NameCensus.

UK surname

Linton

Derived from a place name meaning "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,492 people recorded with the Linton surname, ranking it #1,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,744, ranked #1,814, down from #1,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Selkirk and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Busby, Herefordshire and Dalkeith.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Linton is 3,789 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.2%.

1881 census count

2,492

Ranked #1,791

Modern count

3,744

2016, ranked #1,814

Peak year

2010

3,789 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Linton had 2,492 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,744 in 2016, ranked #1,814.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,949 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Linton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Linton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Linton 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 1,638 #1,754
1861 historical 1,704 #1,681
1881 historical 2,492 #1,791
1891 historical 2,590 #1,835
1901 historical 2,949 #1,900
1911 historical 1,976 #2,510
1997 modern 3,443 #1,882
1998 modern 3,609 #1,876
1999 modern 3,605 #1,888
2000 modern 3,596 #1,889
2001 modern 3,489 #1,897
2002 modern 3,562 #1,904
2003 modern 3,500 #1,888
2004 modern 3,508 #1,888
2005 modern 3,484 #1,871
2006 modern 3,549 #1,843
2007 modern 3,611 #1,825
2008 modern 3,647 #1,818
2009 modern 3,725 #1,822
2010 modern 3,789 #1,839
2011 modern 3,713 #1,851
2012 modern 3,662 #1,839
2013 modern 3,763 #1,821
2014 modern 3,786 #1,823
2015 modern 3,755 #1,814
2016 modern 3,744 #1,814

Geography

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Where Lintons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Selkirk, Edinburgh and Aberdeen and Old Machar. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Busby, Herefordshire, Dalkeith, Thornybank and Falkirk - Middlefield. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Selkirk Selkirk
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Busby East Renfrewshire
2 Herefordshire 004 Herefordshire, County of
3 Dalkeith Midlothian
4 Thornybank Midlothian
5 Falkirk - Middlefield Falkirk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Linton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Linton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Linton, 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 Linton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Linton 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Linton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Linton is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Linton

The surname LINTON is of English origin, derived from various place names in England. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 12th century, likely stemming from the Old English words "lind" meaning "lime tree" and "tun" meaning "settlement" or "town".

The name LINTON was initially associated with several villages and towns across England, including Linton in Cambridgeshire, Linton in Derbyshire, Linton in Herefordshire, and Linton in Yorkshire. These place names were recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating the existence of these settlements during the Norman conquest of England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname LINTON was Walter de Linton, who lived in the 13th century and was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1203. Another notable figure was John de Linton, a 14th-century English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Northumberland from 1331 to 1337.

In the 16th century, Elizabeth Linton (1557-1644) was a prominent figure in the English Reformation, known for her support of Protestant ideals and her alliance with Puritan leaders. Sir Thomas Linton (1555-1628) was an English nobleman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire during the reign of King James I.

During the 17th century, William Linton (1617-1664) was an English engraver and print publisher who played a significant role in the development of mezzotint printing techniques. In the 18th century, Eliza Lynn Linton (1822-1898) was a renowned English novelist, essayist, and journalist, known for her works exploring social issues and women's rights.

Other notable individuals with the surname LINTON include Sir William Linton (1801-1880), a British civil engineer and pioneer in the construction of railways, and Ralph Linton (1893-1953), an American anthropologist and educator who made significant contributions to the field of cultural anthropology.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Linton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Linton 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 308 Lintons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.30x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 308 1.30x
Middlesex 231 0.96x
Midlothian 207 6.44x
Lancashire 155 0.54x
Lanarkshire 135 1.74x
Durham 134 1.88x
Cumberland 113 5.47x
Selkirkshire 91 41.92x
Surrey 83 0.71x
Worcestershire 70 2.23x
Lincolnshire 68 1.77x
Ayrshire 53 2.95x
Fife 50 3.52x
Gloucestershire 49 1.04x
Northumberland 44 1.23x
Somerset 43 1.11x
Dumfriesshire 35 6.60x
Hampshire 35 0.71x
Cambridgeshire 33 2.17x
Peeblesshire 31 27.47x
Warwickshire 31 0.51x
Renfrewshire 30 1.61x
Angus 29 1.30x
Roxburghshire 29 6.67x
Cheshire 25 0.47x
Kent 24 0.29x
Essex 23 0.49x
Sussex 23 0.57x
Aberdeenshire 22 0.99x
Nottinghamshire 18 0.56x
Staffordshire 16 0.20x
Glamorgan 14 0.34x
Monmouthshire 14 0.81x
Devon 13 0.26x
Hertfordshire 13 0.79x
West Lothian 13 3.60x
Derbyshire 12 0.32x
Dunbartonshire 12 1.86x
Huntingdonshire 12 2.52x
Suffolk 12 0.41x
Westmorland 11 2.09x
Wiltshire 11 0.52x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.55x
East Lothian 8 2.52x
Wigtownshire 8 2.51x
Inverness-shire 7 0.98x
Norfolk 7 0.19x
Leicestershire 6 0.23x
Argyllshire 5 0.75x
Berkshire 4 0.22x
Kincardineshire 4 1.37x
Royal Navy 4 1.40x
Buteshire 3 2.06x
Cornwall 3 0.11x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 0.86x
Northamptonshire 3 0.13x
Banffshire 2 0.40x
Shropshire 2 0.10x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Dorset 1 0.06x
Flintshire 1 0.16x
Herefordshire 1 0.10x
Nairnshire 1 1.37x
Ross-shire 1 0.15x
Stirlingshire 1 0.11x
Sutherland 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Leith in Midlothian leads with 66 Lintons recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.36x.

