a horse-drawn cart.

What does the Cart map show?

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