NameCensus.

UK surname

Maplethorpe

A topographic surname derived from a place name meaning "maple tree village" or similar.

In the 1881 census there were 110 people recorded with the Maplethorpe surname, ranking it #18,695 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 284, ranked #15,323, up from #18,695 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Billinghay, Lincoln St Botolph and Kyme. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Kesteven, East Lindsey and Daventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maplethorpe is 305 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 158.2%.

1881 census count

110

Ranked #18,695

Modern count

284

2016, ranked #15,323

Peak year

1998

305 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maplethorpe had 110 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,695 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 284 in 2016, ranked #15,323.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 227 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Maplethorpe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maplethorpe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maplethorpe 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 25 #28,853
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 110 #18,695
1891 historical 154 #18,004
1901 historical 209 #14,712
1911 historical 227 #13,795
1997 modern 288 #13,886
1998 modern 305 #13,753
1999 modern 294 #14,140
2000 modern 289 #14,272
2001 modern 299 #13,758
2002 modern 292 #14,236
2003 modern 289 #14,158
2004 modern 282 #14,451
2005 modern 283 #14,343
2006 modern 268 #15,000
2007 modern 269 #15,123
2008 modern 268 #15,311
2009 modern 278 #15,230
2010 modern 293 #14,974
2011 modern 290 #14,933
2012 modern 286 #15,012
2013 modern 296 #14,876
2014 modern 298 #14,911
2015 modern 288 #15,190
2016 modern 284 #15,323

Geography

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Where Maplethorpes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Billinghay, Lincoln St Botolph, Kyme, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Lincoln St Peter at Gowts. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Kesteven, East Lindsey and Daventry. 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 Billinghay Lincolnshire
2 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
3 Kyme Lincolnshire
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Kesteven 007 North Kesteven
2 North Kesteven 012 North Kesteven
3 East Lindsey 007 East Lindsey
4 East Lindsey 016 East Lindsey
5 Daventry 010 Daventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maplethorpe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maplethorpe

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Maplethorpe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Maplethorpe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Maplethorpe 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

Maplethorpe 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

Maplethorpe falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Maplethorpe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Maplethorpe

The surname Maplethorpe is believed to have originated in the English county of Warwickshire during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is a locational surname, derived from a place name that was likely a combination of the Old English words "mapol" (meaning maple tree) and "thorpe" (meaning a small village or hamlet).

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Warwickshire Feet of Fines, a collection of legal documents from the 13th century, which mentions a person named William de Mapulthorpe in 1242. This early spelling variation highlights the name's connection to the maple tree and the nearby settlement.

In the 14th century, the Maplethorpe surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire, which were tax records used to assess individuals' wealth and property. This suggests that the name had become more established in the region during this period.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Maplethorpe surname. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Mapledurham in Oxfordshire and Mapleton in Derbyshire, indicating the presence of maple trees in these areas.

Notable individuals who have borne the Maplethorpe surname include:

1. Thomas Maplethorpe (c. 1450-1515), a prominent English landowner and member of the gentry in Warwickshire. 2. William Maplethorpe (1580-1638), an English clergyman and author who wrote a book on the history of the County of Warwick. 3. Edward Maplethorpe (1705-1781), a British military officer who served in the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. 4. Mary Maplethorpe (1810-1888), a British philanthropist and social reformer known for her work in improving living conditions for the poor in London. 5. Robert Maplethorpe (1866-1942), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.

While the surname Maplethorpe is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history and connection to the county of Warwickshire, where it originated as a locational name associated with the presence of maple trees in a particular settlement or hamlet.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maplethorpe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maplethorpe 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. Lincolnshire leads with 92 Maplethorpes recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.62x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 92 53.62x
Yorkshire 13 1.22x
Durham 2 0.63x
Surrey 2 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Billinghay in Lincolnshire leads with 24 Maplethorpes recorded in 1881 and an index of 4528.30x.

Place Total Index
Billinghay 24 4528.30x
Donington 11 1774.19x
North Stainley Cum 10 6666.67x
St Peterin Eastgate 9 1698.11x
Digby 5 4545.45x
Navenby 5 1428.57x
Thorpe Tilney 5 12500.00x
Alger Kirk Amber Hill 4 5000.00x
Kexby 4 3333.33x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 4 165.98x
Wigtoft 4 1600.00x
Harts Grounds 3 10000.00x
Metheringham 3 434.78x
Panton 3 5000.00x
Ruskington 3 681.82x
Battersea 2 5.07x
Darlington 2 16.22x
Kirton In Lindsey 2 294.12x
Holy Trinity St Mary 1 61.73x
Hutton Conyers 1 2000.00x
Scawby 1 175.44x
South Frodingham 1 1428.57x
St Botolph Lincoln 1 81.30x
Standard Hill 1 294.12x
Wellingore 1 344.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Ann 3
Rebecca 3
Susan 3
Alice 2
Betsy 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Martha 2
Susanna 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Amiela 1
Christiana 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizh. 1
Florence 1
John 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
William 9
Charles 5
Richard 4
Thomas 4
George 3
Joseph 3
Samuel 3
Dickenson 2
Henry 2
Jabez 2
James 2
Abraham 1
Butcher 1
David 1
Hugh 1
Jackson 1
Jacob 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Maplethorpe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maplethorpe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 110 people were recorded with the Maplethorpe surname. That placed it at #18,695 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maplethorpe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 284 in 2016. That gives Maplethorpe a modern rank of #15,323.

What does the Maplethorpe surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from a place name meaning "maple tree village" or similar.

What does the Maplethorpe map show?

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