NameCensus.

UK surname

Embleton

A locational surname derived from a place called Embleton in Northumberland, England.

In the 1881 census there were 861 people recorded with the Embleton surname, ranking it #4,393 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,445, ranked #4,249, up from #4,393 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Embleton is 1,521 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 67.8%.

1881 census count

861

Ranked #4,393

Modern count

1,445

2016, ranked #4,249

Peak year

1999

1,521 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Embleton had 861 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,393 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,445 in 2016, ranked #4,249.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,315 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Embleton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Embleton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Embleton 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 611 #4,220
1861 historical 636 #4,214
1881 historical 861 #4,393
1891 historical 980 #4,218
1901 historical 1,201 #4,101
1911 historical 1,315 #3,626
1997 modern 1,424 #4,083
1998 modern 1,485 #4,090
1999 modern 1,521 #4,032
2000 modern 1,513 #4,032
2001 modern 1,470 #4,059
2002 modern 1,509 #4,050
2003 modern 1,459 #4,088
2004 modern 1,414 #4,185
2005 modern 1,370 #4,264
2006 modern 1,358 #4,298
2007 modern 1,373 #4,301
2008 modern 1,390 #4,281
2009 modern 1,451 #4,224
2010 modern 1,482 #4,230
2011 modern 1,472 #4,204
2012 modern 1,441 #4,210
2013 modern 1,476 #4,205
2014 modern 1,484 #4,203
2015 modern 1,473 #4,200
2016 modern 1,445 #4,249

Geography

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Where Embletons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Long Benton and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham and Northumberland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Long Benton Northumberland
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 019 County Durham
2 County Durham 006 County Durham
3 Northumberland 032 Northumberland
4 County Durham 010 County Durham
5 County Durham 014 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Embleton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Embleton

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Embleton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Embleton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Embleton 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

Embleton 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

Embleton falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Embleton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Embleton

The surname Embleton is of English origin, deriving from the place name Embleton, a village located in the county of Northumberland, England. The name is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, with records indicating that it was first recorded in the 12th century.

Embleton is a toponymic surname, meaning it is derived from a place name. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "emel" meaning "ridge" or "ridge of land" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement". Thus, Embleton likely referred to a settlement or town situated on a ridge or elevated land.

Historically, the name Embleton is found in various records and documents from medieval England. One notable reference is in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland, where the name appears as early as 1166, indicating the presence of individuals bearing the surname in that region during that time.

The earliest recorded individual with the surname Embleton is believed to be William de Embleton, who is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1256. Another early record is that of Robert de Embleton, who is listed in the Hundred Rolls of Northumberland in 1273.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Embleton. One such person was Sir Basil Embleton (1702-1789), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Northumberland in the 18th century. Another was John Embleton (1768-1831), a renowned English engraver and artist known for his engravings of architectural subjects.

Other notable individuals with the surname Embleton include Dennis Embleton (1935-1988), a British comic artist and illustrator who worked for various publications such as Eagle and TV Century 21. Robert Embleton (1780-1845) was a British naval officer and explorer, best known for his voyages to the Arctic regions in the early 19th century.

Additionally, there is William Embleton (1788-1864), an English naturalist and artist who made significant contributions to the study of British birds and their habitats through his illustrations and writings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Embleton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Embleton 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. Durham leads with 285 Embletons recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.41x.

