NameCensus.

UK surname

Muskett

An archaic occupational name referring to someone who made or sold muskets.

In the 1881 census there were 510 people recorded with the Muskett surname, ranking it #6,678 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 542, ranked #9,396, down from #6,678 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Carlton Rode, London parishes and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Watford and Fylde.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Muskett is 740 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.3%.

1881 census count

510

Ranked #6,678

Modern count

542

2016, ranked #9,396

Peak year

1911

740 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Muskett had 510 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,678 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 542 in 2016, ranked #9,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 740 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Muskett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Muskett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Muskett 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 278 #8,089
1861 historical 282 #8,895
1881 historical 510 #6,678
1891 historical 453 #8,038
1901 historical 674 #6,467
1911 historical 740 #5,795
1997 modern 641 #7,739
1998 modern 664 #7,782
1999 modern 667 #7,789
2000 modern 664 #7,808
2001 modern 629 #7,985
2002 modern 633 #8,133
2003 modern 629 #8,020
2004 modern 609 #8,257
2005 modern 595 #8,323
2006 modern 574 #8,564
2007 modern 575 #8,629
2008 modern 585 #8,584
2009 modern 607 #8,517
2010 modern 595 #8,844
2011 modern 576 #8,955
2012 modern 553 #9,126
2013 modern 563 #9,151
2014 modern 557 #9,287
2015 modern 552 #9,277
2016 modern 542 #9,396

Geography

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Where Musketts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Carlton Rode, London parishes, Eccles, Great Budworth (Witton with Twambrook), Davenham (Leftwich) and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Watford, Fylde, Mansfield and St. Helens. 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 Carlton Rode Norfolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Great Budworth (Witton with Twambrook), Davenham (Leftwich) Cheshire
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 052 Kirklees
2 Watford 011 Watford
3 Fylde 002 Fylde
4 Mansfield 006 Mansfield
5 St. Helens 007 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Muskett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Muskett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Muskett, 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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Muskett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Muskett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Muskett 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

Muskett is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Muskett

The surname Muskett originated in England in the late 16th century. It is derived from the Old French word "mousquette", meaning a type of musket firearm used in warfare. This name would have likely been an occupational surname given to someone who made or used muskets.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Muskett surname is found in parish records from Walsall, Staffordshire in 1591, referring to a William Muskett. In the Hearth Tax records for Lincolnshire in 1674, there is a John Muskett listed as a resident. The name also appears in the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642 for Yorkshire, mentioning a William Muskett of Doncaster.

The Muskett surname can be found in various old records and manuscripts throughout the 16th and 17th centuries in England. For instance, in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex from 1628, there is a reference to a Thomas Muskett. Additionally, the name appears in the Lancashire Wills records from 1639, with a mention of a James Muskett.

Some notable individuals with the Muskett surname include Robert Muskett (1604-1665), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Tideswell in Derbyshire. There was also a Thomas Muskett (1781-1858), who was a British Army officer and served in the Napoleonic Wars. Another famous bearer of this name was William Muskett (1799-1872), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire.

Other historical figures with the Muskett surname include George Muskett (1798-1870), a British politician and member of parliament for Taunton, and John Muskett (1784-1864), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in Bath and Bristol.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Muskett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Muskett 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. Norfolk leads with 132 Musketts recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.22x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 132 17.22x
Lancashire 83 1.40x
Middlesex 62 1.24x
Cheshire 55 5.00x
Surrey 46 1.89x
Hertfordshire 26 7.57x
Suffolk 16 2.64x
Bedfordshire 15 5.81x
Essex 11 1.12x
Hampshire 10 0.98x
Kent 8 0.47x
Warwickshire 8 0.64x
Buckinghamshire 7 2.32x
Northamptonshire 7 1.49x
Yorkshire 7 0.14x
Worcestershire 5 0.77x
Sussex 4 0.48x
Staffordshire 3 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.63x
Herefordshire 1 0.49x
Oxfordshire 1 0.32x
Royal Navy 1 1.68x
Wiltshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Carleton Rode in Norfolk leads with 38 Musketts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2878.79x.

