NameCensus.

UK surname

Mott

Derived from a place name meaning "meeting place" in Old English, likely referring to a hill or mound.

In the 1881 census there were 2,270 people recorded with the Mott surname, ranking it #1,966 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,752, ranked #2,438, down from #1,966 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Fenland and Basildon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mott is 3,098 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.2%.

1881 census count

2,270

Ranked #1,966

Modern count

2,752

2016, ranked #2,438

Peak year

1911

3,098 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mott had 2,270 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,966 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,752 in 2016, ranked #2,438.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,098 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mott surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mott 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 1,650 #1,742
1861 historical 1,332 #2,149
1881 historical 2,270 #1,966
1891 historical 2,319 #2,023
1901 historical 2,809 #1,986
1911 historical 3,098 #1,685
1997 modern 2,907 #2,226
1998 modern 3,031 #2,222
1999 modern 3,056 #2,212
2000 modern 3,038 #2,218
2001 modern 2,948 #2,236
2002 modern 3,006 #2,238
2003 modern 2,928 #2,241
2004 modern 2,899 #2,270
2005 modern 2,805 #2,313
2006 modern 2,778 #2,335
2007 modern 2,768 #2,371
2008 modern 2,772 #2,383
2009 modern 2,805 #2,406
2010 modern 2,855 #2,413
2011 modern 2,807 #2,417
2012 modern 2,789 #2,392
2013 modern 2,827 #2,402
2014 modern 2,808 #2,436
2015 modern 2,770 #2,438
2016 modern 2,752 #2,438

Geography

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Where Motts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Fenland, Basildon, Barnsley and Salford. 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 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar Essex
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 064 County Durham
2 Fenland 011 Fenland
3 Basildon 016 Basildon
4 Barnsley 024 Barnsley
5 Salford 023 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mott

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mott

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mott is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mott 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

Mott falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mott 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 Mott, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mott

The surname Mott is derived from an old French word "motte" meaning a raised mound or hill. It originated in Normandy, France during the early medieval period. This name was often given to families living near or on small hills or artificial mounds.

The Mott surname first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as descriptors of residences and lands. Some of the earliest spellings included Mote, Motte, and Motes.

One of the earliest recorded people with this name was William de la Motte, a Norman knight who fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. He was granted lands in Somerset, England by William the Conqueror.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire as John atte Motte. This spelling indicates the name was locational, describing someone residing near a particular motte or mound.

Sir Walter Motte was a 14th century English landowner and knight from Warwickshire. He served in the armies of Edward III during the Hundred Years' War against France.

The Motts of Leicestershire can trace their ancestry to the 15th century. Sir John Mott (1479-1548) was a prominent member of this family, serving as Sheriff of Leicestershire and Warwickshire.

Nathaniel Mott (1630-1718) was an early English settler in New England, arriving in Massachusetts in 1653. He later moved to Rhode Island and helped establish the town of Portsmouth.

The surname Mott has long been associated with place names across England including Mottisfont in Hampshire, Mottram in Greater Manchester, and Mottistone on the Isle of Wight. These locations likely originated from the descriptive term "motte" as well.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mott 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 469 Motts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.12x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 469 2.12x
Essex 357 8.19x
Surrey 334 3.11x
Kent 122 1.62x
Hampshire 113 2.50x
Lancashire 73 0.28x
Norfolk 69 2.03x
Yorkshire 67 0.31x
Oxfordshire 63 4.62x
Cambridgeshire 61 4.36x
Berkshire 58 3.50x
Gloucestershire 46 1.06x
Leicestershire 41 1.68x
Northamptonshire 36 1.73x
Warwickshire 36 0.65x
Sussex 35 0.94x
Staffordshire 34 0.46x
Suffolk 34 1.26x
Devon 30 0.65x
Cheshire 26 0.53x
Buckinghamshire 25 1.87x
Nottinghamshire 23 0.77x
Durham 22 0.34x
Lanarkshire 14 0.20x
Bedfordshire 12 1.05x
Worcestershire 12 0.42x
Hertfordshire 11 0.72x
Huntingdonshire 8 1.83x
Perthshire 6 0.61x
Northumberland 5 0.15x
Somerset 5 0.14x
Derbyshire 4 0.12x
Wiltshire 4 0.20x
Royal Navy 2 0.76x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.11x
Dorset 1 0.07x
Herefordshire 1 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.14x
Renfrewshire 1 0.06x
Shropshire 1 0.05x

