NameCensus.

UK surname

Mottram

An English place name derived from a location near Stockport, Cheshire.

In the 1881 census there were 1,623 people recorded with the Mottram surname, ranking it #2,631 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,831, ranked #2,379, up from #2,631 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Manchester and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Cannock Chase and Havering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mottram is 3,043 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.4%.

1881 census count

1,623

Ranked #2,631

Modern count

2,831

2016, ranked #2,379

Peak year

1999

3,043 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mottram had 1,623 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,631 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,831 in 2016, ranked #2,379.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,502 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mottram surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mottram surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mottram 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 1,032 #2,711
1861 historical 777 #3,546
1881 historical 1,623 #2,631
1891 historical 1,808 #2,540
1901 historical 2,336 #2,324
1911 historical 2,502 #2,055
1997 modern 2,838 #2,281
1998 modern 3,038 #2,217
1999 modern 3,043 #2,226
2000 modern 3,002 #2,243
2001 modern 2,955 #2,230
2002 modern 3,005 #2,240
2003 modern 2,912 #2,254
2004 modern 2,903 #2,265
2005 modern 2,874 #2,256
2006 modern 2,867 #2,268
2007 modern 2,903 #2,254
2008 modern 2,921 #2,254
2009 modern 2,978 #2,267
2010 modern 3,021 #2,287
2011 modern 2,961 #2,303
2012 modern 2,874 #2,326
2013 modern 2,910 #2,334
2014 modern 2,895 #2,363
2015 modern 2,859 #2,368
2016 modern 2,831 #2,379

Geography

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Where Mottrams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Manchester, Sheffield and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Cannock Chase, Havering, High Peak and Cheshire East. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Stockport Lancashire
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 028 Shropshire
2 Cannock Chase 003 Cannock Chase
3 Havering 003 Havering
4 High Peak 003 High Peak
5 Cheshire East 049 Cheshire East

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mottram

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mottram

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Mottram is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Mottram 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

Mottram falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mottram

The surname Mottram is of English origin, stemming from the Old English words "mot" meaning "meeting" and "trum" meaning "tree." The name likely originated as a descriptive term for a specific meeting or gathering place near a notable tree. It is closely associated with the Cheshire village of Mottram St. Andrew, located near the border of Greater Manchester and Derbyshire.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Cheshire from 1230, where it appears as "de Mottrume." This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by the 13th century. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the village of Mottram St. Andrew is mentioned under the name "Motredune," further solidifying the antiquity of the name's origins.

One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the Mottram surname was William de Mottram, who was documented in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1287. Another notable figure was John Mottram, born in 1692, who served as the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in Ireland from 1744 until his death in 1759.

In the 16th century, the Mottram family established themselves as prominent landowners in the area around Mottram St. Andrew. One member of this family, Thomas Mottram (1558-1616), was a renowned scholar and clergyman who served as the Rector of Wilmslow and the Master of the Free Grammar School in Manchester.

During the English Civil War, the name Mottram gained further recognition through the actions of Captain Adam Mottram (1615-1661). He was a staunch Royalist who fought alongside Prince Rupert and was later appointed as the Governor of Longford in Ireland by Charles II.

Another notable figure was John Mottram (1796-1876), a renowned English architect who was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the North West of England, including St. Peter's Church in Stockport.

While the name Mottram is relatively uncommon today, it continues to hold strong ties to its historical roots in the Cheshire region of England, where it has been present for over seven centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mottram families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mottram 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. Cheshire leads with 487 Mottrams recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.94x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 487 13.94x
Lancashire 420 2.24x
Yorkshire 184 1.17x
Staffordshire 160 3.00x
Derbyshire 74 2.99x
Warwickshire 65 1.63x
Lincolnshire 44 1.74x
Middlesex 29 0.18x
Shropshire 20 1.46x
Hertfordshire 14 1.28x
Surrey 13 0.17x
Kent 12 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 11 1.10x
Worcestershire 11 0.53x
Durham 10 0.21x
Leicestershire 10 0.57x
Norfolk 10 0.41x
Montgomeryshire 9 2.48x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.42x
Essex 8 0.26x
Sussex 5 0.19x
Hampshire 4 0.12x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.95x
Channel Islands 2 0.43x
Glamorgan 2 0.07x
Inverness-shire 2 0.42x
Cumberland 1 0.07x
Devon 1 0.03x
Dorset 1 0.10x
Perthshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ecclesall Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 54 Mottrams recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.93x.

