NameCensus.

UK surname

Chattaway

A surname possibly derived from a location or an occupational name related to chattering or talkative behavior.

In the 1881 census there were 285 people recorded with the Chattaway surname, ranking it #10,070 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 493, ranked #10,082, down from #10,070 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Foleshill, Leamington Priors and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Nuneaton and Bedworth and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chattaway is 512 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.0%.

1881 census count

285

Ranked #10,070

Modern count

493

2016, ranked #10,082

Peak year

2014

512 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chattaway had 285 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,070 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 493 in 2016, ranked #10,082.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 449 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Chattaway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chattaway surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chattaway 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 235 #9,206
1861 historical 206 #11,725
1881 historical 285 #10,070
1891 historical 301 #11,092
1901 historical 363 #10,145
1911 historical 449 #8,519
1997 modern 447 #10,128
1998 modern 470 #10,066
1999 modern 468 #10,160
2000 modern 479 #9,951
2001 modern 476 #9,814
2002 modern 486 #9,833
2003 modern 460 #10,091
2004 modern 469 #9,983
2005 modern 456 #10,111
2006 modern 469 #9,937
2007 modern 484 #9,796
2008 modern 487 #9,840
2009 modern 509 #9,712
2010 modern 499 #10,078
2011 modern 488 #10,135
2012 modern 487 #10,061
2013 modern 504 #9,966
2014 modern 512 #9,911
2015 modern 498 #10,035
2016 modern 493 #10,082

Geography

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Where Chattaways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Foleshill, Leamington Priors, Bradford, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Nuneaton and Bedworth, South Lakeland and Basildon. 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 Foleshill Warwickshire
2 Leamington Priors Warwickshire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 021 Bradford
2 Bradford 015 Bradford
3 Nuneaton and Bedworth 013 Nuneaton and Bedworth
4 South Lakeland 012 South Lakeland
5 Basildon 016 Basildon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chattaway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chattaway

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Chattaway, 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 Chattaway surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Chattaway 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, Chattaway 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

Chattaway is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chattaway falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Chattaway

The surname Chattaway has its origins in England, dating back to the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English words "cæt" meaning "cat" and "hæg" meaning "hedge," suggesting the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a hedgerow where cats were commonly found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mentions a Richard Chatteway. This spelling variation likely reflects the regional dialects and phonetic rendering of the name at the time.

In the 16th century, the name Chattaway can be found in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. Notable examples include Thomas Chattaway, born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire in 1584, and John Chattaway, baptized in Long Ashton, Somerset in 1610.

The Chattaway surname may also have connections to certain place names, such as Chataway Lane in Cirencester, which could have influenced the naming conventions in the region.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Chattaway name was Sir Robert Chattaway (1575-1645), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1639. Another historically significant figure was John Chattaway (1686-1768), an English clergyman and author who published works on theology and philosophy.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Chattaway surname appeared in various records across England, including parish registers, tax rolls, and court documents. Some notable individuals from this period include William Chattaway (1701-1789), a landowner and Justice of the Peace in Gloucestershire, and Elizabeth Chattaway (1735-1821), a philanthropist and benefactor from Oxfordshire.

As the Chattaway family spread across Britain and beyond, the name continued to be documented in various records and contexts, reflecting its enduring presence throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chattaway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chattaway 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. Warwickshire leads with 187 Chattaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.58x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 187 26.58x
Middlesex 30 1.08x
Yorkshire 27 0.98x
Staffordshire 11 1.17x
Leicestershire 9 2.91x
Gloucestershire 7 1.28x
Surrey 6 0.44x
Herefordshire 2 1.75x
Worcestershire 2 0.55x
Cornwall 1 0.32x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.22x
Oxfordshire 1 0.58x
Wiltshire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coventry St Michael in Warwickshire leads with 28 Chattaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 123.89x.

Place Total Index
Coventry St Michael 28 123.89x
Aston 23 11.87x
Foleshill 23 310.81x
Coventry Holy Trinity 21 99.95x
Birmingham 14 5.97x
Stoke 11 791.37x
Coughton 10 4347.83x
Leicester St Margaret 9 11.93x
St George In East London 9 34.30x
Bingley 8 45.45x
Horton In Bradford 7 16.22x
Berkswell 6 431.65x
Cheltenham 6 14.21x
Ratcliffe London 6 38.94x
Wednesbury 6 25.50x
Allerton 5 142.05x
Leamington Priors 5 28.89x
North Bierley 5 33.49x
Balsall 4 363.64x
Edgbaston 4 18.34x
Leamington 4 85.84x
Leek Wootten 4 1052.63x
Solihull 4 79.05x
St Pancras London 4 1.78x
Stoneleigh 4 341.88x
Wixford 4 4000.00x
Atherstone 3 83.57x
Islington London 3 1.11x
Mortlake 3 49.51x
Nuneaton 3 36.81x
Shadwell London 3 38.41x
Shoreditch London 3 2.48x
Upper Penn 3 127.12x
Bedworth 2 38.99x
Bickenhill 2 408.16x
Bowling 2 7.30x
Camberwell 2 1.12x
Stratford On Avon 2 51.28x
Bromley London 1 1.63x
Bromsgrove 1 8.16x
Camborne 1 7.69x
Coleshill 1 44.25x
Godalming 1 11.68x
Handsworth 1 4.31x
Hundleby 1 166.67x
Kenilworth 1 25.19x
Kingsland 1 99.01x
Lillington 1 111.11x
Mancetter 1 49.51x
Manchester 1 0.67x
Marlborough St Mary Virgin 1 57.47x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.68x
Norton 1 256.41x
Oddington 1 208.33x
Old Stratford 1 25.13x
Oxford St Giles 1 12.17x
Ross 1 21.98x
Warwick St Nicholas 1 19.38x
Wolverhampton 1 1.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Elizabeth 14
Sarah 12
Emma 10
Ellen 6
Eliza 5
Emily 5
Ann 4
Caroline 4
Charlotte 4
Florence 4
Hannah 4
Clara 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Amy 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Harriett 2
Helen 2
Jane 2
Lucy 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
E.Harriett 1
Ethel 1
Etty 1
Fanny 1
Hester 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Nellie 1
Penelope 1
Phoebe 1
Rachel 1
Rebeccah 1
Rosina 1
S.B. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
John 11
Thomas 10
Henry 9
Joseph 9
Arthur 8
Charles 6
Edwin 5
George 5
Alfred 4
Benjamin 4
Frederick 4
James 4
Daniel 3
Frank 3
Mark 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
David 2
Harry 2
Richard 2
Albt.Ed. 1
Alexander 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Luke 1
Maurice 1
Smith 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm.George 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Chattaway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chattaway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 285 people were recorded with the Chattaway surname. That placed it at #10,070 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chattaway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 493 in 2016. That gives Chattaway a modern rank of #10,082.

What does the Chattaway surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from a location or an occupational name related to chattering or talkative behavior.

What does the Chattaway map show?

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