NameCensus.

UK surname

Lovatt

A locational surname originating from a place called Lovat in France.

In the 1881 census there were 2,074 people recorded with the Lovatt surname, ranking it #2,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,472, ranked #1,952, up from #2,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Leek and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lovatt is 3,626 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 67.4%.

1881 census count

2,074

Ranked #2,126

Modern count

3,472

2016, ranked #1,952

Peak year

2000

3,626 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lovatt had 2,074 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,472 in 2016, ranked #1,952.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,112 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lovatt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lovatt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lovatt 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 1,229 #2,321
1861 historical 1,140 #2,465
1881 historical 2,074 #2,126
1891 historical 2,174 #2,148
1901 historical 2,781 #2,002
1911 historical 3,112 #1,674
1997 modern 2,627 #2,423
1998 modern 3,545 #1,902
1999 modern 3,547 #1,917
2000 modern 3,626 #1,873
2001 modern 3,481 #1,903
2002 modern 3,535 #1,920
2003 modern 3,471 #1,909
2004 modern 3,503 #1,893
2005 modern 3,440 #1,894
2006 modern 3,353 #1,944
2007 modern 3,399 #1,935
2008 modern 3,372 #1,977
2009 modern 3,448 #1,978
2010 modern 3,497 #1,988
2011 modern 3,535 #1,944
2012 modern 3,458 #1,950
2013 modern 3,514 #1,957
2014 modern 3,556 #1,943
2015 modern 3,512 #1,945
2016 modern 3,472 #1,952

Geography

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Where Lovatts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Leek, Burslem, Newcastle-under Lyne and Cheadle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Leek Staffordshire
3 Burslem Staffordshire
4 Newcastle-under Lyne Staffordshire
5 Cheadle Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 002 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Stoke-on-Trent 031 Stoke-on-Trent
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 001 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 008 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lovatt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lovatt

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

Lovatt is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Lovatt

The surname Lovatt originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place called Lovet or Lovat, though the exact location of this place is uncertain. The name may have its roots in the Old English words "lufu" meaning love and "hatu" meaning hat or hood, suggesting it could have been an occupational name for a maker or seller of hoods.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mention a William de Lovet in Oxfordshire. The Lovatt spelling appears to have emerged in the 16th century, as evidenced by a record of a John Lovatt in the parish registers of Wybunbury, Cheshire, in 1544.

In the 13th century, a Walter de Lovet was a prominent landowner in Berkshire and was mentioned in several charters and records from that time. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Lovat, who fought alongside William Wallace in the Scottish Wars of Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Colonel Edward Lovatt was a Royalist officer who fought for King Charles I. He was killed in battle at the siege of Hawarden Castle in 1645.

In the 18th century, Robert Lovatt (1722-1804) was an English clockmaker and inventor from Staffordshire. He is known for his work on developing the first successful self-winding or perpetual motion clock.

In the 19th century, Joseph Lovatt (1833-1900) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. He was born in Denby, Derbyshire and had a successful career as a right-arm roundarm bowler.

