NameCensus.

UK surname

Lockett

Derived from a place name meaning "enclosure with a lockable gate" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,178 people recorded with the Lockett surname, ranking it #2,038 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,602, ranked #1,884, up from #2,038 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Stockport and Wolstanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stoke-on-Trent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lockett is 3,814 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.4%.

1881 census count

2,178

Ranked #2,038

Modern count

3,602

2016, ranked #1,884

Peak year

1999

3,814 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lockett had 2,178 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,038 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,602 in 2016, ranked #1,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,348 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Lockett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lockett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lockett 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 1,445 #1,992
1861 historical 1,361 #2,107
1881 historical 2,178 #2,038
1891 historical 2,404 #1,959
1901 historical 2,963 #1,889
1911 historical 3,348 #1,560
1997 modern 3,153 #2,039
1998 modern 3,786 #1,779
1999 modern 3,814 #1,780
2000 modern 3,808 #1,777
2001 modern 3,713 #1,780
2002 modern 3,809 #1,782
2003 modern 3,767 #1,766
2004 modern 3,747 #1,767
2005 modern 3,613 #1,808
2006 modern 3,623 #1,799
2007 modern 3,624 #1,814
2008 modern 3,630 #1,822
2009 modern 3,693 #1,838
2010 modern 3,751 #1,855
2011 modern 3,710 #1,853
2012 modern 3,613 #1,861
2013 modern 3,646 #1,882
2014 modern 3,660 #1,883
2015 modern 3,618 #1,884
2016 modern 3,602 #1,884

Geography

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Where Locketts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Stockport, Wolstanton, Leek and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Wolstanton Staffordshire
4 Leek Staffordshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stoke-on-Trent 031 Stoke-on-Trent
2 Stoke-on-Trent 028 Stoke-on-Trent
3 Stoke-on-Trent 022 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Stoke-on-Trent 027 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Stoke-on-Trent 025 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lockett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lockett

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Lockett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Lockett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Lockett is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Lockett 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

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

Meaning and origin of Lockett

The surname Lockett is of English origin, derived from the occupational name for a locksmith or maker of locks. It dates back to the late 12th century and is derived from the Old English words "loc" meaning lock, and "kett" meaning maker or worker.

The name is first recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1182, where a William Lockett is mentioned. This is one of the earliest known references to the name in historical records. The name is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, listed under various spellings such as Lochet and Lochett.

In the 13th century, the name is recorded in various forms, including Loket, Lokette, and Lokette. These variations likely reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time. The name Lockett appears to have been most prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire, where locksmiths and metalworkers were in demand.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Lockett (c.1520-1592), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London. He was a prominent figure in the Elizabethan era and played a role in the establishment of the Levant Company, which traded with the Ottoman Empire.

Another significant figure was Reverend Samuel Lockett (1610-1655), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Christian Souldier" and "A Treatise of Conversion".

In the 18th century, the name Lockett was associated with the industrial revolution and the growth of metalworking and engineering in England. William Lockett (1745-1818) was a renowned engineer and inventor, known for his improvements to the spinning jenny and other textile machinery.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Lockett (1725-1790), who emigrated from England to Virginia in the mid-18th century. His descendants played a significant role in the early history of the American South.

