NameCensus.

UK surname

Collett

Derived from a diminutive of Nicholas, meaning "victory of the people," or from the occupation of collecting taxes.

In the 1881 census there were 3,835 people recorded with the Collett surname, ranking it #1,190 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,183, ranked #1,301, down from #1,190 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cotswold, Monmouthshire and Hillingdon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Collett is 5,788 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.1%.

1881 census count

3,835

Ranked #1,190

Modern count

5,183

2016, ranked #1,301

Peak year

1999

5,788 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Collett had 3,835 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,190 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,183 in 2016, ranked #1,301.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,667 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Collett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Collett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Collett 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 2,458 #1,211
1861 historical 2,402 #1,222
1881 historical 3,835 #1,190
1891 historical 4,208 #1,140
1901 historical 4,991 #1,129
1911 historical 5,667 #927
1997 modern 5,353 #1,215
1998 modern 5,748 #1,181
1999 modern 5,788 #1,182
2000 modern 5,660 #1,204
2001 modern 5,532 #1,201
2002 modern 5,606 #1,211
2003 modern 5,476 #1,211
2004 modern 5,499 #1,201
2005 modern 5,334 #1,225
2006 modern 5,312 #1,230
2007 modern 5,323 #1,234
2008 modern 5,332 #1,241
2009 modern 5,422 #1,251
2010 modern 5,512 #1,257
2011 modern 5,429 #1,262
2012 modern 5,261 #1,275
2013 modern 5,294 #1,291
2014 modern 5,304 #1,296
2015 modern 5,247 #1,295
2016 modern 5,183 #1,301

Geography

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Where Colletts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cotswold, Monmouthshire, Hillingdon, South Cambridgeshire and Calderdale. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cotswold 003 Cotswold
2 Monmouthshire 010 Monmouthshire
3 Hillingdon 003 Hillingdon
4 South Cambridgeshire 001 South Cambridgeshire
5 Calderdale 007 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Collett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Collett

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

Collett 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

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

Meaning and origin of Collett

The surname Collett originated in England during the early medieval period. It is derived from an Old French word, "colier," meaning "one who wears a collar." The name likely referred to a person who wore a distinctive collar, perhaps as part of a livery or uniform.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conquer, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Collett or similar spellings, such as Colet and Collet. These entries indicate that the name was already established in various regions of the country by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname is Robert Collett, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1201. Another early reference is to William Collet, who is listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appears in various records, often associated with places like Collett's Green in Oxfordshire and Collett's Hill in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname Collett who lived or owned land in those areas.

Among notable individuals with the surname Collett throughout history are Sir Henry Collett (1569-1637), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Maldon. Robert Collett (1642-1722) was a celebrated English clockmaker and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of precision timekeeping.

In the 19th century, John Collett (1808-1890) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Holloway College in Egham, Surrey. William Collett (1857-1934) was a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Collett Trust, which provided funding for educational and charitable initiatives.

