NameCensus.

UK surname

Jowett

A surname referring to someone living near a yew tree or grove.

In the 1881 census there were 3,260 people recorded with the Jowett surname, ranking it #1,386 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,604, ranked #2,554, down from #1,386 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bradford, Halifax and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jowett is 3,960 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.1%.

1881 census count

3,260

Ranked #1,386

Modern count

2,604

2016, ranked #2,554

Peak year

1911

3,960 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jowett had 3,260 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,386 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,604 in 2016, ranked #2,554.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,960 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Jowett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jowett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jowett 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 1,980 #1,464
1861 historical 1,695 #1,687
1881 historical 3,260 #1,386
1891 historical 3,218 #1,480
1901 historical 3,952 #1,427
1911 historical 3,960 #1,297
1997 modern 2,865 #2,253
1998 modern 2,981 #2,261
1999 modern 2,943 #2,300
2000 modern 2,928 #2,298
2001 modern 2,830 #2,320
2002 modern 2,853 #2,357
2003 modern 2,742 #2,381
2004 modern 2,710 #2,405
2005 modern 2,611 #2,449
2006 modern 2,608 #2,456
2007 modern 2,605 #2,473
2008 modern 2,590 #2,503
2009 modern 2,631 #2,527
2010 modern 2,670 #2,549
2011 modern 2,675 #2,513
2012 modern 2,620 #2,522
2013 modern 2,663 #2,524
2014 modern 2,657 #2,544
2015 modern 2,620 #2,549
2016 modern 2,604 #2,554

Geography

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Where Jowetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bradford, Halifax and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford. 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 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 058 Bradford
2 Bradford 047 Bradford
3 Bradford 022 Bradford
4 Bradford 010 Bradford
5 Bradford 018 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jowett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jowett

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Jowett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Jowett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Jowett 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

Jowett 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

Jowett falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Jowett

The surname Jowett originated in England and has its roots in the Middle English period, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "jouet," meaning a small toy or plaything, which later evolved into a surname denoting a jester or entertainer.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Jowett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a certain William Jowett is mentioned as a landowner. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appeared in various records and documents across northern England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire. One notable example is the appearance of John Jowett in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1332.

The Jowett surname has also been associated with several place names, such as Jowett's Cross in Yorkshire and Jowett's Croft in Lancashire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the Jowett surname who once resided or held land there.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Jowett. One of the earliest was William Jowett (1564-1637), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1615 until his death.

Another prominent figure was Benjamin Jowett (1817-1893), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Master of Balliol College, Oxford, from 1870 to 1893. He is best known for his influential translation of Plato's dialogues into English.

In the field of literature, Mary Jowett (1827-1884) was a notable English novelist and playwright. She wrote several popular novels, including "The Beloved Disciple" and "The Story of a Life."

The world of sports also had its share of Jowetts, such as Walter Jowett (1860-1932), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Benjamin Jowett (1734-1806), an English merchant and industrialist who founded the Jowett Motor Manufacturing Company in Yorkshire in the early 20th century, which produced cars until the late 1950s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jowett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jowett 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,650 Jowetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.40x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,650 8.40x
Lancashire 203 0.54x
Derbyshire 97 1.95x
Nottinghamshire 61 1.42x
Leicestershire 35 0.99x
Middlesex 33 0.10x
Staffordshire 23 0.21x
Warwickshire 17 0.21x
Glamorgan 16 0.29x
Essex 14 0.22x
Cheshire 13 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.57x
Surrey 11 0.07x
Hertfordshire 10 0.46x
Gloucestershire 9 0.14x
Northamptonshire 9 0.30x
Worcestershire 8 0.19x
Durham 7 0.07x
Hampshire 6 0.09x
Lincolnshire 5 0.10x
Flintshire 4 0.47x
Sussex 4 0.07x
Kent 3 0.03x
Northumberland 3 0.06x
Cumberland 2 0.07x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.32x
Royal Navy 2 0.53x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Norfolk 1 0.02x
Oxfordshire 1 0.05x
Somerset 1 0.02x
Suffolk 1 0.03x
Westmorland 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horton In Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 266 Jowetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.99x.