Throughout its history, the surname Lockett has been associated with various occupations and professions, particularly those related to metalworking, engineering, and manufacturing. It is a name with a rich heritage and a strong connection to the skilled trades that shaped the industrial development of England and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lockett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lockett 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. Staffordshire leads with 735 Locketts recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.26x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 735 10.26x
Lancashire 417 1.66x
Cheshire 347 7.41x
Middlesex 123 0.58x
Surrey 63 0.61x
Shropshire 45 2.46x
Cornwall 42 1.75x
Norfolk 42 1.29x
Yorkshire 42 0.20x
Derbyshire 41 1.23x
Warwickshire 37 0.69x
Dorset 27 1.94x
Essex 26 0.62x
Suffolk 21 0.81x
Gloucestershire 17 0.41x
Somerset 17 0.50x
Durham 16 0.25x
Worcestershire 13 0.47x
Kent 12 0.17x
Cumberland 9 0.49x
Glamorgan 8 0.22x
Herefordshire 8 0.92x
Isle of Man 8 2.03x
Northamptonshire 8 0.40x
Pembrokeshire 8 1.19x
Wiltshire 6 0.32x
Hampshire 5 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.17x
Argyllshire 4 0.68x
Leicestershire 4 0.17x
Wigtownshire 3 1.06x
Devon 2 0.05x
Hertfordshire 2 0.14x
Midlothian 2 0.07x
Northumberland 2 0.06x
Oxfordshire 2 0.15x
Royal Navy 2 0.79x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Brecknockshire 1 0.24x
Sussex 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 256 Locketts recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.71x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 256 33.71x
Macclesfield 72 34.59x
Leek Lowe 55 57.72x
Cheslyn Hay 49 374.90x
Audley 42 59.27x
Stone 33 36.03x
Wolstanton Chesterton 33 90.16x
Salford 30 4.05x
Caverswall 29 77.89x
Nantwich 29 53.29x
Madeley 28 156.86x
Cheadle 25 27.95x
Hulme 25 4.76x
Newton 25 12.88x
Aston 24 1.63x
Chorlton On Medlock 22 5.50x
Monks Coppenhall 22 12.45x
Stockport 21 8.71x
Trentham 21 34.48x
Wolstanton 21 9.65x
Burslem 18 8.77x
Newington 18 2.30x
Gorleston 17 25.89x
Habergham Eaves 16 6.95x
Lydiate 16 204.08x
Cannock 15 12.00x
Hackney London 15 1.26x
Horning 15 474.68x
Newcastle Under Lyme 15 11.84x
Pendleton In Salford 15 5.00x
Perranzabuloe 15 72.39x
Toxteth Park 15 1.76x
Wolstanton Knutton 15 34.30x
Bethnal Green London 14 1.52x
Congleton 14 17.30x
Eccleshall 14 51.57x
Shoreditch London 14 1.52x
Willaston In Nantwich 14 96.89x
Haughton 13 35.39x
Islington London 13 0.63x
Normanton 13 20.58x
Warrington 13 4.36x
Buxton 12 42.69x
Manchester 12 1.06x
Oldham 12 1.48x
Wellington 12 11.65x
Widnes 12 6.61x
Withington 12 14.80x
Lambeth 11 0.59x
Liverpool 11 0.72x
Drayton In Hales 10 26.46x
Dukinfield 10 4.62x
Gateshead 10 2.12x
Helsby 10 169.49x
Stoke Upon Tern 10 147.93x
Ardwick 9 3.96x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 1.64x
Garston 9 12.11x
Hendon 9 11.79x
North Barrow 9 1046.51x
Norton 9 32.88x
Walsall Foreign 9 2.43x
West Derby 9 1.22x
Willesden 9 4.50x
Wybunbury 9 208.33x
Biddulph 8 19.80x
Cheddleton 8 53.37x
Clifton 8 3.80x
Hale 8 49.54x
Holmer 8 51.05x
Maughold 8 26.32x
Moss Side 8 6.04x
St Anne Soho London 8 6.60x
Sutton 8 10.70x
Sutton In Macclesfield 8 16.46x
Swansea Town 8 2.64x
Tipton 8 3.65x
Walgherton 8 661.16x
Wednesbury 8 4.47x
Whistones 8 39.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 146
John 143
Thomas 94
George 68
James 65
Joseph 48
Henry 41
Charles 34
Samuel 27
Arthur 26
Edward 26
Albert 24
Richard 23
Alfred 19
Robert 13
Walter 12
Wm. 10
Geo. 9
Harry 9
Daniel 7
Herbert 7
Edwin 6
Enoch 6
Frederick 6
Isaac 6
Willm. 6
David 5
Frank 5
Fred 5
Fredk. 5
Moses 5
Thos. 5
Francis 4
Job 4
Enock 3
Frederic 3
Fredrick 3
Levi 3
Philip 3
Stephen 3
Aaron 2
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Fred. 2
Joshua 2
Lewis 2
Mark 2
Nehemiah 2
Percy 2
Peter 2

FAQ

Lockett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lockett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,178 people were recorded with the Lockett surname. That placed it at #2,038 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lockett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,602 in 2016. That gives Lockett a modern rank of #1,884.

What does the Lockett surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "enclosure with a lockable gate" in Old English.

What does the Lockett map show?

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