NameCensus.

UK surname

Chart

A surname derived from the Old English word "ceart" meaning a cart or chariot.

In the 1881 census there were 417 people recorded with the Chart surname, ranking it #7,732 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 391, ranked #12,073, down from #7,732 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dorking, Mitcham and Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Reigate and Banstead and West Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chart is 540 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 6.2%.

1881 census count

417

Ranked #7,732

Modern count

391

2016, ranked #12,073

Peak year

1911

540 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chart had 417 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,732 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 391 in 2016, ranked #12,073.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 540 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Chart surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chart surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chart 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 285 #7,952
1861 historical 342 #7,460
1881 historical 417 #7,732
1891 historical 501 #7,418
1901 historical 508 #7,960
1911 historical 540 #7,391
1997 modern 374 #11,574
1998 modern 397 #11,400
1999 modern 404 #11,361
2000 modern 395 #11,503
2001 modern 379 #11,676
2002 modern 380 #11,887
2003 modern 381 #11,667
2004 modern 383 #11,650
2005 modern 365 #11,985
2006 modern 377 #11,743
2007 modern 374 #11,974
2008 modern 374 #12,086
2009 modern 385 #12,070
2010 modern 408 #11,804
2011 modern 388 #12,121
2012 modern 389 #11,963
2013 modern 387 #12,226
2014 modern 389 #12,258
2015 modern 389 #12,165
2016 modern 391 #12,073

Geography

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Where Charts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dorking, Mitcham, Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst, London parishes and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Reigate and Banstead, West Devon, Sefton and Northumberland. 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 Dorking Surrey
2 Mitcham Surrey
3 Broadwater (incl. Worthing), Nuthurst Sussex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 004 Neath Port Talbot
2 Reigate and Banstead 014 Reigate and Banstead
3 West Devon 005 West Devon
4 Sefton 038 Sefton
5 Northumberland 007 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chart

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chart

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Chart surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Chart household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Chart 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

Chart is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Chart

The surname CHART is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "ceart," which means "rough or undressed." It was initially used as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near a rough, untamed area or a wasteland.

The earliest recorded instances of the CHART surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Berkshire, England. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Roger Atte Cherte, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Berkshire in 1332.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Chert, Charte, and Charte, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. The Hearth Tax Returns of 1665 record a Thomas Charte residing in the parish of Lambourn, Berkshire.

CHART is also found as a variation of the place name "Chert," derived from the Old English word "ceart." This place name is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Certe" in the county of Somerset.

One notable bearer of the CHART surname was William Chart, a 17th-century English clergyman and author. He was born in 1608 in Somersetshire and published several religious works, including "An Encouragement to the Worship of God" in 1672.

Another historical figure with this surname was Richard Chart, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was born in 1562 in Bedfordshire and acquired substantial wealth through his business ventures.

In the 18th century, John Chart (1702-1784) was a renowned English clockmaker and inventor from Holborn, London. He is credited with developing several important horological innovations, including the detached lever escapement and the cylindrical balance spring.

The CHART surname is also associated with the English playwright and novelist, Mary Cowden Clarke (née Novello, 1809-1898). Her married name was Mary Cowden Clarke Chart, and she is best known for her works on Shakespeare and her collaboration with her husband, Charles Cowden Clarke, on the "Complete Concordance to Shakespeare."

Another notable bearer of this surname was Sir Reginald Henry Chart (1841-1920), a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the Governor of the Fiji Islands from 1888 to 1904 and was knighted for his contributions to the British Empire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chart families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chart 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. Surrey leads with 185 Charts recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.27x.

