NameCensus.

UK surname

Findlater

A Scottish locational surname indicating a person from lands near Findlater Castle in Banffshire.

In the 1881 census there were 441 people recorded with the Findlater surname, ranking it #7,422 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 615, ranked #8,539, down from #7,422 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Forglen, Durisdeer and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kemnay, Thornhill and Westhill North and South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Findlater is 655 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.5%.

1881 census count

441

Ranked #7,422

Modern count

615

2016, ranked #8,539

Peak year

2000

655 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Findlater had 441 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,422 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 615 in 2016, ranked #8,539.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 570 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Findlater surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Findlater surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Findlater 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 356 #6,636
1861 historical 349 #7,318
1881 historical 441 #7,422
1891 historical 498 #7,454
1901 historical 570 #7,353
1911 historical 155 #17,485
1997 modern 587 #8,275
1998 modern 638 #8,020
1999 modern 647 #7,979
2000 modern 655 #7,893
2001 modern 612 #8,164
2002 modern 631 #8,152
2003 modern 623 #8,089
2004 modern 621 #8,134
2005 modern 619 #8,074
2006 modern 619 #8,089
2007 modern 623 #8,114
2008 modern 634 #8,060
2009 modern 655 #8,019
2010 modern 655 #8,190
2011 modern 637 #8,290
2012 modern 613 #8,463
2013 modern 612 #8,609
2014 modern 615 #8,628
2015 modern 610 #8,635
2016 modern 615 #8,539

Geography

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Where Findlaters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Forglen, Durisdeer, Edinburgh, Methlick and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kemnay, Thornhill, Westhill North and South, Earnock and Stroud. 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 Forglen Banff
2 Durisdeer Dumfries
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Methlick Aberdeen
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kemnay Aberdeenshire
2 Thornhill Dumfries and Galloway
3 Westhill North and South Aberdeenshire
4 Earnock South Lanarkshire
5 Stroud 003 Stroud

Forenames

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First names often paired with Findlater

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Findlater

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Findlater 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

Findlater is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Findlater falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Findlater

The surname Findlater is of Scottish origin, deriving from the lands of Findlater in Banffshire. It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century, with the earliest recorded spelling being "Fyndlater" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1292.

The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "fionn" meaning "white" or "fair", and "lathair" meaning "side" or "slope", referring to a geographical feature such as a hillside. This suggests that the surname likely originated as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a particular white or fair-colored hillside.

The Findlaters were a prominent family in the northeast of Scotland, with several members holding positions of importance throughout history. One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Findlater, who was appointed Sheriff of Banffshire in 1457.

In the 16th century, the Findlaters were granted lands in the parish of Cullen, where they established their ancestral seat at Findlater Castle. This castle, perched atop a cliff overlooking the Moray Firth, remained in the family's possession until the late 18th century.

Another notable figure was Alexander Findlater, who was born in 1658 and served as a Covenanter minister during the tumultuous period of religious persecution in Scotland. He was imprisoned for his beliefs and later fled to the Netherlands before returning to Scotland after the Revolution of 1688.

In the literary world, Andrew Findlater (1810-1885) was a Scottish author and editor who published works on various subjects, including history, philosophy, and literature. He also served as the editor of the influential "Chambers's Encyclopaedia" for several years.

More recently, Charles Findlater (1888-1964) was a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Labor Party in the early 20th century, representing the electorate of Brisbane from 1929 to 1931.

