NameCensus.

UK surname

Nettleship

A surname derived from a location containing an abundance of stinging nettles.

In the 1881 census there were 379 people recorded with the Nettleship surname, ranking it #8,268 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 537, ranked #9,475, down from #8,268 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mexborough, Halifax and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derby, Rotherham and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nettleship is 603 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.7%.

1881 census count

379

Ranked #8,268

Modern count

537

2016, ranked #9,475

Peak year

1998

603 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nettleship had 379 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,268 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 537 in 2016, ranked #9,475.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 412 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Nettleship surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nettleship surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nettleship 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 312 #7,397
1861 historical 289 #8,711
1881 historical 379 #8,268
1891 historical 412 #8,653
1901 historical 405 #9,405
1911 historical 396 #9,354
1997 modern 578 #8,362
1998 modern 603 #8,365
1999 modern 603 #8,419
2000 modern 586 #8,542
2001 modern 577 #8,514
2002 modern 589 #8,561
2003 modern 560 #8,717
2004 modern 556 #8,794
2005 modern 580 #8,470
2006 modern 568 #8,626
2007 modern 568 #8,690
2008 modern 553 #8,924
2009 modern 574 #8,880
2010 modern 575 #9,052
2011 modern 592 #8,782
2012 modern 559 #9,063
2013 modern 538 #9,514
2014 modern 545 #9,461
2015 modern 539 #9,477
2016 modern 537 #9,475

Geography

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Where Nettleships are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mexborough, Halifax, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Eckington and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derby, Rotherham, Doncaster, Wakefield and Mansfield. 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 Mexborough Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Eckington Derbyshire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derby 029 Derby
2 Rotherham 030 Rotherham
3 Doncaster 032 Doncaster
4 Wakefield 027 Wakefield
5 Mansfield 004 Mansfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nettleship

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nettleship

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Nettleship surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Nettleship household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Nettleship is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nettleship is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nettleship falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Nettleship

The surname Nettleship originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words 'netele' meaning 'nettle' and 'schipe' meaning 'ship', suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a nettle patch or worked on ships transporting nettles.

The earliest recorded instance of the Nettleship surname dates back to the 13th century in the county of Nottinghamshire, where a John Nettleshipp was mentioned in the Rotuli Hundredorum records from 1273. During this time, surnames were often derived from occupations, locations, or physical characteristics.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Nettelschip, Nettelshyp, and Nettleshyppe, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in those times. One notable Nettleship from this era was Richard Nettleship, a landowner in Lincolnshire mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.

The 16th century saw the Nettleship name spread to other parts of England, with records showing families in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire. During this period, a Walter Nettleship was recorded in the parish registers of Duffield, Derbyshire, in 1587.

In the 17th century, the Nettleship family became well-established in the county of Oxfordshire. One notable figure was Richard Nettleship (1618-1688), a theologian and fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, who authored several religious works.

The 18th century brought forth John Nettleship (1733-1806), a renowned English copper-plate engraver and artist, whose works included landscapes and portraits. He was born in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, and his engravings were highly sought after by collectors.

Moving into the 19th century, Henry Nettleship (1839-1893) was a distinguished English classical scholar and author. He served as the Corpus Christi Professor of Latin Literature at Oxford University and made significant contributions to the study of ancient Roman literature.

Another notable Nettleship was Richard Lewis Nettleship (1846-1892), a philosopher and author who held the position of Corpus Christi Professor of Latin Literature at Oxford University. He was a respected figure in the field of ancient philosophy and wrote extensively on the works of Plato and the neo-Platonists.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nettleship families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nettleship 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. Yorkshire leads with 144 Nettleships recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.94x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 144 3.94x
Nottinghamshire 68 13.68x
Middlesex 33 0.89x
Derbyshire 31 5.37x
Lincolnshire 23 3.90x
Dumfriesshire 13 15.96x
Surrey 12 0.67x
Durham 9 0.82x
Warwickshire 8 0.86x
Essex 7 0.96x
Lanarkshire 6 0.50x
Oxfordshire 5 2.20x
Lancashire 4 0.09x
Northumberland 4 0.73x
Cumberland 2 0.63x
Kent 2 0.16x
Rutland 2 7.39x
Denbighshire 1 0.72x
Somerset 1 0.17x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x
Sussex 1 0.16x
Worcestershire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eckington in Derbyshire leads with 22 Nettleships recorded in 1881 and an index of 156.92x.

