NameCensus.

UK surname

Cutler

An occupational surname referring to a person who makes, sells, or repairs knives and other cutting instruments.

In the 1881 census there were 3,728 people recorded with the Cutler surname, ranking it #1,227 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,312, ranked #1,268, down from #1,227 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northfield, London parishes and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Dorset, Sandwell and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cutler is 5,822 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.5%.

1881 census count

3,728

Ranked #1,227

Modern count

5,312

2016, ranked #1,268

Peak year

1999

5,822 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cutler had 3,728 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,227 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,312 in 2016, ranked #1,268.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,734 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cutler surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cutler surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cutler 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 2,032 #1,431
1861 historical 1,416 #2,012
1881 historical 3,728 #1,227
1891 historical 3,379 #1,415
1901 historical 4,618 #1,225
1911 historical 4,734 #1,092
1997 modern 5,592 #1,163
1998 modern 5,811 #1,164
1999 modern 5,822 #1,173
2000 modern 5,703 #1,191
2001 modern 5,607 #1,185
2002 modern 5,641 #1,203
2003 modern 5,484 #1,208
2004 modern 5,460 #1,212
2005 modern 5,387 #1,210
2006 modern 5,329 #1,226
2007 modern 5,361 #1,222
2008 modern 5,345 #1,239
2009 modern 5,485 #1,235
2010 modern 5,582 #1,241
2011 modern 5,492 #1,244
2012 modern 5,371 #1,244
2013 modern 5,478 #1,245
2014 modern 5,477 #1,246
2015 modern 5,393 #1,254
2016 modern 5,312 #1,268

Geography

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Where Cutlers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northfield, London parishes and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Dorset, Sandwell, Cotswold and Aylesbury Vale. 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 Northfield Worcestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Dorset 001 East Dorset
2 Sandwell 033 Sandwell
3 Cotswold 009 Cotswold
4 Aylesbury Vale 009 Aylesbury Vale
5 Sandwell 025 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cutler

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cutler

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cutler is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cutler is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cutler falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cutler

The surname Cutler is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'cultere' or 'culter', meaning a maker or seller of knives. It originated in England, likely during the medieval period, when surnames began to be adopted and passed down from generation to generation.

The name Cutler is believed to have first appeared in records around the 12th century. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a person named William Cultelarius.

As an occupational surname, Cutler was particularly common in areas known for their cutlery and knife-making industries, such as Sheffield and Hallamshire in South Yorkshire. The name may also have been derived from place names like Cutlers Green in Worcestershire or Cutlers Close in Norfolk.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 recorded a Roger le Cultelir in Oxfordshire. The surname was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, listing a John le Coutiller.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Gervase Cutler (c. 1505-1590), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers in London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1573.

Another prominent individual was John Cutler (c. 1608-1693), an English philosopher and instructor at the University of Cambridge. He is remembered for his work on the nature of perception and for his contributions to the Cambridge Platonist movement.

In the 17th century, Samuel Cutler (1638-1718) was a Puritan minister and one of the founders of Yale College in Connecticut, serving as its first rector from 1701 to 1707.

During the American Revolutionary War, Sir John Jarvis Cutler (1744-1786) was a British Army officer who served as the commander of the British forces in the Battle of Fort Washington in 1776.

