NameCensus.

UK surname

Linnett

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a linden tree.

In the 1881 census there were 479 people recorded with the Linnett surname, ranking it #6,993 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 565, ranked #9,091, down from #6,993 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Werburgh and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaby, County Durham and Oadby and Wigston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Linnett is 609 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.0%.

1881 census count

479

Ranked #6,993

Modern count

565

2016, ranked #9,091

Peak year

1901

609 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Linnett had 479 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,993 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 565 in 2016, ranked #9,091.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 609 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Linnett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Linnett surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Linnett 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 315 #7,347
1861 historical 257 #9,629
1881 historical 479 #6,993
1891 historical 505 #7,367
1901 historical 609 #6,988
1911 historical 571 #7,092
1997 modern 518 #9,066
1998 modern 543 #9,010
1999 modern 542 #9,079
2000 modern 562 #8,795
2001 modern 552 #8,780
2002 modern 542 #9,074
2003 modern 554 #8,788
2004 modern 565 #8,697
2005 modern 560 #8,679
2006 modern 540 #8,939
2007 modern 539 #9,025
2008 modern 529 #9,229
2009 modern 540 #9,294
2010 modern 552 #9,338
2011 modern 548 #9,300
2012 modern 541 #9,294
2013 modern 564 #9,139
2014 modern 562 #9,226
2015 modern 559 #9,180
2016 modern 565 #9,091

Geography

Back to top

Where Linnetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Werburgh, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Rushden and Naseby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaby, County Durham, Oadby and Wigston and Leicester. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Werburgh Derbyshire
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Rushden Northamptonshire
5 Naseby Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaby 013 Blaby
2 County Durham 006 County Durham
3 Oadby and Wigston 005 Oadby and Wigston
4 Leicester 034 Leicester
5 Blaby 006 Blaby

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Linnett

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Linnett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Linnett, 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 Linnett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Linnett 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Linnett 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

Linnett is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Linnett falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Linnett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Linnett

The surname Linnett is of English origin, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word 'lin', meaning flax, and the diminutive suffix '-et', suggesting a connection to someone who worked with flax or lived near a flax field.

The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where the flax industry was historically prominent. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, which mentions a Robert Lynett.

Interestingly, the Linnett surname also shares a connection with the small songbird known as the linnet, which was once a common sight in the English countryside. It's possible that the name may have been applied as a nickname to someone who was compared to the bird, perhaps due to their small stature or gentle nature.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct mentions of the Linnett surname. However, it does reference several place names that may have influenced the development of the name, such as Lindrick in Nottinghamshire and Linacre in Lancashire.

In the 16th century, the Linnett surname appears in various parish records and documents, including the baptismal record of John Linnett in 1583 at St. Michael's Church in Burgh-by-Sands, Cumbria. Another notable figure was William Linnett, a yeoman farmer from Lincolnshire who was born in 1612.

Over the centuries, several prominent individuals have borne the Linnett surname. These include Sir William Linnett (1687-1765), a successful merchant and Member of Parliament for Southwark; Robert Linnett (1799-1878), a renowned English portrait painter; and Mary Linnett (1840-1923), a pioneering educator and activist for women's rights.

Other notable Linnetts throughout history include John Linnett (1776-1857), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars; Thomas Linnett (1815-1898), a prominent architect and surveyor responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in Yorkshire; and Adolphus Linnett (1867-1947), a Canadian politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the riding of East Peterborough.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Linnett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Linnett 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. Northamptonshire leads with 131 Linnetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.81x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 131 29.81x
Essex 93 10.08x
Leicestershire 57 11.00x
Warwickshire 54 4.58x
Kent 29 1.82x
Middlesex 28 0.60x
Surrey 21 0.92x
Lancashire 19 0.34x
Derbyshire 10 1.37x
Hampshire 10 1.04x
Ayrshire 6 1.72x
Worcestershire 5 0.82x
Yorkshire 4 0.09x
Bedfordshire 2 0.83x
Devon 2 0.21x
Sussex 2 0.25x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.35x
Durham 1 0.07x
Glamorgan 1 0.12x
Northumberland 1 0.14x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.16x
Oxfordshire 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rushden in Northamptonshire leads with 24 Linnetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 408.16x.

