NameCensus.

UK surname

Flute

A surname possibly derived from someone who made or played the musical instrument.

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Flute surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, down from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tipton otherwise Tibington, Stagsden and Thurleigh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Knowsley and Dudley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flute is 142 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.1%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

1997

142 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flute had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 130 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Flute surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flute surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flute 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 28 #30,405
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 101 #22,726
1911 historical 130 #19,504
1997 modern 142 #21,856
1998 modern 137 #22,922
1999 modern 135 #23,279
2000 modern 131 #23,672
2001 modern 125 #24,011
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 131 #23,553
2004 modern 132 #23,625
2005 modern 132 #23,623
2006 modern 130 #24,053
2007 modern 125 #24,987
2008 modern 128 #24,901
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 137 #24,907
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 131 #25,439
2013 modern 135 #25,395
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 139 #24,956
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Flutes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tipton otherwise Tibington, Stagsden, Thurleigh, Astwood and Childwall (Thingwall), Huyton (Huyton with Roby). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Knowsley and Dudley. 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 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
2 Stagsden Bedfordshire
3 Thurleigh Bedfordshire
4 Astwood Buckinghamshire
5 Childwall (Thingwall), Huyton (Huyton with Roby) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 014 Sandwell
2 Knowsley 017 Knowsley
3 Dudley 001 Dudley
4 Knowsley 015 Knowsley
5 Sandwell 004 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flute

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flute

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Flute is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Flute 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

Flute 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 Flute 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 Flute, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Flute

The surname "FLUTE" is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "flyte," which means "a hollow shaft" or "a channel." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a stream or a watercourse.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, dating back to the 14th century. In these records, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Flytte" and "Flyt."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name "FLUTE" began to appear in parish records across various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Suffolk. One notable bearer of the name was John Flute, a merchant and ship owner from Hull, who lived between 1580 and 1642.

The name "FLUTE" is also associated with several place names in England, such as Flute Hall in Derbyshire and Flute Fen in Cambridgeshire. These place names may have influenced the adoption or evolution of the surname in certain areas.

Historically, the name has been recorded in various spellings, including "Fluit," "Flewte," and "Fluyt." One notable individual with this surname was Sir Walter Flute, a Knight of the Shire for Gloucestershire in the late 14th century.

Another famous bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Flute, a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire in the early 17th century. He was also a prominent landowner and served as the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1616.

In the 18th century, the name "FLUTE" can be found in the records of several prominent families in England, such as the Flutes of Leiston Abbey in Suffolk and the Flutes of Oakham in Rutland.

One noteworthy figure from this period was Richard Flute, a prominent lawyer and writer who lived from 1705 to 1783. He authored several legal treatises and was a respected authority on English law.

Another individual of note was Admiral Sir John Flute, a Royal Navy officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1770 and played a significant role in several naval battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flute families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flute 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. Buckinghamshire leads with 42 Flutes recorded in 1881 and an index of 91.32x.

County Total Index
Buckinghamshire 42 91.32x
Bedfordshire 18 45.70x
Yorkshire 13 1.72x
Staffordshire 3 1.17x
Herefordshire 1 3.21x
Middlesex 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Astwood in Buckinghamshire leads with 31 Flutes recorded in 1881 and an index of 51666.67x.

Place Total Index
Astwood 31 51666.67x
Thornhill 11 500.00x
Thurleigh 9 5625.00x
Hardmead 7 35000.00x
Emberton 4 2352.94x
Stagsden 4 2857.14x
Wootton 4 1176.47x
Tipton 3 38.17x
Rotherham 2 47.06x
Bromyard 1 243.90x
Cranfield 1 263.16x
St Luke London 1 8.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Mary 4
Ann 3
Rosannah 2
Zilpah 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Eva 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Lydia 1
Martha 1
Mercy 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1
Sussana 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Frederick 4
James 4
Thomas 4
Arthur 3
John 3
Joseph 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
George 2
Albert 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Geor. 1
H.W.T. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Reginald 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Walter 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 Flute households.

FAQ

Flute surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flute surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Flute surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flute surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Flute a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Flute surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from someone who made or played the musical instrument.

What does the Flute map show?

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