County Total Index
Durham 285 11.41x
Northumberland 251 20.09x
Middlesex 97 1.15x
Surrey 71 1.73x
Yorkshire 45 0.54x
Lancashire 25 0.25x
Essex 19 1.15x
Kent 15 0.52x
Lanarkshire 9 0.33x
Hampshire 7 0.41x
Buckinghamshire 6 1.18x
Wiltshire 6 0.81x
Cheshire 5 0.27x
Cumberland 5 0.69x
Fife 5 1.01x
Glamorgan 3 0.21x
Sussex 3 0.21x
Warwickshire 2 0.09x
Lincolnshire 1 0.07x
Suffolk 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 29 Embletons recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.52x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 29 13.52x
Camberwell 24 4.47x
Longbenton 23 43.45x
Seaton Delaval 18 164.08x
Shoreditch London 18 4.94x
Hetton Le Hole 15 47.36x
St Pancras London 14 2.07x
Bedlington 12 28.76x
Ellington 12 1846.15x
Wallsend 12 30.28x
Witton Gilbert 12 121.70x
Clerkenwell London 11 5.55x
Ulgham 11 528.85x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 6.32x
Southwark Christchurch 10 25.41x
Winlaton 10 41.72x
Bermondsey 9 3.60x
Gateshead 9 4.81x
Govan 9 1.34x
Monkwearmouth 9 37.63x
Penshaw 9 119.84x
Southwick 9 38.04x
Elswick 8 8.02x
Elvet 8 44.35x
Fulwell 8 526.32x
Great Baddow 8 135.59x
Greencroft 8 174.67x
Hammersmith London 8 3.87x
Hebron Cockle Park Earsdon 8 769.23x
Holbeck 8 14.51x
Methley 8 68.26x
Sherburn 8 105.26x
Sunderland 8 18.13x
Tanfield 8 26.93x
Thornaby 8 25.72x
Tudhoe 8 36.60x
Westoe 8 5.65x
Byker 7 11.33x
Ewell 7 81.02x
Hackney London 7 1.49x
Lambeth 7 0.96x
Lanchester 7 152.51x
Lesbury 7 253.62x
Monkwearmouth Shore 7 14.35x
Morpeth 7 47.65x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 9.38x
Pittington 7 99.57x
Ryhope 7 40.35x
Warlingham 7 210.84x
Westgate 7 9.05x
Wingate 7 40.86x
Witton Shields 7 23333.33x
Bethnal Green London 6 1.64x
Bradwell 6 83.92x
Crook Billy Row 6 18.75x
Edmonton 6 8.87x
Hexham 6 31.02x
Morwick 6 2307.69x
Newbiggin In Morpeth 6 150.00x
Oldham 6 1.87x
Portsea 6 1.78x
Preston In Tynemouth 6 122.20x
Stelling 6 4285.71x
Stranton 6 7.13x
Stratton St Margaret 6 52.68x
Togstone 6 895.52x
Warkworth 6 298.51x
Ardwick 5 5.56x
Berwick Upon Tweed 5 18.88x
Bromley London 5 2.71x
Crayford 5 39.97x
Kirkcaldy 5 20.28x
Newcastle On Tyne St 5 7.72x
Seaham 5 54.88x
Seghill 5 81.57x
St Cuthbert W O Harraby 5 515.46x
Throston 5 104.17x
Tunstall 5 40.19x
Widdrington 5 167.22x
St Giles In Fields London 4 9.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 61
Jane 40
Margaret 30
Elizabeth 27
Sarah 21
Ann 18
Annie 17
Isabella 16
Alice 13
Eliza 11
Ellen 11
Emily 10
Hannah 9
Emma 8
Frances 8
Florence 6
Martha 6
Dorothy 5
Eleanor 5
Caroline 4
Edith 4
Louisa 4
Mabel 4
Susan 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Anne 3
Isabel 3
Lucy 3
M. 3
Rose 3
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Maria 2
Minnie 2
Phillis 2
Amy 1
Barbarn 1
Betsy 1
E. 1
Elisa 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliz. 1
Elizath. 1
Elizh. 1
Grace 1
Hilda 1
Isabela 1
J. 1
Winfred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 68
William 57
Thomas 39
Robert 31
George 26
Joseph 18
James 15
Charles 14
Richard 12
Benjamin 11
Edward 11
Henry 11
Alfred 6
Ralph 6
Edwin 5
Frederick 5
Walter 5
Arthur 4
Mark 4
Matthew 4
Alexander 3
Andrew 3
Frank 3
Isaac 3
Robt. 3
Abraham 2
Albert 2
Cuthbert 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Samuel 2
Stephen 2
Thoms. 2
Edwd. 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
G. 1
Geo. 1
Hance 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Mat. 1
Mathew 1
Mosrias 1
Nelson 1
Nicholas 1
R. 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Embleton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Embleton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 861 people were recorded with the Embleton surname. That placed it at #4,393 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Embleton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,445 in 2016. That gives Embleton a modern rank of #4,249.

What does the Embleton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place called Embleton in Northumberland, England.

What does the Embleton map show?

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