NameCensus.

UK surname

Flitcroft

A locational surname originating from places in Lancashire and Yorkshire named from the Old English elements fleot meaning stream and croft referring to a small enclosed field.

In the 1881 census there were 587 people recorded with the Flitcroft surname, ranking it #5,943 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 551, ranked #9,266, down from #5,943 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Radcliffe, Eccles and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flitcroft is 812 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 6.1%.

1881 census count

587

Ranked #5,943

Modern count

551

2016, ranked #9,266

Peak year

1911

812 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flitcroft had 587 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,943 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 551 in 2016, ranked #9,266.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 812 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Flitcroft surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flitcroft surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flitcroft 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 405 #5,976
1861 historical 402 #6,383
1881 historical 587 #5,943
1891 historical 691 #5,669
1901 historical 787 #5,723
1911 historical 812 #5,416
1997 modern 542 #8,759
1998 modern 580 #8,575
1999 modern 594 #8,497
2000 modern 571 #8,693
2001 modern 566 #8,619
2002 modern 576 #8,674
2003 modern 558 #8,740
2004 modern 533 #9,071
2005 modern 520 #9,187
2006 modern 527 #9,106
2007 modern 534 #9,102
2008 modern 551 #8,951
2009 modern 549 #9,190
2010 modern 557 #9,270
2011 modern 549 #9,281
2012 modern 544 #9,245
2013 modern 551 #9,320
2014 modern 569 #9,132
2015 modern 556 #9,221
2016 modern 551 #9,266

Geography

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Where Flitcrofts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Radcliffe, Eccles, Wigan, Manchester and Leigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton and Bury. 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 Radcliffe Lancashire
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Leigh Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 032 Bolton
2 Bolton 033 Bolton
3 Bolton 002 Bolton
4 Bolton 003 Bolton
5 Bury 001 Bury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flitcroft

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flitcroft

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Flitcroft, 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 Flitcroft surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Flitcroft 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Flitcroft is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Flitcroft 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

Flitcroft falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Flitcroft is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Flitcroft

The surname Flitcroft originated in England during the late 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "fliht" meaning a steep slope or cliff, and "croft" meaning a small enclosed field or meadow. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived or worked near a small field situated on a steep hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which list a William Flytcrofte residing in the village of Keighley. This entry provides evidence that the name was present in the Yorkshire region during the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Flitcroft name appears in various parish records across northern England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. One notable figure from this period was Roger Flitcroft, a wealthy yeoman farmer who lived in the village of Haworth, Yorkshire, from around 1530 to 1590.

During the 17th century, the Flitcroft family seemed to have established a presence in the area around Burnley, Lancashire. In 1642, a John Flitcroft is mentioned in the Burnley Parish Registers, and his descendants can be traced through subsequent records in the region.

One of the most prominent individuals bearing the Flitcroft name was Henry Flitcroft, an English architect and surveyor who lived from 1697 to 1769. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of St Giles-in-the-Fields in London and the Montagu House in Bloomsbury.

Another notable Flitcroft was Thomas Flitcroft, a 19th-century English cricketer who played for Lancashire between 1864 and 1875. He was born in 1844 and is remembered for his exceptional batting skills.

Other historical figures with the Flitcroft surname include John Flitcroft, a successful merchant and landowner from Yorkshire who lived from 1725 to 1798, and William Flitcroft, a 19th-century engineer and inventor from Lancashire, born in 1830, who patented several innovations in textile machinery.

While the name Flitcroft is not among the most common surnames in England, it has a long and interesting history, particularly in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it can be traced back to the Middle Ages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flitcroft families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flitcroft 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. Lancashire leads with 544 Flitcrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.09x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 544 8.09x
Cheshire 22 1.76x
Surrey 6 0.22x
Worcestershire 4 0.54x
Middlesex 3 0.05x
Anglesey 1 1.00x
Sussex 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. Great Bolton in Lancashire leads with 135 Flitcrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 151.55x.

Place Total Index
Great Bolton 135 151.55x
Little Bolton 44 50.88x
Radcliffe 26 80.20x
Halliwell 23 93.95x
Manchester 23 7.61x
Westleigh 19 124.43x
Bedford 18 127.93x
Hindley 18 62.78x
Hulme 17 12.11x
Worsley 17 41.01x
Rumworth 15 156.09x
Salford 15 7.58x
Atherton 14 57.19x
Culcheth 14 317.46x
Farnworth 14 34.75x
Middle Hulton 14 351.76x
Stockport 12 18.64x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 9.36x
Pilkington 10 39.14x
Haydock 9 77.65x
Skelmersdale 9 80.29x
Westhoughton 9 50.14x
Barton Upon Irwell 8 15.80x
Adlington 7 111.11x
Chadderton 7 21.29x
Walton Le Dale 7 38.74x
Lambeth 6 1.21x
Lymm 4 44.00x
Pennington In Leigh 4 31.01x
Worcester St Peter 4 28.55x
Bollin Fee 3 54.05x
Burtonwood 3 121.46x
Chelsea London 3 1.76x
Great Lever 3 42.02x
Haughton 3 30.58x
Newton 3 5.79x
Newton In Makerfield 3 14.57x
Oldham 3 1.38x
Over Hulton 3 157.07x
Tonge With Haulgh 3 22.92x
Abram 2 38.76x
Ashton In Makerfield 2 10.44x
Dukinfield 2 3.46x
Pendlebury 2 14.08x
Pendleton In Salford 2 2.50x
Wigan 2 2.13x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 0.68x
Chorley 1 2.65x
Heaton Norris 1 2.61x
Horsted Keynes 1 44.84x
Liverpool 1 0.24x
Llandegfan 1 49.02x
Pownall Fee 1 17.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 55
Elizabeth 27
Sarah 22
Margaret 18
Ellen 17
Alice 15
Jane 13
Ann 12
Emma 7
Betsy 6
Hannah 6
Martha 6
Annie 5
Emily 5
Nancy 5
Amelia 4
Betty 4
Esther 4
Susannah 4
Clara 3
Edith 3
Eliza 3
Elizth. 3
Isabella 3
Rachael 3
Rachel 3
Selina 3
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Eliz. 2
Harriet 2
Margt. 2
Matilda 2
Ruth 2
Anna 1
Anne 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Dorothy 1
Eliyon 1
Elizth.E. 1
Emiley 1
Fanny 1
Lillian 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Margt 1
Norah 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 43
James 37
William 30
Thomas 29
Joseph 25
George 8
Peter 8
Albert 7
Edward 6
Robert 6
Henry 5
Isaac 5
Jno. 5
Seth 5
Walter 5
Wm. 5
Ernest 4
Ellis 3
Fred 3
Samuel 3
Daniel 2
Hamlet 2
Jas. 2
Lot 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Primus 2
Archie 1
Arthur 1
Benj. 1
Charles 1
Danl. 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Hannah 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hy. 1
Jane 1
Jeremiah 1
Jesse 1
Jno.W. 1
Jospph 1
Mark 1
Paul 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Flitcroft surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flitcroft surname in 1881?

In 1881, 587 people were recorded with the Flitcroft surname. That placed it at #5,943 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flitcroft surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 551 in 2016. That gives Flitcroft a modern rank of #9,266.

What does the Flitcroft surname mean?

A locational surname originating from places in Lancashire and Yorkshire named from the Old English elements fleot meaning stream and croft referring to a small enclosed field.

What does the Flitcroft map show?

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