NameCensus.

UK surname

Montrose

A place name referring to a rose-covered hill or mountain.

In the 1881 census there were 21 people recorded with the Montrose surname, ranking it #30,609 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 142, ranked #24,625, up from #30,609 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lewisham, Stockport and Polwarth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Montrose is 146 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 576.2%.

1881 census count

21

Ranked #30,609

Modern count

142

2016, ranked #24,625

Peak year

2014

146 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Montrose had 21 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,609 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016, ranked #24,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 53 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Montrose surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Montrose surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Montrose 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 10 #31,497
1861 historical 5 #33,418
1881 historical 21 #30,609
1891 historical 31 #31,820
1901 historical 46 #29,047
1911 historical 53 #27,508
1997 modern 109 #25,650
1998 modern 115 #25,466
1999 modern 119 #25,095
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 111 #25,767
2002 modern 120 #25,110
2003 modern 115 #25,538
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 113 #26,267
2007 modern 119 #25,747
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 136 #24,819
2012 modern 137 #24,731
2013 modern 144 #24,323
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 143 #24,481
2016 modern 142 #24,625

Geography

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Where Montroses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lewisham, Stockport, Polwarth, Manchester and North Dorset. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lewisham 018 Lewisham
2 Stockport 031 Stockport
3 Polwarth City of Edinburgh
4 Manchester 040 Manchester
5 North Dorset 005 North Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Montrose

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Montrose

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Montrose, 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 Montrose surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Montrose 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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Montrose 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

Montrose 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

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

Meaning and origin of Montrose

The surname Montrose originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic words 'monadh' meaning moor or mountain, and 'ros' meaning a promontory or headland, suggesting that the name originated from a place name describing a prominent landscape feature.

The earliest recorded spelling of Montrose dates back to the 13th century, appearing in ancient Scottish charters and manuscripts. One of the earliest known bearers was Sir John de Montrose, a Scottish knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

The name Montrose is closely associated with the town of the same name in Angus, Scotland. The town was originally known as Sluagvill or Celurmont in medieval times before taking on the name Montrose, meaning 'the moor of the promontory' in Gaelic. This suggests that the surname may have originated from this specific location.

In the 16th century, the Marquess of Montrose, James Graham (1612-1650), was a prominent Scottish military leader during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He played a significant role in the Scottish Civil War and is remembered for his loyalty to the royalist cause.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Montrose (1738-1820), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer in Scotland.

In the literary world, Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762), an English aristocrat and writer, is known for her letters and poetry, as well as being a significant figure in the introduction of smallpox inoculation to Britain.

Other historical figures with the surname Montrose include John Montrose (1654-1702), a Scottish doctor and writer, and James Montrose (1799-1868), a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War.

Throughout history, the surname Montrose has been associated with Scottish nobility, military leaders, and prominent figures in various fields, reflecting its origins as a place name rooted in the Scottish landscape.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Montrose families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Montrose 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. Durham leads with 7 Montroses recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.49x.

County Total Index
Durham 7 11.49x
Middlesex 4 1.95x
Lancashire 3 1.23x
Cheshire 2 4.42x
Northumberland 2 6.56x
Hampshire 1 2.38x
Kent 1 1.43x
Surrey 1 1.00x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishop Auckland in Durham leads with 7 Montroses recorded in 1881 and an index of 853.66x.

Place Total Index
Bishop Auckland 7 853.66x
Amble 2 1428.57x
Bethnal Green London 2 22.47x
Middleton In Oldham 2 273.97x
Chester St John Baptist 1 123.46x
Clerkenwell London 1 20.70x
Elton 1 119.05x
Greenwich 1 30.67x
Kensington London 1 8.78x
Northwood 1 166.67x
Poulton Cum Spital 1 3333.33x
Woking 1 166.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Christina 1
Esther 1
Lottie 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Maud 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3
Joseph 2
Alfred 1
Augustus 1
Edward 1
Henry 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Montrose households.

FAQ

Montrose surname: questions and answers

How common was the Montrose surname in 1881?

In 1881, 21 people were recorded with the Montrose surname. That placed it at #30,609 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Montrose surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 142 in 2016. That gives Montrose a modern rank of #24,625.

What does the Montrose surname mean?

A place name referring to a rose-covered hill or mountain.

What does the Montrose map show?

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