NameCensus.

UK surname

Clampitt

A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "clam" meaning muddy place or creek.

In the 1881 census there were 147 people recorded with the Clampitt surname, ranking it #15,674 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 94, ranked #31,871, down from #15,674 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bovey Tracey, Hennock, Bebbington and Chagford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Conwy, Wirral and Shepway.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clampitt is 151 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 36.1%.

1881 census count

147

Ranked #15,674

Modern count

94

2016, ranked #31,871

Peak year

1911

151 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2006

Key insights

  • Clampitt had 147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,674 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 94 in 2016, ranked #31,871.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 151 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Clampitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Clampitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clampitt 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 95 #17,707
1861 historical 104 #20,477
1881 historical 147 #15,674
1891 historical 120 #21,292
1901 historical 125 #20,061
1911 historical 151 #17,797
1997 modern 112 #25,244
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 119 #25,095
2000 modern 126 #24,220
2001 modern 124 #24,114
2002 modern 120 #25,110
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 117 #25,433
2006 modern 109 #26,872
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 111 #28,509
2011 modern 100 #30,058
2012 modern 91 #31,659
2013 modern 93 #31,785
2014 modern 93 #32,025
2015 modern 93 #31,972
2016 modern 94 #31,871

Geography

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Where Clampitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bovey Tracey, Hennock, Bebbington, Chagford, Toxteth Park and Millom, Muncaster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Conwy, Wirral, Shepway and Liverpool. 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 Bovey Tracey, Hennock Devon
2 Bebbington Cheshire
3 Chagford Devon
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Millom, Muncaster Cumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Conwy 015 Conwy
2 Wirral 035 Wirral
3 Shepway 005 Shepway
4 Liverpool 058 Liverpool
5 Wirral 031 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clampitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clampitt

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

Clampitt 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

Clampitt 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 Clampitt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Clampitt

The surname Clampitt is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "clam," meaning "to clasp or embrace," and "pytt," meaning "pit or hollow." This suggests the name may have been associated with occupations or locations related to mining or quarrying.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a William Clampit. The Clampitt spelling itself appears in records from the late 16th century, such as the christening of John Clampitt in 1587 in Stockport, Cheshire.

The name appears to have been concentrated in the northwest counties of England, particularly Cheshire and Lancashire, during the medieval and early modern periods. Variant spellings found in historical records include Clampit, Clampitt, Clampett, and Clampett.

In the 17th century, the name is recorded in the parish registers of Stockport and Manchester, with families such as the Clampitts of Offerton and the Clampitts of Heaton Norris. Notable bearers of the name during this time include William Clampitt (1627-1702), a merchant and landowner in Stockport.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, the name had spread to other parts of England and Wales. Some notable individuals include John Clampitt (1749-1827), a printer and bookseller in London, and Thomas Clampitt (1788-1858), a Baptist minister and author from Oxfordshire.

Other historical figures with the surname include William Clampitt (1813-1891), a British naval officer who served in the Opium Wars, and George Clampitt (1837-1908), a Welsh trade unionist and politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Rhondda Valley from 1895 to 1900.

While the Clampitt name has roots in England, it has since been found in various parts of the English-speaking world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clampitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clampitt 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 67 Clampitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.30x.

County Total Index
Devon 67 22.30x
Lancashire 30 1.75x
Middlesex 17 1.18x
Cheshire 7 2.20x
Surrey 7 1.00x
Cumberland 6 4.83x
Durham 4 0.93x
Hampshire 4 1.35x
Gloucestershire 3 1.06x
Caernarfonshire 1 1.71x
Channel Islands 1 2.34x
Essex 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 21 Clampitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.21x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 21 36.21x
Bovey Tracey 10 952.38x
Islington London 9 6.43x
Wolborough 9 236.84x
Camberwell 7 7.59x
Chagford 6 833.33x
Exeter St Mary Major 6 331.49x
Millom 6 157.48x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 25.92x
Tranmere 6 51.24x
Lamerton 5 877.19x
Paignton 5 218.34x
Exeter St Paul 4 677.97x
Manaton 4 2500.00x
Mordon 4 5000.00x
St Pancras London 4 3.44x
Bristol St James In 3 72.12x
Everton 3 5.50x
Liverpool 3 2.88x
Plymouth Charles The 3 22.66x
St Peter Colebrook 3 714.29x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 14.71x
Chudleigh 2 208.33x
Paddington London 2 3.77x
St Stephen Coleman Street 2 392.16x
Stoke Damerel 2 9.51x
Bangor 1 17.76x
Chester St Nicholas 1 500.00x
Christow 1 344.83x
East Stonehouse 1 16.89x
Exeter Heavitree 1 44.64x
Leighton In Neston 1 769.23x
St Helier 1 7.18x
St Thomas Winchester 1 47.85x
Sydenham Damerel 1 434.78x
Tormoham 1 7.87x
Walton On Hill 1 10.78x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Clampitt 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
Ann 3
Emma 3
Florence 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Rhoda 2
Amelia 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Dasey 1
Della 1
Diana 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Gertrude 1
Honour 1
Isabella 1
Lilian 1
Lucy 1
Marian 1
Marianne 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Nettie 1
Priscilla 1
Ruth 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 8
Samuel 6
Thomas 6
James 5
Joseph 4
Charles 3
George 3
Robert 3
Albert 2
Elias 2
Nicholas 2
Aaron 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Franklin 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Geo.H. 1
Henry 1
Jabez 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Theodore 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Clampitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clampitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 147 people were recorded with the Clampitt surname. That placed it at #15,674 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clampitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 94 in 2016. That gives Clampitt a modern rank of #31,871.

What does the Clampitt surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from the Old English word "clam" meaning muddy place or creek.

What does the Clampitt map show?

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