While the name Lovatt is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a long and well-documented history spanning several centuries, with bearers of the name playing various roles in military, industry, and sports.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lovatt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lovatt 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 1,175 Lovatts recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.18x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 1,175 17.18x
Cheshire 190 4.25x
Lancashire 190 0.79x
Shropshire 87 4.97x
Middlesex 79 0.39x
Derbyshire 50 1.58x
Yorkshire 48 0.24x
Norfolk 32 1.03x
Warwickshire 31 0.61x
Flintshire 22 4.04x
Hampshire 17 0.41x
Surrey 16 0.16x
Glamorgan 14 0.40x
Lanarkshire 14 0.21x
Brecknockshire 13 3.21x
Durham 13 0.22x
Worcestershire 12 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.40x
Northamptonshire 10 0.52x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.85x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.41x
Denbighshire 5 0.65x
Gloucestershire 5 0.13x
Monmouthshire 5 0.34x
Rutland 4 2.69x
Aberdeenshire 3 0.16x
Northumberland 3 0.10x
Oxfordshire 3 0.24x
Hertfordshire 2 0.14x
Kent 2 0.03x
Leicestershire 2 0.09x
Midlothian 2 0.07x
Devon 1 0.02x
Essex 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.22x
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 278 Lovatts recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.33x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 278 38.33x
Wolstanton 97 46.70x
Burslem 82 41.86x
Leek Lowe 78 85.72x
Newcastle Under Lyme 54 44.62x
Cheadle 47 143.07x
Wolstanton Chesterton 47 134.48x
Macclesfield 34 17.10x
Biddulph 30 77.74x
Burton Upon Trent 25 15.62x
Tipton 24 11.46x
Audley 23 33.99x
Drayton In Hales 23 63.75x
Hackney London 20 1.76x
Toxteth Park 20 2.46x
Willaston In Nantwich 20 144.93x
Wolverhampton 20 3.80x
Hawarden Saltney 19 249.34x
Bilston 17 12.83x
Edgmond 17 88.22x
Caverswall 16 45.01x
Horninglow 16 49.67x
Uttoxeter 16 45.70x
Wednesfield 16 15.90x
Wellington 16 16.26x
Wolstanton Knutton 16 38.31x
Salford 15 2.12x
Wolstanton Thursfield 15 180.72x
Leigh 14 308.37x
Liverpool 14 0.96x
Mexborough 14 35.13x
Monks Coppenhall 14 8.30x
St Pancras London 14 0.86x
Sutton In Macclesfield 14 30.17x
Checkley 13 73.20x
Hay 13 86.38x
Horton 13 155.32x
Stone 13 14.86x
Tarporley 13 138.89x
Titteworth 13 123.93x
Aston 12 0.85x
Dilhorne 12 105.45x
Islington London 12 0.61x
Morley St Botolph 12 612.24x
Birmingham 11 0.65x
Duffield 11 44.00x
Alfreton 10 10.38x
Barony 10 0.60x
Cheddleton 10 69.88x
Chester Le Street 10 21.60x
Derby St Werburgh 10 5.46x
Sedgley 10 3.94x
Worleston 10 427.35x
Audley Talk O Th Hill 9 73.05x
Castle Church 9 21.89x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 2.36x
Nantwich 9 17.32x
Rugeley 9 18.34x
Tonge 9 17.84x
Walsall Borough 9 16.95x
Ardsley 8 34.57x
Ashborne 8 37.09x
Bradwall 8 173.54x
Cannock 8 6.70x
Darlaston 8 8.46x
Forton 8 213.33x
Hingham 8 74.21x
Portsea 8 0.98x
Radcliffe 8 6.90x
Roath 8 4.99x
Stafford St Mary 8 8.26x
Alsager 7 62.89x
Bangor 7 8.86x
Bushbury 7 57.00x
Congleton 7 9.06x
Leigh Field 7 357.14x
Tonge With Haulgh 7 14.96x
Trentham 7 12.03x
Wardleworth 7 5.10x
Yardley 7 10.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 160
Sarah 93
Elizabeth 67
Emma 47
Ann 46
Hannah 45
Eliza 35
Annie 34
Jane 34
Ellen 28
Alice 25
Harriet 24
Margaret 20
Fanny 16
Emily 15
Martha 15
Harriett 14
Charlotte 12
Louisa 12
Lucy 11
Edith 9
Florence 9
Frances 9
Ada 8
Maria 8
Agnes 6
Caroline 6
Gertrude 6
Lydia 6
Anne 5
Bertha 5
Clara 5
Esther 5
Laura 5
May 5
Minnie 5
Rose 5
Selina 5
Susannah 5
Catherine 4
Ethel 4
Henrietta 4
Julia 4
Kate 4
Lizzie 4
Matilda 4
Olive 4
Amelia 3
Elizth. 3
Prudence 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 142
John 128
Thomas 72
George 71
Joseph 70
James 59
Henry 42
Samuel 41
Charles 24
Frederick 21
Richard 19
Arthur 17
Edward 17
Harry 17
Albert 14
Alfred 11
Daniel 10
Thos. 10
Walter 10
David 9
Edwin 9
Ernest 8
Herbert 7
Robert 7
Benjamin 6
Enoch 6
Frank 6
Isaac 6
Michael 6
Wm. 6
Fred 5
Clement 4
Elijah 4
Fredrick 4
Geo. 4
Peter 4
Ralph 4
Francis 3
Fredk. 3
Jesse 3
Roland 3
Christopher 2
Cornelius 2
Ephraim 2
Isiah 2
Joshua 2
Josiah 2
Matthew 2
Nathaniel 2
Percival 2

FAQ

Lovatt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lovatt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,074 people were recorded with the Lovatt surname. That placed it at #2,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lovatt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,472 in 2016. That gives Lovatt a modern rank of #1,952.

What does the Lovatt surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place called Lovat in France.

What does the Lovatt map show?

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