NameCensus.

UK surname

Neate

A nickname meaning "neat" or trim in appearance or manner.

In the 1881 census there were 834 people recorded with the Neate surname, ranking it #4,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 986, ranked #5,869, down from #4,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Bishops Cannings. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Sandwell and Copeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Neate is 1,276 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.2%.

1881 census count

834

Ranked #4,517

Modern count

986

2016, ranked #5,869

Peak year

1911

1,276 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Neate had 834 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 986 in 2016, ranked #5,869.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,276 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Neate surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Neate surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Neate 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 640 #4,055
1861 historical 481 #5,426
1881 historical 834 #4,517
1891 historical 1,037 #4,028
1901 historical 1,236 #4,008
1911 historical 1,276 #3,721
1997 modern 1,076 #5,176
1998 modern 1,114 #5,207
1999 modern 1,126 #5,199
2000 modern 1,124 #5,179
2001 modern 1,089 #5,215
2002 modern 1,088 #5,317
2003 modern 1,028 #5,477
2004 modern 1,040 #5,432
2005 modern 1,011 #5,500
2006 modern 1,033 #5,417
2007 modern 1,039 #5,442
2008 modern 1,051 #5,428
2009 modern 1,082 #5,393
2010 modern 1,085 #5,502
2011 modern 1,044 #5,611
2012 modern 991 #5,777
2013 modern 1,005 #5,797
2014 modern 998 #5,867
2015 modern 1,005 #5,786
2016 modern 986 #5,869

Geography

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Where Neates are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Bishops Cannings and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Sandwell and Copeland. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Bishops Cannings Wiltshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 036 Wiltshire
2 Wiltshire 025 Wiltshire
3 Wiltshire 026 Wiltshire
4 Sandwell 033 Sandwell
5 Copeland 008 Copeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Neate

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Neate

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Neate 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

Neate 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

Neate falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Neate

The surname Neate originates from England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "neat," meaning cattle or oxen. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who worked with or tended to livestock, such as a cowherd or oxherd.

The name was predominantly found in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire in the southwest of England. One of the earliest recorded occurrences of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1275, which lists a Ricardus le Nete.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Nete, Neet, and Neate, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time. The Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327 mention a John Nete, while the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1332 include an entry for a Thomas Nete.

The name Neate can be traced back to several place names in the southwest of England, such as Neatham in Wiltshire and Neatishead in Norfolk. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "neát" (cattle) and "hām" (homestead) or "heafod" (head), indicating their association with cattle farming or herding.

One notable individual bearing the surname Neate was John Neate (1615-1684), an English parliamentarian and lawyer who served as a justice of the peace in Somerset. Another was Thomas Neate (1630-1684), a Church of England clergyman who served as the rector of Bettiscombe in Dorset.

In the 18th century, William Neate (1717-1784) was a prominent English civil engineer known for his work on the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal in Somerset. Thomas Neate (1800-1892), born in Somerset, was a successful merchant and philanthropist who donated generously to educational institutions in his home county.

Lastly, Sir John Neate (1823-1891) was a notable English lawyer and judge who served as a Baron of the Court of Exchequer and later as a Justice of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Neate families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Neate 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. Wiltshire leads with 249 Neates recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.77x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 249 34.77x
Middlesex 124 1.53x
Gloucestershire 85 5.35x
Somerset 72 5.52x
Surrey 54 1.37x
Berkshire 50 8.23x
Hampshire 42 2.53x
Kent 36 1.30x
Herefordshire 21 6.33x
Oxfordshire 13 2.60x
Essex 10 0.63x
Staffordshire 9 0.33x
Glamorgan 8 0.57x
Stirlingshire 7 2.34x
Lancashire 6 0.06x
Monmouthshire 5 0.85x
Pembrokeshire 5 1.94x
Cheshire 4 0.22x
Devon 4 0.24x
Northumberland 4 0.33x
Shropshire 4 0.57x
Hertfordshire 2 0.36x
Huntingdonshire 2 1.24x
Lincolnshire 2 0.15x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.18x
Royal Navy 2 2.07x
Sussex 2 0.15x
Denbighshire 1 0.33x
Dorset 1 0.19x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.46x
Suffolk 1 0.10x
Warwickshire 1 0.05x
Worcestershire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Box in Wiltshire leads with 21 Neates recorded in 1881 and an index of 343.70x.

