NameCensus.

UK surname

Earth

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near fertile land or soil.

In the 1881 census there were 12 people recorded with the Earth surname, ranking it #31,914 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 100, ranked #31,123, up from #31,914 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland and East Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Earth is 105 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 733.3%.

1881 census count

12

Ranked #31,914

Modern count

100

2016, ranked #31,123

Peak year

2003

105 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Earth had 12 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,914 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016, ranked #31,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 75 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Earth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Earth surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Earth 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 10 #31,497
1861 historical 75 #24,238
1881 historical 12 #31,914
1891 historical 30 #31,889
1901 historical 21 #31,686
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 100 #26,901
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 101 #27,617
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 98 #27,672
2002 modern 98 #28,243
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 104 #27,338
2005 modern 103 #27,531
2006 modern 92 #29,576
2007 modern 94 #29,650
2008 modern 98 #29,355
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 99 #30,218
2012 modern 89 #31,934
2013 modern 97 #31,239
2014 modern 103 #30,539
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 100 #31,123

Geography

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Where Earths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland and East Dorset. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 006 South Holland
2 South Holland 009 South Holland
3 South Holland 005 South Holland
4 South Holland 007 South Holland
5 East Dorset 001 East Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Earth

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Earth

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Earth, 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 Earth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Earth 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Earth is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Earth is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Earth falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Earth is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 15-20 mbit/s.

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

3
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Earth

The surname "EARTH" is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "eorthe," meaning "ground" or "soil." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived or worked on the land, perhaps a farmer or a landowner.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "EARTH" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as "Eortheman," which translates to "man of the earth."

In the 13th century, the surname was found in various spellings, such as "Erthe," "Erth," and "Erde," reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional variations in pronunciation. These early spellings are often associated with place names, suggesting that some individuals may have taken their surnames from the locations where they lived or worked.

One notable bearer of the surname "EARTH" was John Earth (c. 1460-1524), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Worcester Cathedral. He is known for his contributions to the study of canon law and his involvement in the ecclesiastical courts of the time.

Another significant figure was Thomas Earth (1590-1658), a English colonist who was one of the original settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He arrived in America aboard the ship "Arbella" in 1630 and is recorded as one of the founders of the town of Roxbury, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, the surname "EARTH" was borne by Robert Earth (1725-1792), a prominent English agriculturalist and author. He wrote several influential works on farming practices and is credited with introducing new crop rotation methods that improved soil fertility and productivity.

During the Victorian era, the name "EARTH" gained prominence through the exploits of Sir John Earth (1810-1876), a British explorer and adventurer. He is best known for his expeditions to the Arctic regions and his discoveries in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, where several geographic features bear his name.

Finally, one cannot overlook the contributions of Mary Earth (1884-1962), a pioneering American archaeologist and anthropologist. She conducted extensive fieldwork in the American Southwest, studying the culture and history of various Native American tribes, and her findings significantly advanced our understanding of the region's past.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Earth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Earth 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. Lincolnshire leads with 4 Earths recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.41x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 4 21.41x
Surrey 3 5.27x
Cambridgeshire 2 27.03x
Middlesex 1 0.86x
Nottinghamshire 1 6.35x
Yorkshire 1 0.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Battersea in Surrey leads with 3 Earths recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.77x.

Place Total Index
Battersea 3 69.77x
Sutton St Edmunds 3 10000.00x
Wisbech St Peter 2 540.54x
Fitling 1 10000.00x
Gedney Hill 1 10000.00x
Islington London 1 8.83x
Newark Upon Trent 1 175.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Emmeline 1
Phoebe 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 3
John 2
William 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 Earth households.

FAQ

Earth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Earth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12 people were recorded with the Earth surname. That placed it at #31,914 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Earth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 100 in 2016. That gives Earth a modern rank of #31,123.

What does the Earth surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near fertile land or soil.

What does the Earth map show?

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