While the surname Findlater is not among the most common in Scotland or elsewhere, it has a rich history and has been borne by several notable individuals throughout the centuries, particularly in the northeast of Scotland where it originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Findlater families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Findlater 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 120 Findlaters recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.05x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 120 30.05x
Banffshire 81 90.56x
Lanarkshire 59 4.23x
Middlesex 26 0.60x
Midlothian 18 3.12x
Angus 17 4.26x
Dumfriesshire 17 17.85x
Kincardineshire 15 28.57x
Inverness-shire 8 6.21x
Ayrshire 7 2.17x
Morayshire 7 10.45x
Nairnshire 6 45.59x
Northumberland 6 0.94x
Orkney 6 12.65x
Perthshire 6 3.10x
Fife 5 1.96x
Lancashire 5 0.10x
Staffordshire 5 0.34x
West Lothian 5 7.70x
Wigtownshire 5 8.73x
Stirlingshire 4 2.52x
Hampshire 3 0.34x
Worcestershire 3 0.53x
Gloucestershire 2 0.24x
Kent 2 0.14x
Yorkshire 2 0.05x
Buteshire 1 3.83x
Royal Navy 1 1.95x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alvah in Banffshire leads with 21 Findlaters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1044.78x.

Place Total Index
Alvah 21 1044.78x
Forglen 21 1909.09x
Aberdeen Old Machar 19 22.79x
Methlick 16 500.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 14 6.02x
Govan 14 4.06x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 13 17.40x
Oyne 13 915.49x
Fordyce 12 186.63x
Lanark 12 106.95x
Turriff 12 186.05x
Cambusnethan 11 35.52x
Durrisdeer 11 674.85x
Islington London 11 2.63x
Marnoch 9 187.50x
Carluke 8 63.19x
Hayes 8 181.82x
Inverness 8 24.70x
Kemnay 8 330.58x
King Edward 8 173.91x
Nigg 8 184.33x
Tyrie 8 159.68x
Kilmarnock 7 18.22x
Banff 6 77.22x
Craig 6 155.44x
Glasgow 6 2.42x
Nairn 6 75.09x
Penpont 6 342.86x
Balquhidder 5 537.63x
Bathgate 5 35.46x
Birsay Harray 5 145.35x
Cromdale 5 92.76x
Harborne 5 10.72x
Barony 4 1.13x
Dun 4 500.00x
Elswick 4 7.81x
Kilconquhar 4 131.58x
Kirkcolm 4 145.99x
Mortlach 4 91.53x
Aldershot 3 10.13x
Balfron 3 153.06x
Belhelvie 3 109.89x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 3 21.96x
Grimley 3 283.02x
Hulme 3 2.81x
Laurencekirk 3 98.68x
Montrose 3 12.39x
St George Hanover Square 3 3.95x
Strichen 3 86.46x
Beverley St Mary 2 32.05x
Carstairs 2 69.20x
Deskford 2 156.25x
Ellon 2 36.43x
Folkestone 2 7.01x
Fordoun 2 68.03x
Gamrie 2 20.04x
Huntly 2 30.77x
Inverurie 2 44.25x
Keith 2 20.99x
Kensington London 2 0.83x
Monifieth 2 14.17x
New Deer 2 27.66x
Ordiquhill 2 188.68x
Westbury On Trym 2 6.98x
Westgate 2 5.03x
Arbuthnott 1 83.33x
Auchterless 1 31.55x
Bow London 1 1.82x
Chapel Of Garioch 1 35.21x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 6.80x
Elgin 1 7.67x
Hampstead London 1 1.49x
Kinghorn 1 18.45x
Kintore 1 28.82x
Old Deer 1 13.21x
Old Monkland 1 1.81x
Rothes 1 30.58x
Royal Navy 1 2.28x
Rutherglen 1 4.89x
West Derby 1 0.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Kate 2
Sarah 2
Anne 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Elisabeth 1
Euphemia 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Marg.Geldis 1
Margaret 1
Marion 1
Mary 1
Robina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 4
John 4
William 4
Edward 2
Wm. 2
(Mr) 1
Alexandr. 1
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Thomas 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 Findlater households.

FAQ

Findlater surname: questions and answers

How common was the Findlater surname in 1881?

In 1881, 441 people were recorded with the Findlater surname. That placed it at #7,422 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Findlater surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 615 in 2016. That gives Findlater a modern rank of #8,539.

What does the Findlater surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname indicating a person from lands near Findlater Castle in Banffshire.

What does the Findlater map show?

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