NameCensus.

UK surname

Mattocks

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or user of a tool similar to a pickaxe.

In the 1881 census there were 396 people recorded with the Mattocks surname, ranking it #8,024 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 684, ranked #7,836, up from #8,024 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Lancaster Borough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Harrogate and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mattocks is 729 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.7%.

1881 census count

396

Ranked #8,024

Modern count

684

2016, ranked #7,836

Peak year

2002

729 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mattocks had 396 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,024 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 684 in 2016, ranked #7,836.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 629 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mattocks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mattocks surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mattocks 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 266 #8,373
1861 historical 267 #9,290
1881 historical 396 #8,024
1891 historical 459 #7,965
1901 historical 629 #6,809
1911 historical 626 #6,620
1997 modern 682 #7,394
1998 modern 707 #7,418
1999 modern 715 #7,401
2000 modern 719 #7,356
2001 modern 699 #7,375
2002 modern 729 #7,265
2003 modern 724 #7,192
2004 modern 715 #7,263
2005 modern 715 #7,202
2006 modern 695 #7,396
2007 modern 700 #7,422
2008 modern 689 #7,576
2009 modern 710 #7,556
2010 modern 703 #7,753
2011 modern 701 #7,691
2012 modern 684 #7,749
2013 modern 679 #7,929
2014 modern 687 #7,893
2015 modern 677 #7,932
2016 modern 684 #7,836

Geography

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Where Mattocks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Lancaster Borough, London parishes, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Harrogate, Doncaster, Coventry and Bury. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 017 Northumberland
2 Harrogate 016 Harrogate
3 Doncaster 003 Doncaster
4 Coventry 023 Coventry
5 Bury 006 Bury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mattocks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mattocks

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

Mattocks is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mattocks falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mattocks is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mattocks

The surname Mattocks has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "mattoc," which was a type of tool or implement used for digging or cutting. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with such tools, perhaps as a farmer or agricultural laborer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named William Mattok is mentioned. This spelling variation is indicative of how surnames were often fluid and varied in their spellings during that time period.

The Mattocks surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a William Mattok is listed. This record provides further evidence of the name's presence in medieval England.

In the 14th century, the name Mattocks can be found in the Court Rolls of Ramsey Abbey in Huntingdonshire, where a John Mattok is recorded as a resident in 1349. This suggests that the surname had spread to different regions of the country by this point.

A notable individual bearing the Mattocks surname was Sir Isaac Mattocks, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a member of the English gentry and served as a Justice of the Peace in Gloucestershire. His birth and death dates are not precisely recorded, but he was active during the reign of King James I.

Another notable figure was Richard Mattocks, a 17th-century English author and clergyman. He was born in 1637 and published several works, including a book titled "The Life of Christ" in 1676. Mattocks served as the vicar of Dittingdale in Shropshire until his death in 1701.

In the 18th century, the Mattocks surname can be found in various parish records across England. One example is John Mattocks, who was born in Warwickshire in 1724 and later became a successful merchant in London.

Another individual of note was Thomas Mattocks, an English artist and engraver who lived from 1753 to 1831. He was known for his landscape paintings and etchings, and his works were exhibited at the Royal Academy in London.

A final example from history is Robert Mattocks, a British naval officer who lived from 1780 to 1862. He served in the Royal Navy and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral, participating in several important battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mattocks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mattocks 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. Middlesex leads with 81 Mattocks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 81 2.11x
Kent 36 2.75x
Lancashire 35 0.77x
Staffordshire 34 2.62x
Warwickshire 33 3.40x
Cheshire 24 2.83x
Surrey 22 1.17x
Cumberland 16 4.84x
Essex 14 1.85x
Yorkshire 12 0.32x
Westmorland 11 13.02x
Somerset 10 1.62x
Suffolk 10 2.14x
Lanarkshire 8 0.64x
Dunbartonshire 7 6.78x
Nottinghamshire 7 1.35x
Wiltshire 7 2.06x
Derbyshire 5 0.83x
Hampshire 3 0.38x
Leicestershire 3 0.70x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.86x
Devon 2 0.25x
Dorset 2 0.79x
Worcestershire 2 0.40x
Glamorgan 1 0.15x
Lincolnshire 1 0.16x
Renfrewshire 1 0.34x
Royal Navy 1 2.18x
Shropshire 1 0.30x
Stirlingshire 1 0.71x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coventry Holy Trinity in Warwickshire leads with 28 Mattocks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 96.75x.