Place Total Index
Horton In Bradford 266 53.99x
Bradford 207 27.10x
Clayton 164 212.38x
Thornton In Bradford 109 103.78x
Northowram 96 43.39x
Halifax 94 20.29x
Leeds 92 5.16x
Shipley 92 56.19x
Manningham 91 23.41x
Pudsey 89 52.77x
Bingley 66 32.85x
Batley 62 20.68x
Bowling 61 19.52x
Ovenden 53 37.74x
North Bierley 52 30.53x
Baildon 49 82.48x
Allerton 48 119.34x
Wilsden 48 148.15x
Hipperholme Cum 39 28.13x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 35 30.55x
Gomersal 34 23.09x
Morley 34 20.73x
Keighley 32 9.52x
Elland Cum Greetland 27 19.00x
Southowram 26 27.00x
Warley 26 28.51x
Liversedge 25 17.80x
Idle 24 16.40x
Hunslet 23 4.67x
Holbeck 20 9.57x
Nottingham St Mary 20 1.80x
Otley 20 26.11x
West Ardsley 20 52.67x
Castleford 19 16.54x
Sowerby In Halifax 18 17.45x
Headingley Cum Burley 17 8.37x
Huddersfield 17 3.70x
Chorlton On Medlock 16 2.67x
Armley 15 10.78x
Beeston 15 47.01x
Clase 15 7.28x
Wortley In Bramley 15 6.00x
Aston 14 0.63x
Bramley In Bramley 14 11.59x
Eccleshill 14 18.23x
Mexborough 13 20.76x
Rawdon 13 34.99x
Wakefield 13 5.37x
Basford 12 6.07x
Calverley Cum Farsley 12 13.39x
Heckmondwike 12 11.83x
Oldham 12 0.98x
Rastrick 12 13.69x
Silsden 12 128.89x
Burton Upon Trent 11 4.37x
Derby St Peter 11 6.93x
Ecclesall Bierlow 11 1.71x
Sandal Magna 11 23.57x
West Ham 11 0.79x
Aylesbury 10 11.72x
Cleckheaton 10 8.60x
Haworth 10 13.33x
Long Eaton 10 15.20x
Pontefract 10 14.71x
Watford 10 5.88x
Arncliffe 9 562.50x
Blackburn 9 0.90x
Derby St Werburgh 9 3.13x
Dewsbury 9 2.78x
Mellor 9 66.42x
Openshaw 9 5.09x
Poulton Barre 9 20.94x
West Bromwich 9 1.46x
Wilne 9 78.88x
Barwick In Elmet 8 33.10x
Broughton In Salford 8 2.32x
Habergham Eaves 8 2.32x
Heaton 8 23.60x
Lancaster 8 3.56x
Sheffield 8 0.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 233
Sarah 158
Elizabeth 113
Hannah 89
Ann 76
Martha 70
Annie 58
Emma 51
Emily 44
Jane 38
Clara 37
Eliza 37
Ellen 36
Alice 32
Harriet 28
Ada 26
Margaret 21
Louisa 19
Lucy 17
Maria 17
Susannah 17
Edith 16
Caroline 14
Charlotte 14
Florence 13
Lilly 13
Ruth 13
Fanny 12
Grace 11
Nancy 11
Agnes 10
Betty 10
Frances 10
Amelia 9
Henrietta 9
Lydia 9
Esther 8
Minnie 8
Amy 7
Catherine 7
Rose 7
Bertha 6
Harriett 6
Isabella 6
Lavinia 6
Rachel 6
Sophia 6
Anne 5
Beatrice 5
Ethel 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 183
William 163
James 92
Joseph 73
Thomas 66
Arthur 48
George 46
Henry 38
Fred 34
Samuel 32
Albert 31
Harry 30
Walter 28
Charles 27
Alfred 26
Herbert 24
Edward 20
Frank 20
Jonas 20
Edwin 18
Richard 17
Robert 16
Benjamin 14
Ernest 14
Tom 14
Willie 14
Eli 13
Sam 13
Frederick 12
Isaac 12
Joshua 12
David 10
Wm. 10
Amos 9
Nathan 9
Francis 8
Smith 8
Abraham 7
Edmund 7
Joe 7
Jonathan 7
Mark 6
Matthew 6
Abel 5
Jonathon 5
Peter 5
Squire 5
Jeremiah 4
Oliver 4
Percy 4

FAQ

Jowett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jowett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,260 people were recorded with the Jowett surname. That placed it at #1,386 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jowett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,604 in 2016. That gives Jowett a modern rank of #2,554.

What does the Jowett surname mean?

A surname referring to someone living near a yew tree or grove.

What does the Jowett map show?

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