Place Total Index
Box 21 343.70x
Walcot 21 30.26x
Olveston 19 426.01x
Devizes St James 18 189.27x
Enford 18 740.74x
Reading St Giles 18 30.19x
Almondsbury 15 247.52x
Marlborough St Peter St 15 407.61x
St Luke London 15 11.55x
Leatherhead 14 141.70x
Hammersmith London 12 6.02x
Bishops Cannings 11 415.09x
Cherhill 11 1375.00x
Linton In Newent 11 428.02x
Marlborough St Mary Virgin 11 217.82x
Pewsey 11 208.73x
Portsea 11 3.38x
Batheaston 10 224.22x
Bristol St James St Paul 10 18.89x
Cliffe Pypard 10 465.12x
Corsham 9 86.12x
Kensington London 9 2.00x
Kimpton 9 1153.85x
St Martin In Fields 9 18.57x
Wolstanton 9 10.84x
Aberdare 8 8.27x
Chelsea London 8 3.28x
Erith 8 29.39x
Lyncombe Widcombe 8 23.45x
St Marylebone London 8 1.85x
Stroud 8 25.89x
Beckenham 7 19.39x
Hanwell 7 48.78x
Ipsden 7 355.33x
Isleworth 7 19.44x
Islington London 7 0.89x
Market Lavington 7 180.88x
Paddington London 7 2.35x
Westbury 7 41.89x
Alva 6 42.13x
Bathford 6 223.88x
Battersea 6 2.01x
Calne 6 40.71x
Finchampstead 6 326.09x
Malmesbury The Abbey 6 1428.57x
St Pancras London 6 0.92x
Stanton Drew 6 472.44x
Sunninghill 6 71.17x
Tilehurst 6 48.86x
Westbury On Trym 6 11.15x
Banwell 5 105.04x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.42x
Bristol Temple 5 47.85x
Chatham 5 6.58x
Clifton 5 6.23x
Croydon 5 2.28x
Devizes St Mary 5 69.06x
Lambeth 5 0.71x
Leigh 5 89.93x
Lewisham 5 3.39x
Littleton Drew 5 892.86x
Llanfallteg 5 462.96x
St Peter Cheesehill 5 212.77x
Walthamstow 5 8.69x
Avebury 4 199.01x
Gloucester St Mary Lode 4 107.53x
Hexham 4 21.46x
Hound 4 35.52x
Hungerford 4 48.66x
Leighton 4 481.93x
Marshfield 4 277.78x
Melksham 4 32.18x
Micheldever 4 138.41x
Minster In Sheppey 4 8.74x
North Savernake 4 1333.33x
North Wraxall 4 317.46x
Odd Rode 4 45.20x
Reading St Mary 4 8.22x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 2.46x
St Andrew Holborn 4 14.57x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 54
John 38
Thomas 34
Henry 33
George 31
James 26
Charles 20
Frederick 13
Alfred 10
Stephen 10
Arthur 8
Albert 7
Robert 7
Edward 6
Richard 6
Francis 5
Sidney 5
Fred 4
Wm. 4
David 3
Edwin 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Chas. 2
Earnest 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Jacob 2
Nelson 2
Peter 2
Robt. 2
Ashby 1
Bamfield 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Edd.Hy. 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Gustave 1
Guy 1
Harlow 1
Levi 1
Nathl. 1
Norman 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1

FAQ

Neate surname: questions and answers

How common was the Neate surname in 1881?

In 1881, 834 people were recorded with the Neate surname. That placed it at #4,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Neate surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 986 in 2016. That gives Neate a modern rank of #5,869.

What does the Neate surname mean?

A nickname meaning "neat" or trim in appearance or manner.

What does the Neate map show?

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