Place Total Index
Eckington 22 156.92x
Nottingham St Mary 22 17.11x
Halifax 19 35.42x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 14 41.13x
Handsworth 14 144.93x
Market Rasen 13 393.94x
Sheffield 11 9.46x
Poplar London 10 14.37x
Stockton On Tees 9 17.02x
Applegarth 8 645.16x
Haverah Park 7 8750.00x
Lambeth 7 2.18x
Mile End Old Town 7 12.03x
Norwell 7 1346.15x
Brightside Bierlow 6 8.37x
Cambusnethan 6 22.65x
Danby Commondale 6 1500.00x
Rotherham 6 29.13x
Rufford 6 1428.57x
Wanstead 6 47.06x
Whitwood 6 115.61x
Barton On The Heath 5 2083.33x
Denaby 5 241.55x
Harworth 5 724.64x
Holy Trinity 5 5.69x
Letwell 5 3333.33x
Moffat 5 134.41x
Skirbeck 5 151.52x
Staveley 5 48.78x
Holywell 4 373.83x
Ratcliffe London 4 19.65x
Alnwick 3 31.81x
Barmbrough 3 223.88x
Boughton 3 810.81x
Chapel Allerton 3 54.84x
Dewsbury 3 8.01x
Gringley On Hill 3 285.71x
Hodsock 3 1071.43x
Mexborough 3 41.38x
Mortlake 3 37.45x
Radford 3 11.88x
Scarborough 3 9.04x
Shirland 3 69.44x
Snenton 3 15.36x
St Marylebone London 3 1.52x
Ardwick 2 5.07x
Askham 2 714.29x
Bawtry 2 173.91x
Beckingham 2 350.88x
Bentley Cum Arksey 2 104.71x
Bramley In Rotherham 2 392.16x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 2.69x
Ecclesfield 2 7.47x
Featherstone 2 48.78x
Islington London 2 0.56x
Langham 2 232.56x
Leamington 2 32.47x
Mansfield 2 11.63x
Paddington London 2 1.48x
Plumstead 2 4.77x
St Botolph Aldersgate 2 47.28x
St Maryle Wigford 2 43.67x
Sutton 2 425.53x
Thorne 2 44.15x
Wimbledon 2 9.92x
Yarm 2 106.38x
Beamsley In Skipton 1 434.78x
Clifton In York 1 13.09x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 3.60x
Farnley In Wharfedale 1 555.56x
Harrington 1 26.11x
Kidderminster Foreign 1 14.68x
Llandrillo Yn Rhos 1 48.54x
Manningham 1 2.22x
Ordsall 1 26.25x
Ruswarp Hawsker Cum 1 111.11x
Scotton 1 303.03x
Selston 1 18.02x
St Andrew Holborn 1 8.00x
Whiston 1 56.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Elizabeth 11
Sarah 10
Edith 9
Ann 7
Annie 6
Eliza 6
Emma 6
Jane 6
Ellen 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Maria 4
Alice 3
Amy 3
Anne 3
Emily 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Ada 2
Elizth. 2
Gertrude 2
Harriett 2
Hilda 2
Kate 2
Rose 2
Agness 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Flora 1
Flory 1
Ida 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
Lavina 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
M. 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 28
William 21
John 16
Thomas 16
Charles 12
James 9
Edward 6
Henry 6
Richard 5
Robert 5
Herbert 4
Arthur 3
Joseph 3
Thos. 3
Alfred 2
Jonathan 2
Josh. 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Albert 1
Anthony 1
Basil 1
Bayne 1
Chas. 1
Chas.L. 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Ezekiel 1
Frederick 1
Geo.L. 1
Gerard 1
Harry 1
J.H. 1
Jno. 1
Josh.Alf. 1
Noel 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Phillip 1
Stephen 1
T.W. 1
Tom 1
Willey 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Nettleship surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nettleship surname in 1881?

In 1881, 379 people were recorded with the Nettleship surname. That placed it at #8,268 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nettleship surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 537 in 2016. That gives Nettleship a modern rank of #9,475.

What does the Nettleship surname mean?

A surname derived from a location containing an abundance of stinging nettles.

What does the Nettleship map show?

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