NameCensus.

UK surname

Cayton

A locational surname derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a settlement or town.

In the 1881 census there were 144 people recorded with the Cayton surname, ranking it #15,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 192, ranked #20,118, down from #15,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to North Meols, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Ribble, Leeds and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cayton is 212 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.3%.

1881 census count

144

Ranked #15,891

Modern count

192

2016, ranked #20,118

Peak year

1998

212 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cayton had 144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 192 in 2016, ranked #20,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 189 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Cayton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cayton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cayton 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 145 #15,715
1881 historical 144 #15,891
1891 historical 189 #15,547
1901 historical 177 #16,342
1911 historical 176 #16,185
1997 modern 210 #17,104
1998 modern 212 #17,479
1999 modern 212 #17,611
2000 modern 205 #17,940
2001 modern 187 #18,708
2002 modern 198 #18,410
2003 modern 193 #18,501
2004 modern 203 #18,061
2005 modern 190 #18,753
2006 modern 194 #18,627
2007 modern 193 #18,923
2008 modern 202 #18,528
2009 modern 200 #19,028
2010 modern 200 #19,457
2011 modern 197 #19,483
2012 modern 199 #19,280
2013 modern 193 #19,997
2014 modern 197 #19,903
2015 modern 201 #19,494
2016 modern 192 #20,118

Geography

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Where Caytons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around North Meols, Eccles, Manchester, Sheriff Hutton and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Ribble, Leeds, East Riding of Yorkshire and Doncaster. 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 North Meols Lancashire
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Sheriff Hutton Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Ribble 017 South Ribble
2 Leeds 004 Leeds
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 015 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Leeds 003 Leeds
5 Doncaster 021 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cayton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cayton

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Cayton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cayton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Cayton 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

Cayton is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cayton falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cayton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cayton

The surname Cayton is believed to have originated in England, deriving from a location name. It is thought to be a habitational name, meaning it referred to someone who lived in a particular place. The name is likely derived from the Old English words "cae" (meaning key) and "tun" (meaning enclosure or village), suggesting it may have originally referred to a village or settlement with a key-shaped enclosure or boundary.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cayton surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as "Caitun" in Yorkshire. This suggests the name was already established in that region by the late 11th century. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Cayton.

The surname is also associated with the village of Cayton in North Yorkshire, England, which likely took its name from the same Old English roots. This village is mentioned in historical records dating back to the 12th century, further solidifying the antiquity of the name.

Among notable individuals with the Cayton surname, one of the earliest was Robert de Cayton, a landowner in Yorkshire who lived in the late 13th century. Another early bearer of the name was John Cayton, a merchant and burgess (a member of a medieval town council) in York in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, a Cayton family was prominent in Yorkshire, with members holding positions of importance in the local community. One such individual was William Cayton (c. 1530-1598), who served as a justice of the peace and was involved in local governance.

Moving forward in time, Horace Roscoe Cayton (1903-1970) was an American sociologist and author, known for his work on the Black Metropolis, a study of the African American community in Chicago in the mid-20th century.

Another notable figure was Andrew Cayton (1737-1801), an American Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer who settled in what is now Ohio, where he became a prominent landowner and community leader.

Overall, the surname Cayton has a rich history rooted in England, particularly in Yorkshire, and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cayton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cayton 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 86 Caytons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.16x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 86 5.16x
Yorkshire 33 2.37x
Derbyshire 7 3.18x
Middlesex 6 0.43x
Cheshire 5 1.61x
Surrey 2 0.29x
Durham 1 0.24x
Gloucestershire 1 0.36x
Herefordshire 1 1.74x
Kent 1 0.21x
Leicestershire 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Meols in Lancashire leads with 14 Caytons recorded in 1881 and an index of 85.84x.

Place Total Index
North Meols 14 85.84x
Pendleton In Salford 10 50.35x
Hulme 8 22.99x
South Newbald 8 10000.00x
Whittington 7 230.26x
Worsbrough 7 171.57x
Bradford 6 76.92x
Elton 6 104.17x
Sheriff Hutton W 6 1538.46x
Birkenhead 5 20.23x
Bury 5 26.26x
Kensington London 5 6.40x
Manchester 5 6.67x
Over Darwen 5 37.57x
Alston 4 512.82x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 15.11x
Dilworth 4 392.16x
Leeds 3 3.82x
Preston 3 6.73x
West Derby 3 6.15x
Windle 3 31.98x
Ardwick 2 13.31x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 15.42x
Cheetham 2 16.09x
Clifton In York 2 68.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 7.08x
Terrington With 2 740.74x
Barrow In Furness 1 4.41x
Bishops Cleeve 1 142.86x
Bishopwearmouth 1 2.79x
Blackburn 1 2.26x
Bromley London 1 3.24x
Catterick 1 322.58x
Clifford 1 263.16x
Kirkleatham 1 53.19x
Leicester St Margaret 1 2.63x
Saddleworth 1 9.31x
Tonbridge 1 5.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 9
Jane 8
Ann 6
Sarah 6
Alice 4
Edith 3
Margaret 3
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Blanche 1
Catherina 1
Charlott 1
Elizabth. 1
Emma 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katy 1
Lillie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Patience 1
Rosa 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 10
Joseph 9
George 6
John 6
William 5
James 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
Matthew 2
Michael 2
Patrick 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Henry 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Johnson 1
R.R. 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Rodger 1
T.W. 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cayton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cayton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 144 people were recorded with the Cayton surname. That placed it at #15,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cayton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 192 in 2016. That gives Cayton a modern rank of #20,118.

What does the Cayton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a settlement or town.

What does the Cayton map show?

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