Place Total Index
Rushden 24 408.16x
Leicester St Margaret 19 15.04x
Little Waltham 16 1720.43x
Rothwell 16 362.81x
Little Clacton 15 1530.61x
Strood 12 132.01x
Coventry St Michael 11 29.06x
Hillmorton 11 523.81x
Kettering 11 61.87x
Belgrave 10 85.54x
Higham Ferrers 10 418.41x
Naseby 10 1020.41x
Bradwell 9 569.62x
Portsea 9 4.79x
Lambeth 8 1.96x
Northampton Priory St 8 30.34x
Northampton St Sepulchre 8 35.78x
Springfield 8 198.02x
Balsall 7 380.43x
Charlton 7 66.10x
Clay Coton 7 4375.00x
Derby St Werburgh 7 16.57x
Heybridge 7 261.19x
Islington London 7 1.55x
Kibworth Beauchamp 7 388.89x
Kilsby 7 729.17x
Leicester St Mary 7 16.73x
Liverpool 7 2.08x
Northampton St Peter 7 262.17x
Toxteth Park 7 3.73x
Woodford 7 67.05x
Battersea 6 3.49x
Great Clacton 6 191.08x
Newton On Ayr 6 57.31x
Yelvertoft 6 740.74x
Churchover 5 961.54x
Deptford St Paul 5 4.07x
Northampton All Sts 5 33.53x
Romford 5 34.29x
Blackmore 4 439.56x
Cold Ashby 4 740.74x
Coventry Holy Trinity 4 11.37x
Dagenham 4 72.86x
Kirkdale 4 4.29x
Newington 4 2.32x
Shoreditch London 4 1.97x
Stretton On Dunsmore 4 370.37x
Thurlaston 4 754.72x
Worcester St Helen 4 205.13x
Derby St Peter 3 12.88x
Hunslet 3 4.16x
Kensington London 3 1.15x
Leicester Newarke 3 111.11x
Melton Mowbray 3 32.22x
Rugby 3 18.82x
Rushton 3 379.75x
Ashby De La Zouch 2 16.65x
Aston 2 0.62x
Bethnal Green London 2 0.99x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.81x
Danbury 2 128.21x
Duston 2 50.13x
Hackney London 2 0.76x
Kibworth Harcourt 2 277.78x
Limehouse London 2 3.90x
Lutterworth 2 63.29x
St Paul Covent Garden 2 42.74x
Stoke 2 86.21x
Stoke 2 219.78x
Wandsworth 2 4.45x
Witham 2 42.11x
Blockley 1 28.99x
Boreham 1 62.89x
Chester Le Street 1 9.37x
Dodford 1 294.12x
Hawnes 1 67.11x
Mayfield 1 21.46x
Newtown Linford 1 129.87x
St Botolph Aldersgate 1 18.66x
Woodend 1 270.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Elizabeth 25
Sarah 21
Ann 10
Annie 8
Eliza 8
Alice 7
Charlotte 6
Susan 6
Emma 5
Fanny 5
Florence 5
Jane 5
Maria 5
Catherine 4
Edith 4
Louisa 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Clara 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Esther 3
Jessie 3
Beatrice 2
Frances 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Julia 2
Kezia 2
Letitia 2
Lizzie 2
Maud 2
Rebecca 2
Amy 1
Betsy 1
C. 1
Caroline 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.F. 1
Eva 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Hilda 1
Ida 1
Isabell 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 35
John 32
Thomas 18
George 17
James 14
Charles 9
Joseph 9
Henry 7
Samuel 7
Walter 7
Alfred 6
Edward 6
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Albert 3
Arthur 2
Chas. 2
Ezra 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Laurence 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Abraham 1
Andrew 1
Bertram 1
Chas 1
Cheney 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
Homil 1
Horace 1
Horatio 1
Isaac 1
Lawrence 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
N. 1
Owen 1
Reuben 1
Septimus 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Linnett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Linnett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 479 people were recorded with the Linnett surname. That placed it at #6,993 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Linnett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 565 in 2016. That gives Linnett a modern rank of #9,091.

What does the Linnett surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a linden tree.

What does the Linnett map show?

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