NameCensus.

UK surname

Kelton

From an English place name meaning "town on the River Kell," or possibly derived from an Old English word meaning "kilntown."

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Kelton surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 134, ranked #25,636, down from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Carlisle St Cuthbert, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carlisle and Powys.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kelton is 184 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.7%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

134

2016, ranked #25,636

Peak year

1891

184 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kelton had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016, ranked #25,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 184 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Kelton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kelton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Kelton 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 131 #17,052
1881 historical 101 #19,636
1891 historical 184 #15,869
1901 historical 152 #17,916
1911 historical 87 #24,147
1997 modern 89 #28,490
1998 modern 95 #28,303
1999 modern 97 #28,187
2000 modern 93 #28,701
2001 modern 95 #28,101
2002 modern 98 #28,243
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 105 #27,203
2006 modern 110 #26,717
2007 modern 111 #26,954
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 122 #26,220
2010 modern 127 #26,176
2011 modern 128 #25,793
2012 modern 128 #25,852
2013 modern 127 #26,452
2014 modern 138 #25,218
2015 modern 138 #25,103
2016 modern 134 #25,636

Geography

Back to top

Where Keltons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Carlisle St Cuthbert, Govan Combination, London parishes, St Werburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carlisle and Powys. 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 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carlisle 009 Carlisle
2 Carlisle 010 Carlisle
3 Carlisle 011 Carlisle
4 Powys 002 Powys
5 Carlisle 012 Carlisle

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Kelton

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Kelton

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Kelton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Kelton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Kelton is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kelton 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

Kelton 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 Kelton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Kelton

The surname Kelton originated in Scotland, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "cald" and "tun," which together mean "cold farm" or "cold settlement." This likely referred to the location of a dwelling in a particularly cold or exposed area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Kelton can be found in the Scottish Borders region, where several towns and villages bear this name or variations of it, such as Kelton Hill and Keltonhill. The name is also closely associated with the ancient parish of Kelton, located in what is now Dumfries and Galloway.

In the 13th century, a charter issued by King Alexander II of Scotland mentions a "William de Keltone," indicating the presence of the Kelton surname in the region during that time. This early reference suggests that the name had already been established as a distinct family name by the 13th century.

One notable bearer of the Kelton name was Sir John Kelton, a Scottish knight who served under King Robert the Bruce in the early 14th century. Sir John was present at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where the Scots achieved a decisive victory over the English.

Another historically significant figure was William Kelton, a 16th-century Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Argyll and the Isles from 1560 to 1568. He played a role in the Scottish Reformation and the establishment of Protestantism in Scotland.

In the 17th century, the Kelton surname can be found in various records and documents, including the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland. One entry from 1628 mentions a "John Keltoun," who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.

The 18th century saw the rise of a prominent Kelton family in the Scottish Borders region. James Kelton, born in 1726, was a successful merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to play influential roles in the local community for generations.

As the surname spread beyond its Scottish origins, it also appeared in other parts of the British Isles and, later, in North America and other parts of the world. Some notable bearers of the Kelton name include John Kelton, an English actor and playwright in the 19th century, and Elmer Kelton, an American novelist and historian known for his Western fiction, born in 1926.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Kelton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kelton 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. Lanarkshire leads with 33 Keltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.36x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 33 10.36x
Cumberland 13 15.33x
Middlesex 10 1.02x
Norfolk 10 6.60x
Durham 9 3.07x
Nottinghamshire 9 6.78x
Warwickshire 4 1.61x
Wigtownshire 4 30.58x
Derbyshire 2 1.30x
Lancashire 2 0.17x
Yorkshire 2 0.20x
Devon 1 0.49x
Dumfriesshire 1 4.60x
Kent 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 21 Keltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.65x.

Place Total Index
Govan 21 26.65x
Darlington 9 79.51x
Tilney All Sts 9 4736.84x
Glasgow 8 14.14x
St George In East 8 119.40x
St Cuthbert Within 6 612.24x
Caldewgate 5 107.53x
East Retford 5 434.78x
Atherstone 4 314.96x
Barony 4 4.96x
Kirkmaiden 4 481.93x
Dunham 3 3333.33x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 10.77x
Eckington 2 53.33x
Above Derwent 1 322.58x
Adisham 1 666.67x
Clerkenwell London 1 4.30x
Dalton 1 500.00x
Kingstone On Soar 1 1428.57x
Papcastle 1 416.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 6.33x
Roughton 1 666.67x
St Andrew Holborn 1 29.94x
Swinton In Rotherham 1 38.76x
Thornaby 1 27.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 4
Fanny 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Jessie 2
Ada 1
Alfred 1
Beatrice 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Johannah 1
Margertt 1
Margret 1
Marther 1
Polly 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
George 4
John 3
Arthur 2
Thos. 2
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Harry 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Patrick 1
Richards 1
Robert 1
Thomas 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 Kelton households.

FAQ

Kelton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kelton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 101 people were recorded with the Kelton surname. That placed it at #19,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kelton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016. That gives Kelton a modern rank of #25,636.

What does the Kelton surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "town on the River Kell," or possibly derived from an Old English word meaning "kilntown."

What does the Kelton map show?

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