Another notable figure was Sir Henry Collett (1846-1913), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy and led several expeditions to the Arctic regions. He was knighted for his contributions to geographical discoveries and exploration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Collett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Collett 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. Middlesex leads with 561 Colletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.50x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 561 1.50x
Gloucestershire 455 6.19x
Oxfordshire 363 15.69x
Warwickshire 277 2.93x
Surrey 272 1.49x
Wiltshire 212 6.40x
Worcestershire 198 4.05x
Yorkshire 192 0.52x
Staffordshire 171 1.35x
Kent 103 0.81x
Cornwall 100 2.36x
Lancashire 96 0.22x
Suffolk 79 1.73x
Cambridgeshire 68 2.87x
Somerset 66 1.09x
Leicestershire 59 1.42x
Berkshire 55 1.96x
Hampshire 54 0.70x
Norfolk 47 0.82x
Buckinghamshire 43 1.90x
Durham 33 0.30x
Huntingdonshire 30 4.03x
Devon 28 0.36x
Herefordshire 28 1.82x
Monmouthshire 25 0.92x
Sussex 22 0.35x
Shropshire 21 0.65x
Essex 20 0.27x
Northamptonshire 20 0.57x
Cheshire 18 0.22x
Glamorgan 18 0.28x
Channel Islands 15 1.35x
Lincolnshire 15 0.25x
Brecknockshire 14 1.87x
Dorset 14 0.57x
Bedfordshire 13 0.67x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.18x
Derbyshire 7 0.12x
Westmorland 7 0.85x
Anglesey 3 0.45x
Royal Navy 3 0.67x
Hertfordshire 2 0.08x
Northumberland 2 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.07x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Rutland 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 73 Colletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.23x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 73 2.23x
Aston 66 2.54x
Birmingham 64 2.03x
Camberwell 57 2.38x
Dudley 57 9.58x
Kensington London 50 2.40x
Woolvercot 50 531.91x
St Pancras London 44 1.46x
Harefield 39 202.18x
Islington London 38 1.05x
Bermondsey 35 3.14x
Chelsea London 35 3.10x
Willenhall 35 14.77x
Bourton On The Water 33 220.74x
Melksham 33 57.35x
West Bromwich 33 4.56x
Coventry Holy Trinity 31 10.99x
Bradford On Avon 29 27.34x
Charlton On Otmoor 28 413.59x
Wednesbury 27 8.54x
Wooburn 27 86.48x
Hackney London 25 1.19x
Christchurch 24 28.64x
Clerkenwell London 24 2.71x
Leicester St Mary 24 7.15x
Barwick In Elmet 23 80.84x
Heckmondwike 23 19.26x
Mile End Old Town London 23 2.88x
Walcot 23 7.16x
Cheltenham 22 3.88x
Kirtlington 22 238.87x
Newington 22 1.59x
Twickenham 22 13.69x
Cirencester 21 21.11x
Kingham 21 264.82x
Oxford St Aldate 21 86.21x
Swindon 21 8.17x
Wilby 21 348.84x
Appleford 20 452.49x
Hammersmith London 20 2.17x
Isleworth 20 12.01x
Philleigh 20 579.71x
Admington 19 1005.29x
Harborne 19 4.69x
Highworth 19 44.85x
Shoreditch London 19 1.17x
Stratton St Margaret 19 37.38x
Aldsworth 18 363.64x
Bidford 18 89.11x
Kingston On Thames 18 4.10x
St Marylebone London 18 0.90x
Wisbech St Peter 18 15.12x
Clanfield 17 265.63x
Coventry St Michael 16 5.27x
Cowley 16 22.15x
Portsea 16 1.06x
Charlbury 15 57.76x
Hullavington 15 186.80x
Leicester St Margaret 15 1.48x
Paddington London 15 1.09x
Ruislip 15 80.43x
Stroud 15 10.49x
Ashby De La Zouch 14 14.54x
Chedworth 14 132.33x
Combe 14 201.73x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 14 10.41x
Guisbrough 14 17.25x
Kings Norton 14 3.19x
Mickleton 14 144.78x
Oxford St Giles 14 12.68x
St Erme 14 215.38x
Chiswick 13 6.35x
Diss 13 26.33x
Eccleshall 13 27.11x
Wolverhampton 13 1.34x
Bletchington 12 155.44x
Leeds 12 0.57x
Oxford St Thomas 12 11.11x
Coln St Aldwins 11 193.66x
Ramsey 11 18.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 218
Elizabeth 156
Sarah 148
Emma 77
Jane 69
Ann 66
Emily 62
Alice 60
Eliza 55
Annie 50
Ellen 42
Martha 34
Edith 31
Ada 28
Hannah 28
Fanny 27
Harriet 26
Kate 26
Caroline 24
Louisa 23
Maria 23
Florence 22
Susan 21
Catherine 20
Charlotte 19
Harriett 19
Lucy 18
Anne 17
Rose 17
Clara 16
Amy 15
Agnes 14
Frances 14
Gertrude 13
Margaret 13
Laura 11
Amelia 10
Esther 10
Lydia 10
Matilda 10
Minnie 9
Sophia 8
Susannah 8
Julia 7
Lavinia 7
Rebecca 7
Ruth 7
Beatrice 6
Eleanor 6
Rosa 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 245
John 183
George 124
Charles 119
Thomas 111
Henry 101
James 87
Joseph 56
Alfred 49
Richard 46
Robert 40
Albert 37
Arthur 34
Walter 33
Frederick 32
Frank 28
Ernest 23
Francis 23
Edward 22
Harry 21
Herbert 19
Edwin 18
Fredrick 14
Samuel 14
Fred 13
David 10
Wm. 10
Benjamin 9
Daniel 9
Sidney 9
Stephen 9
Anthony 7
Isaac 7
Job 7
Bernard 6
Cornelius 6
Fredk. 6
Horace 6
Percy 6
Philip 6
Thos. 6
Harold 5
Joshua 5
Mark 5
Edgar 4
Fred. 4
Lewis 4
Willm. 4
J. 3
Reginald 3

FAQ

Collett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Collett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,835 people were recorded with the Collett surname. That placed it at #1,190 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Collett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,183 in 2016. That gives Collett a modern rank of #1,301.

What does the Collett surname mean?

Derived from a diminutive of Nicholas, meaning "victory of the people," or from the occupation of collecting taxes.

What does the Collett map show?

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