NameCensus.

UK surname

Colthart

In the 1881 census there were 130 people recorded with the Colthart surname, ranking it #16,911 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 187, ranked #20,488, down from #16,911 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ardchattan and Muckairn, Edinburgh and Crawfordjohn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Monmouthshire, Benderloch Trail and Inverness West Rural.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colthart is 200 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.8%.

1881 census count

130

Ranked #16,911

Modern count

187

2016, ranked #20,488

Peak year

2002

200 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colthart had 130 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,911 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 187 in 2016, ranked #20,488.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 147 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Colthart surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colthart surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colthart 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 87 #18,695
1861 historical 109 #19,693
1881 historical 130 #16,911
1891 historical 137 #19,501
1901 historical 147 #18,270
1911 historical 5 #33,427
1997 modern 178 #18,958
1998 modern 187 #18,857
1999 modern 194 #18,579
2000 modern 199 #18,278
2001 modern 191 #18,453
2002 modern 200 #18,294
2003 modern 186 #18,928
2004 modern 182 #19,306
2005 modern 185 #19,051
2006 modern 181 #19,466
2007 modern 188 #19,204
2008 modern 183 #19,735
2009 modern 185 #20,010
2010 modern 192 #19,960
2011 modern 194 #19,662
2012 modern 184 #20,291
2013 modern 184 #20,643
2014 modern 181 #21,033
2015 modern 182 #20,856
2016 modern 187 #20,488

Geography

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Where Coltharts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ardchattan and Muckairn, Edinburgh, Crawfordjohn, Sanquhar and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Monmouthshire, Benderloch Trail, Inverness West Rural, Auchterarder and Whisky Isles. 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 Ardchattan and Muckairn Argyll
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Crawfordjohn Lanark
4 Sanquhar Dumfries
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Monmouthshire 007 Monmouthshire
2 Benderloch Trail Argyll and Bute
3 Inverness West Rural Highland
4 Auchterarder Perth and Kinross
5 Whisky Isles Argyll and Bute

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colthart

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colthart

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Colthart surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Colthart household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Colthart 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

Colthart 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

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

1881 census detail

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Colthart families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colthart 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. Lanarkshire leads with 47 Coltharts recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.82x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 47 11.82x
Dumfriesshire 18 66.30x
Argyllshire 16 46.77x
Midlothian 13 7.90x
Yorkshire 7 0.57x
Ayrshire 5 5.44x
Kincardineshire 5 33.40x
Peeblesshire 4 69.20x
Perthshire 4 7.25x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 16.86x
Lancashire 2 0.14x
Durham 1 0.27x
Stirlingshire 1 2.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Crawfordjohn in Lanarkshire leads with 14 Coltharts recorded in 1881 and an index of 3888.89x.

Place Total Index
Crawfordjohn 14 3888.89x
Ardchattan Muckairn 13 1529.41x
Sanguhar 11 3055.56x
Avondale 8 344.83x
Edinburgh St Stephens 8 246.91x
Douglas 7 608.70x
Barony 6 5.96x
Marykirk 5 806.45x
Bridlington 4 143.37x
Govan 4 4.07x
Madderty 4 1818.18x
Muirkirk 4 185.19x
Peebles 4 233.92x
Ardnamurchan 3 172.41x
Balmaghie 3 769.23x
Carmichael 3 909.09x
Wamphray 3 1578.95x
Crawford 2 270.27x
Dalton 2 833.33x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 3.02x
York St Mary 2 39.68x
Carluke 1 27.70x
Drymen 1 163.93x
Edinburgh Greenside S 1 166.67x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 31.25x
Glencairn 1 136.99x
Hessle In Sculcoates 1 92.59x
Liberton 1 39.37x
Liverpool 1 1.13x
Lochmaben 1 84.03x
Manchester 1 1.52x
New Cumnock 1 62.89x
Pettinain 1 666.67x
Sunderland 1 15.48x
Wiston Robertson 1 416.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Hannah 1
Maria 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 1
Henry 1
James 1
John 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Colthart households.

FAQ

Colthart surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colthart surname in 1881?

In 1881, 130 people were recorded with the Colthart surname. That placed it at #16,911 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colthart surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 187 in 2016. That gives Colthart a modern rank of #20,488.

What does the Colthart map show?

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