Place Total Index
Carleton Rode 38 2878.79x
Leftwich 18 368.10x
Camberwell 14 4.40x
St Albans St Peter 14 120.79x
Heigham 13 31.60x
West Derby 13 7.51x
Bethnal Green London 12 5.54x
Newington 12 6.52x
Salford 12 6.90x
Worsley 11 30.17x
Great Yarmouth 10 15.75x
Ashwellthorpe 9 1428.57x
Latchford 9 123.12x
Luton 9 20.14x
Northwich 9 514.29x
Norwich St Paul 9 196.08x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 9 233.77x
Titchfield 9 116.88x
Clippesby 8 3809.52x
Edgbaston 8 20.52x
Warrington 8 11.41x
Badwell Ash 7 921.05x
Cheam 7 269.23x
Chorlton On Medlock 7 7.45x
Deptford St Paul 7 5.34x
Woodford 7 268.20x
Brickendon 6 377.36x
Fulham London 6 8.30x
Houghton Regis 6 145.63x
Merton 6 141.18x
Romford 6 38.59x
St Albans St Stephen 6 200.00x
Clotton Hoofield 5 862.07x
Diss 5 76.10x
Eccleston In Prescot 5 16.84x
Emberton 5 454.55x
Gorleston 5 32.43x
Hammersmith London 5 4.07x
Kirkdale 5 5.03x
Northfield 5 40.49x
Rusholme 5 31.69x
St George Hanover 5 7.69x
St Pancras London 5 1.25x
Walton Superior 5 1190.48x
Acton 4 13.69x
Castle Northwich 4 109.89x
Gissing 4 512.82x
Hastings St Mary In The 4 22.31x
Hornsey 4 6.35x
Hulme 4 3.24x
Poplar London 4 4.25x
Redenhall 4 134.23x
Saddleworth 4 10.50x
Stoke Newington London 4 10.30x
Attleborough 3 77.52x
Bunwell 3 204.08x
Hempnall 3 200.00x
Shoreditch London 3 1.39x
South Weald 3 35.59x
St Marylebone London 3 1.13x
Toxteth Park 3 1.50x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 3 17.62x
Wolstanton 3 5.87x
Chester All Sts 2 253.16x
Crompton 2 11.88x
Gooderstone 2 240.96x
Little Budworth 2 217.39x
Manchester 2 0.75x
Northrepps 2 204.08x
Penge 2 6.28x
Sherington 2 194.17x
Tasburgh 2 263.16x
Wisbech St Mary 2 55.25x
Clapham 1 1.60x
Hereford All Sts 1 10.68x
Islington London 1 0.21x
Kensington London 1 0.36x
Lowestoft 1 3.49x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 1 20.12x
Twickenham 1 4.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 42
Elizabeth 29
Ann 11
Sarah 10
Alice 9
Eliza 9
Emily 9
Jane 9
Annie 8
Emma 7
Hannah 7
Margaret 5
Ada 4
Amelia 4
Catherine 4
Clara 4
Ellen 4
Frances 4
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Gertrude 3
Lucy 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Anna 2
Caroline 2
E. 2
Edith 2
Ethel 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Isabel 2
Jessie 2
Laura 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Maude 2
Minnie 2
Sophia 2
Celia 1
Christina 1
Deborah 1
Elley 1
Engham 1
Ethell 1
L. 1
Lily 1
Lousia 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 34
John 29
George 25
James 19
Thomas 17
Charles 13
Henry 12
Robert 10
Edward 8
Samuel 8
Joseph 7
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Arthur 4
Ernest 4
Herbert 4
David 3
Frederick 3
Fredk. 3
Wm. 3
Wright 3
Percy 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Bishop 1
Clement 1
E.J. 1
Elijah 1
Enoch 1
Enos 1
F.T. 1
Fredrick 1
Henery 1
Jabez 1
Jas. 1
Jessy 1
L.A. 1
Margaret 1
Marmaduke 1
Nathan 1
P.J. 1
Perceival 1
Philip 1
R.W. 1
Saml. 1
Sidney 1
Simeon 1
Thompson 1
W. 1

FAQ

Muskett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Muskett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 510 people were recorded with the Muskett surname. That placed it at #6,678 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Muskett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 542 in 2016. That gives Muskett a modern rank of #9,396.

What does the Muskett surname mean?

An archaic occupational name referring to someone who made or sold muskets.

What does the Muskett map show?

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