Place Total Index
Coventry Holy Trinity 28 96.75x
Gillingham 25 92.46x
Wolverhampton 13 13.03x
Battersea 12 8.49x
Chelsea London 12 10.36x
Islington London 12 3.22x
Workington 12 63.32x
Lambeth 10 2.98x
West Ham 10 5.97x
Bromley London 9 10.64x
Clitheroe 9 67.06x
Dukinfield 9 22.96x
Rainham 9 250.00x
Caverswall 8 118.69x
Mansergh 8 2580.65x
Marple 8 137.46x
St Anne Soho London 8 36.45x
Basford 7 29.31x
Cumbernauld 7 123.67x
Ratcliffe London 7 32.99x
Trowbridge 7 46.60x
Ubbeston 7 2800.00x
Lancaster 6 22.11x
Wednesfield 6 31.43x
Westminster St James 6 15.19x
Barony 5 1.59x
Bolton Le Sands 5 485.44x
Combe St Nicholas 5 333.33x
Limehouse London 5 11.85x
Paddington London 5 3.54x
Bentham 4 137.93x
Hackney London 4 1.86x
Hornsey 4 8.23x
Matlock 4 49.51x
North Petherton 4 80.16x
Poynton 4 140.35x
Thornton In Lonsdale 4 952.38x
Tottenham 4 6.53x
Barrow In Furness 3 4.84x
Dalston 3 117.19x
Glasgow 3 1.36x
Hornby 3 638.30x
Newton In Ashton Under 3 35.84x
Padiham 3 27.22x
Bilston 2 7.96x
Colchester St Peter 2 65.79x
Coventry St Michael 2 6.42x
Dovercourt 2 74.91x
Ealing 2 5.82x
Ipswich St Margaret 2 12.59x
Kings Norton 2 4.44x
Lyme Regis 2 66.23x
Meldrum 2 66.67x
Roeburndale 2 1333.33x
South Kilworth 2 357.14x
Stockland 2 172.41x
Stone 2 12.06x
Wombwell 2 18.02x
Wycombe 2 11.55x
Arkholme With Cawood 1 256.41x
Blaby 1 58.14x
Brinklow 1 97.09x
Cratfield 1 153.85x
Haughton 1 15.04x
Holdenhurst 1 4.84x
Hoyland Nether 1 10.71x
Kilmalcolm 1 28.01x
Kirkby Lonsdale 1 43.86x
Maidstone 1 2.56x
Oswestry Town 1 9.41x
Pendlebury 1 10.38x
Royal Navy 1 2.55x
St Marylebone London 1 0.49x
St Ninians 1 7.12x
Stoke 1 52.36x
Toxteth Park 1 0.65x
Trentham 1 9.07x
Walsall Foreign 1 1.49x
Winsham 1 88.50x
Woolwich 1 2.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Sarah 16
Elizabeth 12
Jane 8
Ann 7
Eliza 6
Emma 6
Charlotte 5
Edith 5
Hannah 5
Alice 4
Caroline 4
Emily 4
Harriet 4
Louisa 4
Margaret 4
Amy 3
Annie 3
Jessie 3
Lizzie 3
Martha 3
Susannah 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Catherine 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Harriett 2
Henrietta 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Lilian 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Minnie 2
Priscilla 2
Sophia 2
Susan 2
Betsy 1
Celecia 1
Elizath. 1
Esther 1
Fannie 1
Julia 1
Laura 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
John 20
George 11
Alfred 9
Henry 9
James 9
Thomas 9
Edward 8
Charles 6
Joseph 6
Robert 6
Frederick 5
Samuel 5
Frank 2
Harry 2
Mark 2
Richard 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Abisha 1
Arthur 1
Christopher 1
Dan 1
David 1
Dixon 1
Douglas 1
Ebenezar 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Fredd 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Jessie 1
Josiah 1
Matthew 1
Nero 1
Percy 1
Rich. 1
Rodger 1
Roger 1
Stanley 1
Stumas 1
Thoms.T. 1
Thos. 1
Underwood 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Mattocks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mattocks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 396 people were recorded with the Mattocks surname. That placed it at #8,024 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mattocks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 684 in 2016. That gives Mattocks a modern rank of #7,836.

What does the Mattocks surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or user of a tool similar to a pickaxe.

What does the Mattocks map show?

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