NameCensus.

UK surname

Kerton

An English habitational surname derived from places called Kerton in Somerset and Nottinghamshire.

In the 1881 census there were 244 people recorded with the Kerton surname, ranking it #11,258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 482, ranked #10,255, up from #11,258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe, London parishes and Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Norwich and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kerton is 559 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 97.5%.

1881 census count

244

Ranked #11,258

Modern count

482

2016, ranked #10,255

Peak year

1999

559 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kerton had 244 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 482 in 2016, ranked #10,255.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 435 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kerton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kerton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kerton 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 260 #8,512
1861 historical 338 #7,541
1881 historical 244 #11,258
1891 historical 351 #9,809
1901 historical 426 #9,067
1911 historical 435 #8,724
1997 modern 538 #8,815
1998 modern 554 #8,876
1999 modern 559 #8,872
2000 modern 517 #9,384
2001 modern 508 #9,344
2002 modern 511 #9,484
2003 modern 480 #9,782
2004 modern 494 #9,589
2005 modern 481 #9,702
2006 modern 494 #9,569
2007 modern 508 #9,455
2008 modern 506 #9,548
2009 modern 509 #9,712
2010 modern 516 #9,808
2011 modern 510 #9,805
2012 modern 493 #9,975
2013 modern 473 #10,436
2014 modern 486 #10,309
2015 modern 482 #10,281
2016 modern 482 #10,255

Geography

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Where Kertons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe, London parishes, Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton, Wells St Cuthbert In and Out and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Norwich, Blaenau Gwent and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Pilton, North Wootton, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe Somerset
2 London parishes London 3
3 Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Chilcompton Somerset
4 Wells St Cuthbert In and Out Somerset
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 017 Herefordshire, County of
2 Norwich 010 Norwich
3 Herefordshire 021 Herefordshire, County of
4 Blaenau Gwent 001 Blaenau Gwent
5 Bath and North East Somerset 027 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kerton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kerton

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Kerton is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Kerton is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Kerton

The surname Kerton has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "certa" and "tun," which together translate to "settlement on the ridge." This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a ridge or elevated area where a settlement was established.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1195, where a Robert de Kertone is mentioned. This document provides evidence that the name was already in use during the late 12th century in the region of Oxfordshire.

The Kerton surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and their holdings commissioned by King Edward I. This record includes entries for individuals with the surname Kerton residing in various counties across England, such as Wiltshire and Somerset.

In the 14th century, the name can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Robert Kerton is mentioned in 1348. This suggests that the name had spread across different parts of England by this time.

Notable individuals with the surname Kerton throughout history include Sir John Kerton (1520-1589), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was William Kerton (1670-1743), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Bristol, who made significant contributions to the city's development.

Other examples of the surname include Robert Kerton (1753-1827), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, and Mary Kerton (1822-1899), a renowned English novelist and playwright known for her works exploring social issues of the time.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Kerton also appeared in various parish records and tax rolls across counties like Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset, indicating its continued presence in these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kerton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kerton 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. Somerset leads with 92 Kertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.01x.

County Total Index
Somerset 92 24.01x
Yorkshire 23 0.98x
Middlesex 21 0.88x
Devon 12 2.42x
Northumberland 12 3.39x
Surrey 11 0.95x
Banffshire 7 14.18x
Nottinghamshire 7 2.18x
Wiltshire 7 3.33x
Durham 6 0.85x
Gloucestershire 5 1.07x
Kent 5 0.62x
Sussex 5 1.25x
Worcestershire 5 1.61x
Derbyshire 4 1.07x
Glamorgan 4 0.97x
Hampshire 4 0.82x
Lancashire 4 0.14x
Berkshire 3 1.68x
Monmouthshire 3 1.74x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.91x
Lincolnshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tavistock in Devon leads with 12 Kertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 212.77x.

Place Total Index
Tavistock 12 212.77x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 9 291.26x
Winscombe 9 873.79x
Berrow 8 2222.22x
Leeds 8 6.01x
Midsomer Norton 8 221.61x
Shepton Mallet 8 186.05x
Banwell 7 500.00x
Bedminster 7 19.44x
Bleadon 7 1400.00x
Gamrie 7 127.04x
Newcastle On Tyne St 7 38.13x
Nottingham St Mary 7 8.44x
Ryhope 6 121.95x
St Marylebone London 6 4.72x
Doulting 5 1020.41x
Hackney London 5 3.75x
Halesowen 5 183.15x
Harton 5 4545.45x
Hexham 5 91.24x
Lambeth 5 2.41x
Rumbolds Wyke 5 675.68x
Southwark Christchurch 5 44.84x
St Pancras London 5 2.61x
Stone Easton 5 1724.14x
Trowbridge 5 53.76x
Weston 5 169.49x
Blackburn 4 5.32x
Breane 4 3333.33x
Deptford St Paul 4 6.39x
Langthorne 4 4000.00x
Shirland 4 143.37x
Aberdare 3 10.54x
Bedwellty 3 9.87x
Southampton St Mary 3 9.78x
Westminster St James 3 12.26x
Chilcompton 2 384.62x
Christon 2 4000.00x
Clifton 2 8.47x
East Brent 2 344.83x
Kirkby Malzeard 2 384.62x
Pilton 2 219.78x
Reading St Giles 2 11.41x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 2.17x
Bradford On Avon 1 14.84x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 6.43x
Bristol St Stephen 1 82.64x
Calne 1 23.09x
Cholsey 1 70.92x
East Cranmore 1 909.09x
Fintray 1 119.05x
Great Grimsby 1 4.14x
Hunslet 1 2.72x
Islington London 1 0.43x
Knaresborough 1 27.03x
Limehouse London 1 3.83x
Llantrisant 1 9.57x
Manningham 1 3.44x
Margate St John Baptist 1 6.72x
Northallerton 1 33.22x
Penge 1 6.58x
Southampton All Sts 1 11.95x
Stoke Lane 1 181.82x
Westbury On Trym 1 6.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 8
Sarah 7
Ann 5
Alice 4
Eliza 4
Harriet 4
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Jane 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Edith 2
Emma 2
Hester 2
Joanna 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Rose 2
Adeline 1
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Bartra 1
Betsey 1
Caroline 1
Elsie 1
Eunice 1
Evelyn 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Gwenllia 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Katherine 1
Lavinia 1
Lily 1
Loveday 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Phoebe 1
Rosa 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 17
William 17
John 11
Thomas 10
Henry 7
Robert 6
James 5
Richard 5
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Walter 4
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Frank 3
Wm. 3
David 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Alic 1
Brian 1
Cherry 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Louis 1
Rhoda 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Seward 1
Sydney 1
Wilfred 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Kerton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kerton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 244 people were recorded with the Kerton surname. That placed it at #11,258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kerton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 482 in 2016. That gives Kerton a modern rank of #10,255.

What does the Kerton surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from places called Kerton in Somerset and Nottinghamshire.

What does the Kerton map show?

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