NameCensus.

UK surname

Emerton

A locational surname derived from a place name in Suffolk, England.

In the 1881 census there were 386 people recorded with the Emerton surname, ranking it #8,165 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 561, ranked #9,145, down from #8,165 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Chalgrave and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derby, Wellingborough and Milton Keynes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Emerton is 721 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.3%.

1881 census count

386

Ranked #8,165

Modern count

561

2016, ranked #9,145

Peak year

1911

721 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Emerton had 386 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,165 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 561 in 2016, ranked #9,145.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 721 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Emerton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Emerton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Emerton 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 351 #6,715
1861 historical 325 #7,835
1881 historical 386 #8,165
1891 historical 442 #8,179
1901 historical 584 #7,219
1911 historical 721 #5,929
1997 modern 533 #8,871
1998 modern 559 #8,808
1999 modern 569 #8,746
2000 modern 548 #8,976
2001 modern 544 #8,875
2002 modern 549 #8,989
2003 modern 545 #8,902
2004 modern 555 #8,804
2005 modern 553 #8,749
2006 modern 545 #8,875
2007 modern 541 #9,006
2008 modern 528 #9,248
2009 modern 535 #9,366
2010 modern 560 #9,225
2011 modern 580 #8,917
2012 modern 563 #9,023
2013 modern 582 #8,931
2014 modern 578 #9,034
2015 modern 579 #8,964
2016 modern 561 #9,145

Geography

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Where Emertons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Chalgrave, St Mary Islington and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derby, Wellingborough, Milton Keynes, Coventry and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Chalgrave Bedfordshire
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derby 007 Derby
2 Wellingborough 001 Wellingborough
3 Milton Keynes 006 Milton Keynes
4 Coventry 031 Coventry
5 Stockton-on-Tees 021 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Emerton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Emerton

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Emerton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Emerton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Emerton 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

Emerton 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

Emerton falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Emerton

The surname EMERTON is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "emel" meaning "level" or "flat," and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "homestead." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived in or near a level or flat enclosure or settlement.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname EMERTON can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1273, where a William de Emerton is mentioned. Additionally, in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1301, there is a reference to a John de Emerton.

One notable historical figure bearing the EMERTON surname was Sir John Emerton, a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in the late 15th century. He was born around 1450 and served as a knight of the shire for Oxfordshire in the Parliament of 1491-1492.

In the 16th century, the EMERTON surname appeared in various records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Essex in 1524, where a Thomas Emerton is listed. Another early record is from the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1545, mentioning a William Emerton.

The EMERTON name is also associated with several place names in England, such as Emerton in Oxfordshire and Emerton Hall in Suffolk. These place names likely originated from the same Old English words that gave rise to the surname.

Other notable individuals with the EMERTON surname include:

1. Thomas Emerton (1663-1745), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Botolph's Church in Cambridge.

2. William Emerton (1701-1782), a British army officer who served in the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.

3. Mary Emerton (1782-1859), an English author and poet known for her works on religious subjects.

4. John Emerton (1838-1916), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Birmingham.

5. Henry Emerton (1853-1924), an American historian and professor who taught at Harvard University and authored several books on medieval European history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Emerton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Emerton 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 104 Emertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.76x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 104 2.76x
Bedfordshire 57 29.24x
Buckinghamshire 54 23.72x
Northamptonshire 23 6.49x
Lincolnshire 18 2.99x
Warwickshire 14 1.47x
Hertfordshire 12 4.62x
Kent 12 0.93x
Lancashire 10 0.22x
Gloucestershire 9 1.22x
Leicestershire 9 2.16x
Staffordshire 8 0.63x
Cheshire 7 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 7 1.38x
Berkshire 5 1.77x
Durham 5 0.45x
Essex 5 0.67x
Hampshire 5 0.65x
Surrey 5 0.27x
Derbyshire 4 0.68x
Northumberland 4 0.71x
Oxfordshire 2 0.86x
Yorkshire 2 0.05x
Devon 1 0.13x
Dorset 1 0.40x
Flintshire 1 0.99x
Shropshire 1 0.31x
Sussex 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 23 Emertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.30x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 23 6.30x
Shoreditch London 15 9.19x
Bethnal Green London 13 7.95x
Chalgrave 13 1150.44x
Leckhampstead 12 2727.27x
Newport Pagnell 12 252.10x
Stamford All Sts 11 326.41x
Buckingham 10 215.98x
Birmingham 9 2.84x
Luton 9 26.67x
Northampton St Sepulchre 9 49.94x
St Pancras London 8 2.64x
Boston 7 38.31x
Calverton 7 985.92x
Flitton 7 795.45x
Monks Coppenhall 7 22.32x
Normanton Le Heath 7 3333.33x
Toxteth Park 7 4.63x
Leighton Buzzard 6 71.51x
North Crawley 6 666.67x
Redbourn 6 211.27x
Abingdon St Nicholas 5 632.91x
Bromley London 5 6.04x
Chelsea London 5 4.41x
Deptford St Paul 5 5.05x
Fulham London 5 9.16x
Lewisham 5 7.30x
St Giles In Fields London 5 27.07x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 3.71x
Barton In Clay 4 291.97x
Elswick 4 8.95x
Hatfield 4 76.05x
Northampton All Sts 4 33.28x
Silsoe 4 454.55x
Snenton 4 20.06x
St Marylebone London 4 1.99x
Thornby 4 1428.57x
Willesden 4 11.27x
Wotton St Mary 4 104.44x
Cheddington 3 312.50x
Hackney London 3 1.42x
Hendon 3 22.14x
Holdenhurst 3 14.82x
Houghton Regis 3 96.46x
Kempston 3 67.72x
Lambeth 3 0.91x
Mickleover 3 164.84x
Newton In Makerfield 3 21.93x
Nottingham St Mary 3 2.29x
West Ham 3 1.83x
Cheltenham 2 3.51x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.25x
Corley 2 512.82x
Edgbaston 2 6.79x
Fenny Stratford 2 93.02x
Hampstead London 2 3.41x
Harefield 2 103.09x
Hornsey 2 4.20x
Husborne Crawley 2 322.58x
Melton Mowbray 2 26.63x
Ravensthorpe 2 312.50x
Stranton 2 5.30x
Sunderland 2 10.11x
Aspley Guise 1 53.48x
Cold Ashby 1 227.27x
Guilsborough 1 106.38x
Halstead 1 161.29x
Henlow 1 83.33x
Hillingdon 1 8.33x
Keysoe 1 108.70x
Maulden 1 59.17x
Northampton Priory St 1 4.71x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 1.66x
Portsea 1 0.66x
Rhuddlan 1 11.22x
Southampton St Lawrence 1 250.00x
St Albans 1 18.80x
Storrington 1 57.47x
Watford 1 4.97x
West Bromwich 1 1.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 21
Mary 14
Sarah 12
Eliza 11
Ann 8
Emma 8
Louisa 7
Annie 6
Florence 6
Ellen 5
Fanny 5
Hannah 5
Jane 5
Emily 4
Amelia 3
Caroline 3
Eleanor 3
Margaret 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Drucilla 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Lydia 2
Marian 2
Rosetta 2
Ruth 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Agnes 1
Betsey 1
Celina 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Esther 1
Fillis 1
Hellen 1
Lilley 1
Lillie 1
Lizzie 1
M. 1
Madelina 1
Maria 1
Tizzie 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Emerton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Emerton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 386 people were recorded with the Emerton surname. That placed it at #8,165 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Emerton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 561 in 2016. That gives Emerton a modern rank of #9,145.

What does the Emerton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Suffolk, England.

What does the Emerton map show?

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