In the 19th century, Elisha Cutler (1813-1891) was an American inventor credited with developing the first successful machine for making envelopes.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cutler families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cutler 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 395 Cutlers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.09x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 395 1.09x
Worcestershire 353 7.44x
Staffordshire 345 2.81x
Surrey 307 1.73x
Dorset 278 11.65x
Hampshire 266 3.57x
Lancashire 243 0.56x
Warwickshire 226 2.46x
Buckinghamshire 178 8.10x
Yorkshire 171 0.47x
Hertfordshire 102 4.07x
Kent 72 0.58x
Sussex 64 1.04x
Norfolk 62 1.11x
Nottinghamshire 57 1.16x
Durham 53 0.49x
Derbyshire 50 0.88x
Essex 50 0.70x
Somerset 50 0.85x
Bedfordshire 49 2.60x
Lincolnshire 46 0.79x
Devon 42 0.56x
Lanarkshire 29 0.25x
Berkshire 28 1.03x
Glamorgan 27 0.43x
Wiltshire 25 0.78x
Cheshire 23 0.29x
Northumberland 22 0.41x
Suffolk 18 0.41x
Leicestershire 10 0.25x
Royal Navy 10 2.31x
Gloucestershire 9 0.13x
Northamptonshire 9 0.26x
Shropshire 9 0.29x
Cumberland 8 0.26x
Herefordshire 7 0.47x
Denbighshire 6 0.44x
Radnorshire 6 2.05x
Fife 5 0.23x
Monmouthshire 5 0.19x
Midlothian 4 0.08x
Cornwall 3 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.09x
Channel Islands 1 0.09x
Isle of Man 1 0.15x
Oxfordshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 121 Cutlers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.96x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 121 3.96x
Oldbury 118 50.52x
West Bromwich 102 14.52x
Northfield 76 84.37x
Blackburn 66 5.75x
Aston 64 2.54x
Rowley Regis 58 16.96x
Christchurch 56 34.66x
Lambeth 55 1.74x
Harborne 44 11.19x
Camberwell 42 1.81x
Islington London 37 1.05x
Holdenhurst 33 16.88x
Kinson 33 70.77x
Kensington London 30 1.48x
Wolverhampton 30 3.18x
Tring 29 43.35x
Edgbaston 27 9.50x
Southampton St Mary 26 5.55x
St Pancras London 26 0.89x
Woodlands 26 460.99x
Wycombe 26 15.87x
Battersea 25 1.87x
Paddington London 25 1.87x
Ringwood 25 52.43x
Poole St James 23 25.66x
Chelsea London 22 2.01x
Dudley 22 3.81x
Kidderminster Borough 21 7.56x
Newington 21 1.56x
Hackney London 20 0.98x
West Parley 20 478.47x
Great Marlow 19 32.02x
Nottingham St Mary 19 1.50x
St George Hanover Square 19 2.97x
Wellington 19 23.94x
Brighton 18 1.46x
Ecclesfield 18 6.81x
St Marylebone London 18 0.93x
Great Yarmouth 17 3.67x
Old Monkland 17 3.64x
Edlesborough 16 79.92x
The Hill 16 52.48x
Everton 15 1.09x
Mile End Old Town London 15 1.94x
St Giles In Fields London 15 8.41x
Warley Wigorn 15 99.14x
Acle 14 122.81x
Cublington 14 434.78x
Dovercourt 14 55.47x
Enfield 14 5.87x
Leeds 14 0.69x
Sedgley 14 3.07x
Sheffield 14 1.22x
West Wycombe 14 46.95x
Wimborne 14 48.49x
Wimborne Minster 14 36.28x
Cheddington 13 140.39x
Hemel Hempstead 13 11.51x
Middridge 13 121.50x
Ryde 13 8.12x
Wing 13 63.82x
Chobham 12 38.38x
Deptford St Paul 12 1.25x
Great Kimble 12 233.46x
Greenwich 12 2.07x
Kingswinford 12 2.69x
Milborne St Andrew 12 169.73x
Portsea 12 0.82x
Waltham Holy Cross 12 17.89x
Wimborne St Giles 12 212.77x
Wolstanton Chesterton 12 19.13x
Barnes 11 14.68x
Gussage All Sts 11 211.54x
Hampstead London 11 1.94x
Horwich 11 23.38x
Kings Norton 11 2.58x
Liverpool 11 0.42x
Radford 11 4.42x
Stoke Damerel 11 2.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 215
Sarah 121
Elizabeth 119
Ann 80
Eliza 78
Jane 70
Emma 66
Ellen 60
Emily 59
Annie 55
Alice 52
Hannah 40
Florence 38
Harriet 31
Louisa 31
Martha 30
Ada 28
Edith 25
Kate 24
Frances 22
Fanny 20
Margaret 20
Maria 20
Clara 19
Charlotte 18
Lucy 18
Rose 17
Agnes 15
Caroline 14
Anne 13
Catherine 13
Minnie 13
Harriett 12
Matilda 12
Anna 11
Amelia 10
Betsy 10
Jessie 10
Isabella 9
Julia 9
Amy 8
Bessie 8
Laura 8
Lizzie 8
Susan 8
Elizth. 7
Ethel 7
Rebecca 7
Ruth 7
Susannah 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 214
John 175
George 156
James 141
Thomas 131
Charles 93
Joseph 87
Henry 70
Arthur 47
Edward 41
Alfred 37
Frederick 35
Albert 33
Samuel 31
Walter 30
Harry 29
Richard 26
Robert 22
Ernest 17
Benjamin 15
Frank 15
David 13
Edwin 13
Herbert 10
Francis 9
Tom 9
Isaac 8
Wm. 8
Edmund 7
Geo. 7
Daniel 6
Fredrick 6
Percy 6
Sidney 6
Stephen 6
Willm. 6
Edgar 5
Eli 5
Fred 5
Jesse 5
Solomon 5
Thos. 5
Fredk. 4
Horace 4
Howard 4
Archibald 3
Chas. 3
Christopher 3
Elijah 3
Philip 3

FAQ

Cutler surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cutler surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,728 people were recorded with the Cutler surname. That placed it at #1,227 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cutler surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,312 in 2016. That gives Cutler a modern rank of #1,268.

What does the Cutler surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person who makes, sells, or repairs knives and other cutting instruments.

What does the Cutler map show?

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