Place Total Index
Ecclesall Bierlow 54 16.93x
Ashton Under Lyne 49 11.94x
Dukinfield 45 27.88x
Hyde 36 34.93x
Toxteth Park 36 5.66x
Stockport 35 19.47x
Sheffield 32 6.41x
Liverpool 28 2.46x
Salford 28 5.07x
Manchester 26 3.08x
Chorlton On Medlock 25 8.38x
Hulme 24 6.12x
Ardwick 23 13.58x
Bollin Fee 23 148.48x
Church Coppenhall 21 134.53x
Bredbury 20 98.96x
Cheadle 18 26.98x
Newton 17 313.65x
Adlington 16 342.61x
Birmingham 15 1.13x
Leek Lowe 15 21.11x
Pownall Fee 15 95.97x
Stafford St Mary 15 19.84x
Willaston In Nantwich 15 139.15x
Abbots Bromley 14 176.77x
Rusholme 14 27.96x
Brightside Bierlow 13 4.23x
Stretford 13 12.58x
Nether Alderley 12 387.10x
Newton In Makerfield 12 20.87x
Rainow 12 172.66x
Stoke Upon Trent 12 2.12x
Tattenhall 12 202.02x
Audley 11 20.82x
Bunbury 11 229.65x
Nether Hallam 11 5.19x
West Derby 11 2.00x
Yoxall 11 156.03x
Aston 10 0.91x
Clapham 10 5.06x
Derby St Peter 10 12.67x
Derby St Werburgh 10 6.99x
Linwood 10 1000.00x
Nantwich 10 24.64x
Oldham 10 1.65x
Scothern 10 373.13x
St Pancras London 10 0.79x
Stranton 10 6.31x
Waterfall 10 444.44x
Blackburn 9 1.80x
Godley 9 119.36x
Hathersage 9 129.68x
Llanerfyl 9 211.27x
Newton 9 6.22x
Norton In Moors 9 31.84x
Warwick St Nicholas 9 30.76x
Whittlesey St Mary St 9 25.71x
Burton Upon Trent 8 6.40x
Carrington 8 337.55x
Chorley In Macclesfield 8 75.19x
Coventry Holy Trinity 8 6.71x
Haslington 8 81.47x
Heeley 8 16.79x
Laughton En Le Morthen 8 221.61x
Macclesfield 8 5.15x
Polesworth 8 42.22x
Romiley 8 81.22x
St Maryle Wigford 8 40.69x
Warley 8 17.65x
Warrington 8 3.59x
Boundary 7 1272.73x
Bramley In Rotherham 7 322.58x
Cannock 7 7.51x
Doncaster 7 6.11x
Drayton In Hales 7 24.84x
Hamstall Ridware 7 338.16x
Harpurhey 7 26.86x
North South Anston 7 102.04x
Nottingham St Mary 7 1.27x
Whitchurch 7 26.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 102
Elizabeth 72
Sarah 68
Ann 31
Ellen 31
Emma 29
Alice 27
Hannah 27
Jane 25
Martha 25
Annie 24
Eliza 20
Emily 14
Harriet 12
Ada 11
Maria 11
Anne 10
Margaret 10
Caroline 8
Catherine 8
Esther 8
Fanny 8
Frances 8
Amelia 7
Charlotte 7
Clara 7
Selina 7
Edith 6
Louisa 5
Florence 4
Harriett 4
Lilly 4
Marion 4
Rose 4
Betsy 3
Bridget 3
Elizth. 3
Ethel 3
Francis 3
Helen 3
Julia 3
Lizzie 3
Lucy 3
Lydia 3
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Carroline 2
Christiana 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 96
William 92
James 76
Thomas 66
Joseph 65
George 51
Charles 40
Henry 39
Samuel 33
Alfred 15
Walter 15
Richard 14
Peter 13
Robert 13
Albert 12
Frederick 12
Arthur 11
Edward 11
Frank 10
Ernest 9
Harry 8
Fred 6
Isaac 6
Joshua 6
Francis 4
Herbert 4
Mark 4
David 3
Hugh 3
Moses 3
Thos. 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Arnold 2
Benjamin 2
Enoch 2
Harold 2
Jno. 2
Ralph 2
Robt. 2
Sam 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
Chas. 1
Chas.Seymour 1
Cornelius 1
Eknock 1
Elisha 1
Hy.Prince 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Mottram surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mottram surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,623 people were recorded with the Mottram surname. That placed it at #2,631 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mottram surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,831 in 2016. That gives Mottram a modern rank of #2,379.

What does the Mottram surname mean?

An English place name derived from a location near Stockport, Cheshire.

What does the Mottram map show?

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