NameCensus.

UK surname

Montague

A Norman French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "pointed hill" or "sharp mountain."

In the 1881 census there were 1,502 people recorded with the Montague surname, ranking it #2,790 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,499, ranked #2,647, up from #2,790 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ14, IZ12 and Pembrokeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Montague is 2,665 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.4%.

1881 census count

1,502

Ranked #2,790

Modern count

2,499

2016, ranked #2,647

Peak year

2010

2,665 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Montague had 1,502 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,790 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,499 in 2016, ranked #2,647.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,002 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Montague surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Montague surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Montague 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 756 #3,519
1861 historical 812 #3,388
1881 historical 1,502 #2,790
1891 historical 1,406 #3,098
1901 historical 2,002 #2,662
1911 historical 1,863 #2,657
1997 modern 2,509 #2,511
1998 modern 2,610 #2,507
1999 modern 2,616 #2,521
2000 modern 2,587 #2,535
2001 modern 2,534 #2,529
2002 modern 2,607 #2,524
2003 modern 2,519 #2,548
2004 modern 2,505 #2,567
2005 modern 2,454 #2,578
2006 modern 2,440 #2,598
2007 modern 2,459 #2,603
2008 modern 2,490 #2,593
2009 modern 2,571 #2,581
2010 modern 2,665 #2,553
2011 modern 2,591 #2,589
2012 modern 2,537 #2,590
2013 modern 2,597 #2,577
2014 modern 2,572 #2,616
2015 modern 2,526 #2,633
2016 modern 2,499 #2,647

Geography

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Where Montagues are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ14, IZ12, Pembrokeshire, IZ13 and Burnhill and Bankhead North. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ14 West Dunbartonshire
2 IZ12 West Dunbartonshire
3 Pembrokeshire 015 Pembrokeshire
4 IZ13 West Dunbartonshire
5 Burnhill and Bankhead North South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Montague

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Montague

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Montague, 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 Montague surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Montague 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Montague 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

Montague 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

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

Meaning and origin of Montague

The surname Montague is of French origin, derived from the Old French words "mont" meaning "mountain" and "agu" meaning "pointed". This indicates that the name likely originated from a person who lived near a pointed mountain or hill.

The name first appeared in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is believed to have been introduced by Norman nobles who accompanied William the Conqueror and settled in various parts of the country. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Montaigu".

During the Middle Ages, the Montagues were a prominent family in England, with several notable members. One of the earliest was Simon de Montagu, who was born around 1150 and served as a trusted adviser to King John and King Henry III. Another was William Montague, born in 1330, who was appointed the Earl of Salisbury by King Edward III for his military service.

The name also gained literary fame in William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet", where the Montagues were one of the two feuding families in the city of Verona, Italy. Although the play was fictional, it brought the name into the public consciousness and contributed to its widespread recognition.

In the 17th century, Edward Montagu (1625-1672) played a significant role in the restoration of the English monarchy, serving as a prominent naval commander and later becoming the Earl of Sandwich. His cousin, Ralph Montagu (1638-1709), was a lawyer and politician who served as the Chief Justice of the King's Bench.

Other notable individuals with the surname Montague include Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762), an English writer and traveler known for her literary works and advocacy for smallpox inoculation, and George Montagu (1753-1815), an English naturalist and ornithologist who made significant contributions to the study of birds.