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 65 Motts recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.04x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 65 3.04x
Walton On Thames 42 85.04x
Lambeth 41 2.13x
Kensington London 38 3.10x
Chelmsford 30 40.13x
Heybridge 30 236.78x
St Pancras London 30 1.69x
Portsea 29 3.27x
Cheltenham 28 8.38x
West Ham 28 2.91x
Mile End Old Town 26 7.46x
Newington 26 3.19x
Salford 25 3.25x
Abingdon St Helen 24 49.55x
Bocking 24 91.57x
Lewisham 23 5.73x
Staines 22 62.93x
Battersea 21 2.59x
Fulham London 21 6.56x
Hackney London 21 1.70x
Bethnal Green London 20 2.09x
Holdenhurst 18 15.17x
Poplar London 18 4.32x
Croydon 17 2.85x
Southwark St George Martyr 17 3.83x
Hammersmith London 16 2.94x
High Easter 15 248.34x
Woolwich 15 5.39x
Birmingham 14 0.75x
Bromley London 14 2.88x
Ealing 14 7.10x
Hornsey 14 5.02x
Okehampton 14 80.78x
Oxford St Giles 14 21.53x
Rotherhithe 14 5.13x
East Tilbury 13 424.84x
St Andrewthe Less 13 8.14x
Thames Ditton 13 58.19x
Titchfield 13 38.12x
Aston 12 0.78x
Chatham 12 5.79x
Kingston On Thames 12 4.64x
Stock 12 258.62x
Burnham 11 68.32x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 11 10.79x
Long Ditton 11 62.64x
Maldon St Peter 11 49.55x
Shimpling 11 296.50x
St George Hanover 11 3.82x
Westminster St James 11 4.85x
Bow London 10 3.56x
Camberwell 10 0.71x
Chipping Ongar 10 133.33x
Clerkenwell London 10 1.92x
Hampstead London 10 2.91x
Henley On Thames 10 35.80x
Leicester St Margaret 10 1.68x
Redmere 10 3448.28x
Thame 10 40.34x
Westminster St John 10 3.72x
Wheatley 10 129.70x
Worminghall 10 436.68x
Alpheton 9 478.72x
Bermondsey 9 1.37x
Brinnington 9 19.77x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 2.16x
Lofthouse 9 27.56x
Nottingham St Mary 9 1.17x
Penge 9 6.38x
Reading St Giles 9 5.54x
Runwell 9 354.33x
St Marylebone London 9 0.76x
Welney 9 115.98x
Ashby De La Zouch 8 14.10x
Drayton 8 170.21x
Kings Norton 8 3.09x
Much Woolton 8 22.50x
Shillington 8 47.51x
Tollesbury 8 73.33x
Woolvercot 8 144.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 142
Elizabeth 81
Sarah 76
Emily 46
Eliza 45
Jane 38
Ann 37
Annie 35
Martha 35
Alice 34
Ellen 34
Emma 25
Louisa 24
Caroline 20
Charlotte 20
Edith 19
Hannah 19
Maria 19
Ada 16
Harriet 16
Kate 16
Lucy 14
Florence 13
Harriett 13
Susan 13
Anne 12
Catherine 12
Clara 10
Ethel 10
Rose 10
Amelia 9
Amy 9
Fanny 9
Margaret 9
Sophia 9
Jessie 7
Agnes 6
Eleanor 6
Esther 6
Julia 6
Minnie 6
Rebecca 6
Laura 5
Lilian 5
Selina 5
Lizzie 4
Mabel 4
Marian 4
Matilda 4
Phoebe 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 138
John 85
Charles 83
George 72
James 67
Henry 63
Thomas 58
Joseph 43
Alfred 31
Edward 31
Frederick 30
Arthur 22
Walter 20
Robert 18
Albert 15
Herbert 15
Samuel 15
Richard 14
David 12
Ernest 12
Harry 12
Edwin 11
Frank 10
Francis 6
Isaac 6
Fredk. 5
Andrew 4
Fred 4
Frederic 4
Leonard 4
Phillip 4
Wm. 4
Abraham 3
Amos 3
Harold 3
Jno. 3
Luke 3
Sidney 3
Stephen 3
Sydney 3
Wilson 3
Alexander 2
Chas. 2
Edmund 2
Horatio 2
Matthew 2
Peter 2
Stanley 2
Tom 2
W. 2

FAQ

Mott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,270 people were recorded with the Mott surname. That placed it at #1,966 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,752 in 2016. That gives Mott a modern rank of #2,438.

What does the Mott surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "meeting place" in Old English, likely referring to a hill or mound.

What does the Mott map show?

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