NameCensus.

UK surname

Cureton

An English occupational surname referring to a curator or guardian, derived from Old French and Latin.

In the 1881 census there were 249 people recorded with the Cureton surname, ranking it #11,103 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 500, ranked #9,983, up from #11,103 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors and Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sefton, Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cureton is 538 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 100.8%.

1881 census count

249

Ranked #11,103

Modern count

500

2016, ranked #9,983

Peak year

2002

538 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cureton had 249 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,103 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 500 in 2016, ranked #9,983.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 375 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cureton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cureton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cureton 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 179 #11,346
1861 historical 138 #16,365
1881 historical 249 #11,103
1891 historical 243 #13,011
1901 historical 335 #10,782
1911 historical 375 #9,747
1997 modern 483 #9,549
1998 modern 506 #9,501
1999 modern 525 #9,307
2000 modern 528 #9,251
2001 modern 516 #9,234
2002 modern 538 #9,132
2003 modern 514 #9,299
2004 modern 498 #9,547
2005 modern 486 #9,634
2006 modern 489 #9,633
2007 modern 483 #9,816
2008 modern 492 #9,771
2009 modern 497 #9,911
2010 modern 510 #9,899
2011 modern 517 #9,719
2012 modern 520 #9,607
2013 modern 525 #9,675
2014 modern 519 #9,818
2015 modern 501 #9,995
2016 modern 500 #9,983

Geography

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Where Curetons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace, London parishes and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sefton, Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
3 Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace Shropshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sefton 024 Sefton
2 Telford and Wrekin 009 Telford and Wrekin
3 Shropshire 004 Shropshire
4 Sefton 030 Sefton
5 Telford and Wrekin 004 Telford and Wrekin

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cureton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cureton

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Cureton is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cureton is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cureton falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cureton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cureton

The surname Cureton has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "curu" meaning "kernel" or "grain" and "tun" meaning "town" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a place where grain was stored or cultivated.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the medieval period. One notable reference is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John de Curetun is mentioned as residing in Oxfordshire.

During the 14th century, variations of the spelling emerged, including Cureton, Curton, and Curten. These variations likely reflected regional dialects and the evolving nature of written English at the time.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex, which were records of land transactions. One entry from 1575 mentions a William Cureton of Hatfield Peverel.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Cureton throughout history include:

1. Edward Cureton (1808-1898), an English scholar and Canon of Westminster Abbey, known for his work on ancient manuscripts and translations from Syriac and Arabic.

2. William Cureton (1790-1846), an English botanist and curator of the Botanical Garden in Birmingham. He is credited with introducing several plant species to cultivation.

3. Sir Robert Cureton (1859-1947), a British military officer who served in the Second Boer War and World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the Order of the Bath.

4. George Cureton (1810-1889), an English civil engineer who contributed to the design and construction of several important railways in Britain.

5. Thomas Cureton (c. 1590-1672), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Plumstead in Kent. He authored several religious works during his lifetime.

While the name Cureton is not among the most common surnames, its historical roots can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely originated as a place name associated with grain storage or cultivation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cureton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cureton 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. Shropshire leads with 110 Curetons recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.06x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 110 53.06x
Warwickshire 33 5.45x
Staffordshire 26 3.21x
Surrey 13 1.11x
Gloucestershire 9 1.91x
Lancashire 9 0.32x
Herefordshire 8 8.13x
Middlesex 8 0.33x
Yorkshire 8 0.34x
Worcestershire 5 1.60x
Cambridgeshire 4 2.63x
Renfrewshire 4 2.15x
Cheshire 3 0.57x
Montgomeryshire 2 3.64x
Ayrshire 1 0.56x
Kent 1 0.12x
Lanarkshire 1 0.13x
Northamptonshire 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wellington in Shropshire leads with 38 Curetons recorded in 1881 and an index of 326.18x.

Place Total Index
Wellington 38 326.18x
Warwick St Nicholas 14 315.32x
Ellesmere 13 365.17x
Birmingham 11 5.45x
Bilston 10 63.69x
Harborne 9 34.67x
Bristol St George 8 36.75x
Lambeth 7 3.35x
Madeley 7 92.11x
Morville 7 6363.64x
Shrewsbury St Julian 7 136.45x
Garston 6 71.43x
Hordley 6 2500.00x
Leamington Priors 6 40.30x
Shrewsbury St Mary 5 61.12x
Avenbury 4 1212.12x
Bradford 4 6.95x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 4 170.21x
Camberwell 4 2.61x
Lichfield St Michael 4 157.48x
Newport 4 160.00x
St Giles Cambridge 4 204.08x
West Greenock 4 11.98x
Great Malvern 3 45.87x
Shoreditch London 3 2.88x
St Pancras London 3 1.55x
Whittington English 3 2307.69x
Carreghofa 2 476.19x
Claines 2 23.26x
Dawley 2 26.53x
Dodworth 2 80.97x
Grendon Warren 2 10000.00x
Monks Coppenhall 2 10.01x
Montford 2 487.80x
Nortonwith 2 408.16x
Rotherhithe 2 6.75x
Shawbury 2 250.00x
Sheffield 2 2.64x
Shrewsbury St Chad 2 27.47x
Aston 1 0.60x
Chetwynd 1 149.25x
Church Stretton 1 71.94x
Clifton 1 4.20x
Crumpsall 1 14.90x
Denston 1 277.78x
Edgbaston 1 5.33x
Ellesmere Kenwick 1 1000.00x
Frindsbury 1 32.36x
Govan 1 0.52x
Handsworth 1 5.01x
Kensington London 1 0.75x
Largs 1 23.64x
Manchester 1 0.78x
Meole Brace 1 93.46x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 8.71x
Prees 1 39.68x
Sandbach 1 22.12x
St Martin 1 43.10x
Wem 1 32.47x
Westminster St Margaret 1 8.64x
Wheelton 1 78.74x
Wolverhampton 1 1.61x
Wrockwardine 1 21.93x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
Edward 12
Thomas 10
Charles 9
John 8
George 6
Alfred 5
Albert 4
Edwin 4
Richard 4
Henry 3
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Harry 2
James 2
Joseph 2
Joshua 2
Agustus 1
B.W.E. 1
Barnard 1
Ben 1
Benjaman 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Noah 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Rowland 1
T.F. 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
W.H. 1
W.O. 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cureton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cureton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 249 people were recorded with the Cureton surname. That placed it at #11,103 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cureton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 500 in 2016. That gives Cureton a modern rank of #9,983.

What does the Cureton surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a curator or guardian, derived from Old French and Latin.

What does the Cureton map show?

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