County Total Index
Surrey 185 9.27x
Sussex 103 14.91x
Middlesex 77 1.88x
Essex 10 1.24x
Merionethshire 7 9.34x
Kent 6 0.43x
Somerset 6 0.91x
Hampshire 5 0.60x
Durham 4 0.33x
Glamorgan 4 0.56x
Lincolnshire 4 0.61x
Berkshire 2 0.65x
Lanarkshire 2 0.15x
Royal Navy 2 4.10x
Anglesey 1 1.38x
Morayshire 1 1.57x
Suffolk 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 35 Charts recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.70x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 35 28.70x
Dorking 26 194.03x
Mitcham 17 134.71x
Camberwell 16 6.11x
St Giles In Fields London 15 74.63x
Brighton 14 10.05x
Lambeth 14 3.92x
Newington 14 9.25x
Southwark St George Martyr 14 16.98x
St Marylebone London 12 5.49x
Hastings St Clement 11 169.23x
Horley 10 298.51x
Horsham 10 74.52x
Billingshurst 8 353.98x
Southwark St Saviour 8 37.99x
Chelsea London 7 5.67x
Cuckfield 7 100.29x
Festiniog 7 44.25x
Hastings St Leonards 7 68.97x
Rotherhithe 7 13.83x
Bow London 6 11.50x
Broadwater 6 37.88x
Cliffe 6 257.51x
Hackney London 6 2.61x
Hampton Wick London 6 200.00x
Hove 6 19.80x
Yeovil 6 44.78x
Battersea 5 3.32x
Heathfield 5 178.57x
St Andrew Holborn London 5 28.18x
Walthamstow 5 17.18x
West Ham 5 2.80x
Deptford St Paul 4 3.71x
Kensington London 4 1.76x
Nuthurst 4 350.88x
Rottingdean 4 169.49x
St Swithin Lincoln 4 38.84x
Westoe 4 5.79x
Yateley 4 251.57x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.69x
Cardiff St Mary 3 7.64x
Croydon 3 2.71x
Hammersmith London 3 2.97x
Ifield 3 104.17x
Newdigate 3 322.58x
East Grinstead 2 20.45x
Govan 2 0.61x
Guildford Holy Trinity 2 52.63x
Islington London 2 0.50x
Reigate Foreign 2 9.25x
Royal Navy 2 4.79x
St Pancras London 2 0.61x
Twickenham 2 11.38x
Wisborough Green 2 86.21x
Albury 1 54.95x
Aldershot 1 3.55x
Battle 1 21.46x
Betchworth 1 40.65x
Brasted 1 55.25x
Cowfold 1 68.49x
Guildford St Mary 1 40.65x
Hampstead London 1 1.57x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 6.78x
Henham 1 476.19x
Holy Trinity Less London 1 96.15x
Holyhead 1 7.39x
Hurstpierpoint 1 26.04x
Llangeinor 1 23.81x
Maidstone 1 2.40x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.15x
New Fishbourne 1 227.27x
Old Windsor 1 28.09x
Preston 1 8.29x
Reading St Mary 1 4.06x
St George Hanover Square 1 1.39x
Stoke 1 10.62x
Windlesham 1 26.67x
Witley 1 70.92x
Woking 1 8.31x
Worth 1 19.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Eliza 12
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 10
Alice 9
Martha 9
Caroline 8
Louisa 8
Ellen 7
Emily 7
Ann 6
Fanny 5
Margaret 5
Edith 4
Emma 4
Florence 4
Ada 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Hannah 3
Jane 3
Rebecca 3
Susan 3
Amy 2
Anne 2
Bertha 2
Cicely 2
Constance 2
Elizth. 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Julia 2
Marian 2
Maud 2
May 2
Minnie 2
Rose 2
Rosina 2
Sophia 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Betsy 1
Blanche 1
Esther 1
Ethell 1
Eva 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
George 17
Henry 16
William 16
James 14
Thomas 11
Alfred 9
Arthur 9
Charles 8
Edward 5
Frank 5
Edwin 4
Harry 4
Richard 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Herbert 3
Walter 3
Abraham 2
Amos 2
Benjamin 2
Frederick 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Mark 2
Percy 2
Robert 2
Cecil 1
David 1
Dubourg 1
Edmund 1
Edw. 1
Edwd. 1
Emily 1
F. 1
Frederic 1
Gerald 1
Guy 1
Harris 1
Henery 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Lancelot 1
Lee 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Chart surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chart surname in 1881?

In 1881, 417 people were recorded with the Chart surname. That placed it at #7,732 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chart surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 391 in 2016. That gives Chart a modern rank of #12,073.

What does the Chart surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "ceart" meaning a cart or chariot.

What does the Chart map show?

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