NameCensus.

UK surname

Cattrell

A surname derived from the Old French word "cateril," meaning a servant or groom.

In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Cattrell surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 98, ranked #31,470, down from #22,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, St Leonard Shoreditch and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braidfauld, Rutland and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cattrell is 218 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.1%.

1881 census count

79

Ranked #22,357

Modern count

98

2016, ranked #31,470

Peak year

1861

218 bearers

Map years

3

1861 to 1911

Key insights

  • Cattrell had 79 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,357 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016, ranked #31,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 218 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Cattrell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cattrell surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cattrell 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 96 #17,594
1861 historical 218 #11,175
1881 historical 79 #22,357
1891 historical 187 #15,679
1901 historical 97 #23,227
1911 historical 135 #19,058
1997 modern 77 #29,874
1998 modern 80 #29,966
1999 modern 84 #29,700
2000 modern 80 #30,139
2001 modern 81 #29,828
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 96 #28,381
2004 modern 90 #29,481
2005 modern 89 #29,683
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 86 #31,114
2009 modern 102 #29,286
2010 modern 103 #29,780
2011 modern 97 #30,552
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 103 #30,235
2014 modern 106 #30,030
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 98 #31,470

Geography

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Where Cattrells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, St Leonard Shoreditch, Toxteth Park, Liverpool and Bampton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Braidfauld, Rutland, Cheshire West and Chester, Wirral and Warwick. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bampton Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braidfauld Glasgow City
2 Rutland 005 Rutland
3 Cheshire West and Chester 009 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Wirral 004 Wirral
5 Warwick 012 Warwick

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cattrell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cattrell

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cattrell 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

Cattrell is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cattrell falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cattrell

The surname Cattrell originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English words "catt" meaning cat and "hyll" meaning hill or ridge. It is believed to have been an early topographic name given to someone who lived near a prominent hill frequented by wild cats.

One of the earliest known references to this name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, which mention a William Catrill. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also record a Walter Katerill in Oxfordshire. These slightly varied spellings were common in the transition from Old to Middle English.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the famous Domesday Book of 1086 as "Cateruill", referring to a landowner in Lincolnshire. This suggests the Cattrell name may have Norman French influences from the time of the Norman Conquest.

By the 16th century, the name had evolved closer to its modern spelling, with records showing a John Cattrell born in Westmorland in 1542. Around this time, the Cattrell family established roots in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire.

One notable bearer of this surname was Sir William Cattrell (1590-1652), an English politician who served as Member of Parliament for Harwich. Another was Richard Cattrell (1680-1757), an Anglican priest and academic who became headmaster of Bury St Edmunds Grammar School.

Moving into the 18th century, we find John Cattrell (1714-1787), a respected clockmaker from Wigan whose longcase clocks are highly prized by collectors today. Around the same period, Elizabeth Cattrell (1737-1805) gained recognition as a noted British portrait painter.

In the 19th century, James Cattrell (1815-1888) was a prominent English architect responsible for numerous civic buildings across London and the southeast of England, including the iconic Holborn Town Hall.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cattrell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cattrell 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. Lancashire leads with 31 Cattrells recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.39x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 31 3.39x
Middlesex 13 1.69x
Cheshire 11 6.47x
Durham 5 2.18x
Yorkshire 5 0.65x
Surrey 4 1.07x
Lanarkshire 3 1.20x
Shropshire 3 4.51x
Berkshire 2 3.46x
Hertfordshire 1 1.88x
Norfolk 1 0.84x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 19 Cattrells recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.22x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 19 34.22x
Whitby 10 2564.10x
Sefton 6 6000.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 5 32.20x
Houghton Le Spring 5 316.46x
Shoreditch London 5 14.97x
Rotherhithe 4 42.02x
Cadder 3 163.04x
Shrewsbury St Julian 3 181.82x
St Pancras London 3 4.84x
Hackney London 2 4.63x
Kirkdale 2 13.00x
Preston 2 8.18x
Sunninghill 2 250.00x
Toxteth Park 2 6.46x
Hatfield 1 92.59x
Islington London 1 1.34x
Kensington London 1 2.33x
Ness 1 1000.00x
Norwich St Clement 1 72.99x
St Martin In Fields 1 21.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Ann 4
Elizabeth 4
Anne 2
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Cecilia 1
Christina 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Helen 1
Hepbzibah 1
Lottie 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Margeret 1
Maria 1
Marther 1
Nancy 1
Netiy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
John 5
Henry 4
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Charles 2
Edward 2
James 2
Abram 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Frank 1
George 1
Herbert 1
Joe 1
Jones 1
Richard 1
Sam 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cattrell households.

FAQ

Cattrell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cattrell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Cattrell surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cattrell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016. That gives Cattrell a modern rank of #31,470.

What does the Cattrell surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "cateril," meaning a servant or groom.

What does the Cattrell map show?

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