The Montague surname has endured through the centuries, with variations in spelling such as Montagu, Montaigu, and Montacute. It continues to be found in many parts of the world, a testament to the widespread influence of the Norman settlers who first brought the name to England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Montague families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Montague 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 464 Montagues recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.16x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 464 3.16x
Surrey 156 2.18x
Buckinghamshire 92 10.36x
Kent 77 1.54x
Somerset 74 3.13x
Lancashire 71 0.41x
Essex 52 1.79x
Lanarkshire 49 1.03x
Hampshire 46 1.53x
Berkshire 38 3.45x
Durham 28 0.64x
Dunbartonshire 27 6.84x
Hertfordshire 27 2.67x
Northumberland 25 1.14x
Oxfordshire 24 2.65x
Renfrewshire 23 2.02x
Yorkshire 21 0.14x
Midlothian 20 1.02x
Devon 18 0.59x
Ayrshire 17 1.55x
Lincolnshire 16 0.68x
Norfolk 16 0.71x
Wiltshire 15 1.15x
Gloucestershire 13 0.45x
Cheshire 11 0.34x
Kirkcudbrightshire 9 4.23x
Staffordshire 9 0.18x
Herefordshire 7 1.16x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.35x
Warwickshire 7 0.19x
Glamorgan 6 0.23x
Derbyshire 5 0.22x
Perthshire 5 0.76x
Suffolk 5 0.28x
Angus 4 0.29x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.43x
Channel Islands 3 0.69x
Dorset 3 0.31x
Fife 3 0.35x
Cornwall 2 0.12x
Monmouthshire 2 0.19x
Royal Navy 2 1.14x
Sussex 2 0.08x
Leicestershire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 62 Montagues recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.35x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 62 4.35x
St Marylebone London 51 6.50x
Kensington London 38 4.65x
Lambeth 35 2.73x
Bethnal Green London 33 5.17x
Paddington London 33 6.11x
West Ham 32 5.00x
Hackney London 31 3.76x
Govan 26 2.21x
St Pancras London 26 2.20x
Camberwell 24 2.56x
Chelsea London 20 4.52x
Hughenden 19 209.48x
Croydon 18 4.53x
Battersea 17 3.14x
Eye Dunsden 17 388.13x
Barony 16 1.33x
Auckinleck 15 44.08x
Haddenham 15 205.76x
Woolwich 15 8.10x
Dumbarton 14 25.48x
Kingston On Thames 14 8.14x
Mells 14 286.30x
Mile End Old Town 14 6.04x
Walcot 14 11.12x
Aldershot 13 12.89x
Hammersmith London 13 3.59x
Liverpool 12 1.13x
Clerkenwell London 11 3.17x
Stoke Damerel 11 5.14x
Chalfont St Giles 10 157.23x
Great Grimsby 10 6.71x
Penicuik 10 37.40x
Shoreditch London 10 1.57x
Watford 10 12.74x
Wellow 10 143.88x
Barrow In Furness 9 3.80x
Cardross 9 18.99x
Charlton Next Woolwich 9 17.22x
Kirkcudbright 9 51.14x
Nether Winchendon 9 697.67x
St George Hanover 9 4.69x
Tonbridge 9 4.98x
Westminster St John 9 5.03x
Birtley 8 44.84x
Foxcote 8 2580.65x
Ickenham 8 398.01x
Middle Greenock 8 25.75x
Portsea 8 1.36x
South Leith 8 3.61x
Tranmere 8 6.71x
Abbots Langley 7 46.54x
Bray 7 21.60x
Cheddington 7 187.17x
Cookham 7 20.36x
Devizes St James 7 40.56x
Mearns 7 35.11x
Milton In Gravesend 7 9.31x
Reading St Mary 7 7.93x
Shettleston 7 16.46x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 2.37x
Tettenhall 7 23.09x
Tring 7 25.90x
Urpeth 7 82.26x
Walmersley Cum 7 25.13x
Aston Clinton 6 79.68x
Bermondsey 6 1.37x
Clapham 6 3.27x
Crayford 6 27.41x
Dilwyn 6 113.42x
Elm 6 333.33x
Holy Trinity 6 1.71x
Holy Trinity St Mary 6 27.08x
Pinner 6 46.62x
Preston 6 1.29x
Southwark St Saviour 6 7.95x
St Andrew Holborn 6 12.05x
Stratton St Margaret 6 30.11x
Swaffham 6 32.66x
Whitechapel London 6 4.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 89
Elizabeth 49
Sarah 43
Annie 28
Ellen 27
Ann 23
Eliza 23
Jane 21
Alice 20
Louisa 19
Emily 14
Martha 14
Emma 13
Charlotte 11
Florence 10
Margaret 10
Maria 10
Frances 9
Caroline 8
Clara 7
Harriet 7
Sophia 7
Susannah 7
Ada 6
Agnes 6
Edith 6
Fanny 6
Hannah 6
Helen 6
Kate 6
Anne 5
Catherine 5
Ethel 5
Rebecca 5
Amy 4
Esther 4
Isabel 4
Lydia 4
Phillis 4
Rosa 4
Susan 4
Amelia 3
Anna 3
Bessie 3
Blanche 3
Jessie 3
Laura 3
Lizzie 3
Lucy 3
Rose 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 79
John 65
George 50
Charles 49
Henry 44
Thomas 38
James 37
Alfred 21
Joseph 21
Frederick 20
Edward 18
Albert 11
Arthur 10
Robert 10
Richard 8
Samuel 8
David 7
Frank 6
Walter 6
Benjamin 5
Francis 5
Edwin 4
Harry 4
Daniel 3
Ernest 3
Leonard 3
Patrick 3
Sydney 3
Abraham 2
Astle 2
Bernard 2
Edmund 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
H. 2
Herbert 2
Jesse 2
Michael 2
Percy 2
Robt. 2
Wm. 2
Andrew 1
Barnett 1
Benj. 1
Danl. 1
Drogo 1
Enra 1
Henery 1
Zacharia 1

FAQ

Montague surname: questions and answers

How common was the Montague surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,502 people were recorded with the Montague surname. That placed it at #2,790 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Montague surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,499 in 2016. That gives Montague a modern rank of #2,647.

What does the Montague surname mean?

A Norman French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "pointed hill" or "sharp mountain."

What does the Montague map show?

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