NameCensus.

UK surname

Caunter

In the 1881 census there were 305 people recorded with the Caunter surname, ranking it #9,615 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 397, ranked #11,941, down from #9,615 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tormoham with Torquay, Ashburton and Widecombe-in-the-Moor. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torbay, South Hams and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Caunter is 408 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.2%.

1881 census count

305

Ranked #9,615

Modern count

397

2016, ranked #11,941

Peak year

2000

408 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Caunter had 305 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,615 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 397 in 2016, ranked #11,941.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 368 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Caunter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Caunter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Caunter 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 200 #10,403
1861 historical 226 #10,797
1881 historical 305 #9,615
1891 historical 301 #11,092
1901 historical 368 #10,057
1911 historical 354 #10,192
1997 modern 370 #11,666
1998 modern 385 #11,698
1999 modern 390 #11,660
2000 modern 408 #11,232
2001 modern 372 #11,855
2002 modern 375 #12,018
2003 modern 378 #11,741
2004 modern 377 #11,776
2005 modern 366 #11,964
2006 modern 378 #11,714
2007 modern 388 #11,630
2008 modern 384 #11,851
2009 modern 397 #11,793
2010 modern 401 #11,973
2011 modern 384 #12,218
2012 modern 376 #12,262
2013 modern 392 #12,100
2014 modern 398 #12,048
2015 modern 392 #12,092
2016 modern 397 #11,941

Geography

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Where Caunters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tormoham with Torquay, Ashburton, Widecombe-in-the-Moor, London parishes and Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torbay, South Hams, Plymouth and Teignbridge. 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 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
2 Ashburton Devon
3 Widecombe-in-the-Moor Devon
4 London parishes London 2
5 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torbay 018 Torbay
2 Torbay 017 Torbay
3 South Hams 006 South Hams
4 Plymouth 026 Plymouth
5 Teignbridge 004 Teignbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Caunter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Caunter

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

Caunter is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Caunter falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Caunter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Caunter 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. Devon leads with 200 Caunters recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.19x.

County Total Index
Devon 200 32.19x
Cornwall 50 14.80x
Surrey 18 1.24x
Middlesex 16 0.54x
Staffordshire 12 1.19x
Sussex 4 0.79x
Ross-shire 2 2.44x
Durham 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 2.81x
Somerset 1 0.21x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tormoham in Devon leads with 28 Caunters recorded in 1881 and an index of 106.50x.

Place Total Index
Tormoham 28 106.50x
Widdecombeinthe Moor 28 3373.49x
Lidford 24 860.22x
Broadhempston 21 3620.69x
Ashburton 17 572.39x
Calstock 14 211.16x
Stoke Damerel 10 23.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 18.80x
Lambeth 8 3.07x
Liskeard 7 123.89x
Chudleigh 6 304.57x
Denbury 6 1764.71x
Linkinhorne 6 255.32x
St Ive 6 276.50x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 5.62x
Wolborough 6 76.43x
Brixton 5 714.29x
Chagford 5 335.57x
Highweek 5 225.23x
St Stephens By Saltash 5 342.47x
Hove 4 18.12x
Lezant 4 526.32x
St Pancras London 4 1.66x
Banstead 3 76.14x
Bermondsey 3 3.38x
East Stonehouse 3 24.51x
Exeter St David 3 56.50x
Hampstead London 3 6.45x
Islington London 3 1.04x
Lewannick 3 454.55x
Newton Abbot St Mary 3 57.58x
Rushall 3 50.59x
South Pool 3 750.00x
Buckfastleigh 2 69.69x
Exeter St Mary Major 2 53.33x
Kensington London 2 1.21x
Lichfield St Mary 2 68.73x
North Hill 2 185.19x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 3.33x
St Breock 2 109.29x
Stornoway 2 18.73x
Tamerton Foliott 2 166.67x
Aveton Gifford 1 111.11x
Bow London 1 2.63x
Bromley London 1 1.52x
Cotton 1 149.25x
Devonport 1 14.01x
Diptford 1 147.06x
East Teignmouth 1 39.37x
Egg Buckland 1 94.34x
Gate Fulford 1 14.47x
Kingsteignton 1 57.80x
Long Ditton 1 42.19x
Merton 1 39.22x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.57x
Milton Abbott 1 111.11x
Royal Navy 1 3.29x
Sherford 1 243.90x
South Brent 1 75.19x
South Shields 1 12.64x
Southill 1 192.31x
St Marylebone London 1 0.63x
Stokenham 1 57.14x
Taunton St James 1 14.27x
Totnes 1 27.55x
Wembury 1 178.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 19
Sarah 9
Eliza 8
Jane 7
Annie 5
Ann 4
Bessie 4
Emma 4
Amelia 3
Caroline 3
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Ellen 3
Margaret 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Emily 2
Ethel 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Thurza 2
Betsy 1
Blanch 1
Carrie 1
Eleanor 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Fredrica 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Julia 1
Lauraitte 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Maude 1
Mildread 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
William 20
Henry 11
Richard 10
Samuel 9
Edward 7
George 7
James 6
Albert 3
Thomas 3
Aaron 2
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Edwin 2
Eli 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Nelson 2
Reuben 2
Richd. 2
A.E. 1
Arthur 1
Chas.A. 1
Egbern 1
Enoch 1
Fredk.Henry 1
Geo. 1
Geo.H. 1
Jas.Wm. 1
Joseph 1
Louis 1
Moses 1
Ned 1
Oliver 1
Reginald 1
Rhuben 1
Sarah 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Caunter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Caunter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 305 people were recorded with the Caunter surname. That placed it at #9,615 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Caunter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 397 in 2016. That gives Caunter a modern rank of #11,941.

What does the Caunter map show?

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