Place Total Index
North Leith 66 44.36x
Selkirk 65 106.28x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 61 4.72x
Govan 36 1.88x
Barony 33 1.68x
Liverpool 31 1.79x
Bethnal Green London 30 2.88x
Brightside Bierlow 28 6.00x
Caldewgate 25 22.08x
Islington London 24 1.03x
Lambeth 23 1.10x
Markinch 23 47.69x
Penicuik 19 43.50x
Rotherham 19 14.17x
Barrow In Furness 18 4.65x
Bishopwearmouth 18 2.94x
Hawick 18 18.50x
Seaton 16 66.39x
Aston 15 0.90x
Bradford 15 2.61x
Dundee 15 1.81x
St Luke London 15 3.90x
Huddersfield 14 4.04x
Kensington London 14 1.05x
Rickergate 14 32.02x
Galashiels 13 16.20x
Kilmarnock 13 6.08x
Livingstone 13 105.43x
Shoreditch London 13 1.25x
South Leith 13 3.59x
St George Hanover Square 13 3.07x
Ulverston 13 15.67x
Worcester St Peter 13 21.92x
Worplesdon 13 92.20x
Aberdeen Old Machar 12 2.59x
Bristol St James St Paul 12 7.65x
Byker 12 6.80x
Ecclesall Bierlow 12 2.48x
Hampstead London 12 3.21x
St George In East London 12 5.32x
St Mary Extra 12 30.32x
Stockton On Tees 12 3.49x
West Ham 12 1.15x
Beith 11 20.53x
Bury 11 3.38x
Dalkeith 11 17.34x
Hunslet 11 2.97x
St Marylebone London 11 0.86x
St Pancras London 11 0.57x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 11 20.38x
Walton On Hill 11 7.13x
Yarrow 11 208.73x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 10 2.40x
Burton Upon Trent 10 5.28x
Camberwell 10 0.65x
Clare 10 71.43x
Crook Billy Row 10 10.94x
Croydon 10 1.54x
Hempstead 10 173.61x
Heworth 10 7.11x
Kimberworth 10 7.58x
Manor 10 438.60x
Norton 10 38.11x
Ugglebarnby 10 312.50x
Walcot 10 4.86x
Walston 10 358.42x
Abram 9 41.19x
Billingham 9 73.23x
Brighton 9 1.10x
Christchurch 9 16.77x
Corsham 9 29.06x
Cupar 9 14.57x
Eastwood 9 7.86x
Oakington 9 200.89x
Southampton St Mary 9 2.91x
Southcoates 9 6.82x
Southwark Christchurch 9 8.00x
Stanwix 9 53.83x
Weston Super Mare 9 9.23x
Workington 9 7.61x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 122
William 95
George 62
James 52
Thomas 49
Henry 34
Charles 32
Robert 31
Joseph 27
Alfred 17
Richard 17
Frederick 16
Arthur 14
Samuel 14
Edward 13
Walter 12
Francis 10
Wm. 9
Albert 8
David 8
Harry 8
Fred 7
Alexander 5
Isaac 5
Thos. 5
Tom 5
Chas. 4
Edmund 4
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Matthew 4
Peter 4
Saml. 4
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Jno. 3
Percy 3
Robt. 3
Stephen 3
Willm. 3
Andrew 2
Daniel 2
Eli 2
Fred. 2
Hercules 2
Hewett 2
Leonard 2
Philip 2
Ralph 2
Sam 2

FAQ

Linton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Linton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,492 people were recorded with the Linton surname. That placed it at #1,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Linton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,744 in 2016. That gives Linton a modern rank of #1,814.

What does the Linton surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "flax town" or "linden tree town" in Old English.

What does the Linton map show?

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