NameCensus.

UK surname

Chantler

A habitational name referring to someone from Cantley in Yorkshire or elsewhere.

In the 1881 census there were 785 people recorded with the Chantler surname, ranking it #4,732 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 835, ranked #6,674, down from #4,732 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Rochester and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maidstone, Cheshire West and Chester and Tunbridge Wells.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chantler is 1,104 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.4%.

1881 census count

785

Ranked #4,732

Modern count

835

2016, ranked #6,674

Peak year

1911

1,104 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chantler had 785 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,732 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 835 in 2016, ranked #6,674.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,104 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Chantler surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chantler surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chantler 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 530 #4,736
1861 historical 513 #5,102
1881 historical 785 #4,732
1891 historical 872 #4,710
1901 historical 1,087 #4,446
1911 historical 1,104 #4,211
1997 modern 908 #5,932
1998 modern 919 #6,053
1999 modern 933 #6,035
2000 modern 936 #6,005
2001 modern 907 #6,051
2002 modern 916 #6,123
2003 modern 878 #6,193
2004 modern 873 #6,236
2005 modern 839 #6,364
2006 modern 849 #6,327
2007 modern 851 #6,370
2008 modern 871 #6,288
2009 modern 893 #6,313
2010 modern 897 #6,404
2011 modern 860 #6,554
2012 modern 843 #6,571
2013 modern 844 #6,674
2014 modern 849 #6,666
2015 modern 840 #6,671
2016 modern 835 #6,674

Geography

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Where Chantlers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Rochester, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Maidstone, Cheshire West and Chester, Tunbridge Wells and Wyre. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Rochester Kent
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maidstone 017 Maidstone
2 Cheshire West and Chester 047 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Tunbridge Wells 008 Tunbridge Wells
4 Wyre 003 Wyre
5 Tunbridge Wells 003 Tunbridge Wells

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chantler

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chantler

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

Chantler 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

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

Meaning and origin of Chantler

The surname Chantler is of English origin, dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "chanteor," which means "singer" or "chanter." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who was a professional singer or chanter, perhaps employed in a church or as a minstrel.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1198, where a man named William le Chantour is listed. This early spelling variation highlights the French roots of the name. Over time, the name evolved to its more modern form, Chantler.

In the 13th century, the name can be found in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, where a John le Chaunter is mentioned. This document provides insight into the occupational nature of the name, as "chaunter" was a common term for a singer or performer.

The Chantler surname is also associated with certain place names in England, particularly in counties like Lancashire and Yorkshire. For instance, there is a hamlet called Chantler near Bury, Lancashire, which may have been the ancestral home of some Chantlers.

One notable individual bearing this surname was John Chantler (c. 1550-1592), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his religious beliefs. His death is recorded in the annals of Catholic martyrology.

Another prominent figure was William Chantler (1592-1666), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1647 to 1648. He was also the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1639 until his death.

In the 18th century, Thomas Chantler (1717-1781) was a notable English Anglican clergyman and author who published several religious works, including "A Vindication of the Christian Religion" and "A Review of the Difficulties in the Scripture."

Moving into the 19th century, Richard Chantler (1808-1884) was a British architect best known for designing several churches and other buildings in the Gothic Revival style, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Finally, one of the more recent historical figures with this surname was John Chantler (1900-1962), a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Battersea North from 1945 to 1951.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chantler families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chantler 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. Kent leads with 255 Chantlers recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.72x.

County Total Index
Kent 255 9.72x
Lancashire 136 1.49x
Cheshire 131 7.72x
Surrey 86 2.30x
Sussex 67 5.17x
Middlesex 44 0.57x
Northumberland 25 2.19x
Worcestershire 14 1.39x
Bedfordshire 8 2.01x
Yorkshire 7 0.09x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.86x
Durham 4 0.17x
Midlothian 3 0.29x
Cumberland 1 0.15x
Gloucestershire 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 1.09x
Shropshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rochester St Margaret in Kent leads with 31 Chantlers recorded in 1881 and an index of 112.08x.

Place Total Index
Rochester St Margaret 31 112.08x
Charlwood 27 752.09x
Cheadle 24 74.05x
Tonbridge 21 22.20x
Stockport Etchells 20 552.49x
Horsham 17 67.51x
Ashton Under Lyne 14 7.02x
Redditch 14 68.80x
Salehurst 14 249.55x
Chiddingstone 13 379.01x
Maidstone 13 16.64x
Heston 12 47.00x
Boughton Malherbe 11 940.17x
Brenchley 11 117.15x
Croydon 11 5.29x
Sandhurst 11 355.99x
West Derby 11 4.12x
Bury 10 9.60x
Frittenden 10 408.16x
Great Chart 10 510.20x
Ifield 10 185.19x
Preston 10 4.10x
Altrincham 9 30.35x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 6.21x
Goudhurst 9 123.97x
Lymm 9 72.93x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 9 13.18x
Oldham 9 3.06x
Pembury 9 241.94x
Bethersden 8 299.63x
Camberwell 8 1.63x
Dunham Massey 8 153.85x
East Malling 8 127.59x
Hawkhurst 8 98.16x
Lydiate 8 281.69x
Staplehurst 8 185.61x
Wandsworth 8 10.81x
Aston By Sutton 7 933.33x
Brenzett 7 853.66x
Elswick 7 7.67x
Elton 7 22.22x
Ewell 7 88.50x
Marden 7 113.82x
Rudgwick 7 236.49x
Widnes 7 10.64x
Church Hulme 6 344.83x
Droylsden 6 20.16x
Erith 6 23.22x
Horley 6 95.54x
Reigate Foreign 6 14.80x
Salford 6 2.24x
Shoreditch London 6 1.80x
Stockport 6 6.87x
Cranbrook 5 45.00x
Great Lever 5 51.65x
Hawes 5 100.40x
Leighton Buzzard 5 29.21x
Northenden 5 161.81x
Pownall Fee 5 65.88x
Withington 5 17.02x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 5 33.11x
Billingshurst 4 94.34x
Halling 4 116.28x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 4.04x
Kemsing 4 341.88x
Macclesfield 4 5.30x
Mobberley 4 103.36x
Newport Pagnell 4 41.15x
Sandbach 4 27.64x
St George Bloomsbury 4 9.07x
Strood 4 26.74x
Walton On Hill 4 8.10x
Woolwich 4 4.13x
Buckland In Dover 3 34.52x
Byker 3 5.31x
Langley 3 309.28x
Liverpool 3 0.54x
Luton 3 4.35x
Rumbolds Wyke 3 126.05x
Warrington 3 2.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 54
William 51
Thomas 31
Charles 26
George 26
James 26
Arthur 14
Henry 14
Alfred 11
Edward 11
Richard 11
Samuel 11
Robert 7
Stephen 7
Walter 7
Albert 6
Joseph 6
Frank 5
Frederick 5
Jesse 5
Peter 5
Daniel 4
Edwin 4
Ernest 3
Aaron 2
Ambrose 2
Amos 2
David 2
Edmund 2
Ellis 2
Fred 2
Harold 2
Horace 2
Leonard 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Cyril 1
Godfrey 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jno. 1
Moses 1
Nathanield 1
Nelson 1
Oswald 1
Sidney 1
Solomon 1
Thaveston 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Chantler surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chantler surname in 1881?

In 1881, 785 people were recorded with the Chantler surname. That placed it at #4,732 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chantler surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 835 in 2016. That gives Chantler a modern rank of #6,674.

What does the Chantler surname mean?

A habitational name referring to someone from Cantley in Yorkshire or elsewhere.

What does the Chantler map show?

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