NameCensus.

UK surname

Nott

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "a rocky ridge" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,111 people recorded with the Nott surname, ranking it #2,093 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,907, ranked #3,334, down from #2,093 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braintree, Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nott is 2,433 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.7%.

1881 census count

2,111

Ranked #2,093

Modern count

1,907

2016, ranked #3,334

Peak year

1911

2,433 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nott had 2,111 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,093 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,907 in 2016, ranked #3,334.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,433 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Nott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nott surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Nott 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 1,719 #1,677
1861 historical 1,386 #2,072
1881 historical 2,111 #2,093
1891 historical 2,006 #2,295
1901 historical 2,224 #2,430
1911 historical 2,433 #2,109
1997 modern 2,051 #2,996
1998 modern 2,151 #2,977
1999 modern 2,142 #3,010
2000 modern 2,133 #3,002
2001 modern 2,049 #3,045
2002 modern 2,074 #3,080
2003 modern 1,960 #3,171
2004 modern 1,950 #3,184
2005 modern 1,919 #3,194
2006 modern 1,907 #3,221
2007 modern 1,893 #3,263
2008 modern 1,879 #3,305
2009 modern 1,930 #3,307
2010 modern 1,965 #3,322
2011 modern 1,938 #3,330
2012 modern 1,890 #3,338
2013 modern 1,919 #3,349
2014 modern 1,922 #3,360
2015 modern 1,898 #3,368
2016 modern 1,907 #3,334

Geography

Back to top

Where Notts are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Braintree, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Mid Devon and Malvern Hills. 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 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braintree 002 Braintree
2 Caerphilly 020 Caerphilly
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 005 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Mid Devon 010 Mid Devon
5 Malvern Hills 002 Malvern Hills

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Nott

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Nott

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

Nott is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Nott

The surname Nott is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "hnot" meaning "nut" or "nut tree." It was likely initially a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near a nut tree or grove of nut trees.

The name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "de la Notte" in Norfolk. This suggests that the name was already established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Richard de la Notte, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176. The name was also found in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appeared as "atte Notte" in Oxfordshire.

The spelling of the name evolved over time, with variants including Nott, Notte, and Nutt. It was also sometimes associated with place names like Notte in Wiltshire or Notte Sutton in Kent.

Notable individuals with the surname Nott include Sir John Nott (1751-1826), a British diplomat and politician who served as Governor of Virginia and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Netherlands. Another was Sir William Nott (1782-1845), a British Army officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and the First Anglo-Afghan War.

In the literary world, John Nott (1751-1826) was an English clergyman and scholar who published editions of classical works, while George Frederick Nott (1768-1841) was an English poet and playwright.

John Mercer Nott (1786-1879) was an American physician and educator who served as the third President of Union College in New York.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Nott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nott 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. Devon leads with 340 Notts recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.92x.

County Total Index
Devon 340 7.92x
Middlesex 326 1.58x
Worcestershire 218 8.10x
Gloucestershire 200 4.95x
Surrey 172 1.71x
Somerset 96 2.89x
Essex 82 2.02x
Herefordshire 65 7.69x
Glamorgan 55 1.53x
Cornwall 54 2.31x
Staffordshire 49 0.70x
Wiltshire 47 2.58x
Lancashire 44 0.18x
Warwickshire 37 0.71x
Berkshire 36 2.33x
Yorkshire 30 0.15x
Hertfordshire 29 2.04x
Shropshire 29 1.63x
Monmouthshire 26 1.74x
Kent 20 0.28x
Hampshire 16 0.38x
Northumberland 16 0.52x
Sussex 16 0.46x
Radnorshire 10 6.01x
Dorset 9 0.67x
Northamptonshire 8 0.41x
Suffolk 8 0.32x
Brecknockshire 7 1.70x
Denbighshire 7 0.90x
Oxfordshire 7 0.55x
Derbyshire 6 0.19x
Leicestershire 6 0.26x
Cheshire 5 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.32x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.46x
Norfolk 4 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.14x
Royal Navy 4 1.63x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.23x
Midlothian 3 0.11x
Durham 2 0.03x
Flintshire 2 0.36x
Lanarkshire 2 0.03x
Bedfordshire 1 0.09x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.12x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.59x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 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. Bristol St George in Gloucestershire leads with 44 Notts recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.53x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St George 44 23.53x
Dudley 39 11.92x
Bedminster 36 11.55x
Kensington London 32 2.79x
Tiverton 32 43.30x
Barnstaple 30 44.54x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 28 7.36x
Buckland West 28 1076.92x
Camberwell 28 2.13x
St Pancras London 27 1.63x
Mile End Old Town London 24 5.47x
Hackney London 22 1.90x
Lambeth 22 1.22x
Bethnal Green London 19 2.12x
Chelsea London 19 3.06x
Islington London 19 0.95x
Kidderminster Borough 19 12.06x
Aston 18 1.26x
Birmingham 18 1.04x
Harpenden 18 83.06x
Toxteth Park 18 2.17x
Westminster St James 18 8.50x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 17 46.17x
West Ham 17 1.89x
Bampton 16 121.77x
Cheltenham 16 5.13x
Kingston On Thames 16 6.63x
Tynemouth 16 9.74x
Bristol St Paul In 15 13.93x
Great Malvern 15 26.71x
Plymouth Charles The 15 7.94x
Rackenford 15 585.94x
Battersea 14 1.85x
Cardiff St Mary 14 7.08x
Paddington London 14 1.85x
South Molton 14 59.40x
Witheridge 14 193.64x
Wolverley 14 59.25x
Martley 13 168.61x
St George Hanover Square 13 3.58x
Topsham 13 64.20x
Westbury On Trym 13 9.49x
Chulmleigh 12 122.83x
Hammersmith London 12 2.36x
St Marylebone London 12 1.09x
Wolverhampton 12 2.24x
Claines 11 14.89x
Malpas 11 491.07x
Randwick 11 138.02x
Wimbledon 11 9.76x
Barking 10 8.40x
Bermondsey 10 1.63x
North Molton 10 119.62x
Pebmarsh 10 273.97x
Pensax 10 297.62x
St Austell 10 12.54x
Stourbridge 10 14.44x
Streatham 10 6.54x
Swansea Town 10 3.40x
Cookham 9 18.66x
Cranleigh 9 61.22x
East Stonehouse 9 10.65x
Great Totham 9 170.45x
Linton In Bromyard 9 243.90x
Nash 9 217.39x
Newington 9 1.18x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 2.72x
St Mewan 9 125.17x
Taunton St Mary 9 14.78x
Westminster St Margaret 9 9.05x
Bitterley 8 113.64x
Bitton 8 22.73x
Brighton 8 1.14x
Gorran 8 122.14x
Hockworthy 8 370.37x
Isleworth 8 8.73x
Overbury 8 169.49x
Raddington 8 1159.42x
Rock 8 74.42x
Saffron Walden 8 18.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 144
Elizabeth 91
Sarah 52
Ann 39
Eliza 38
Ellen 38
Jane 37
Emily 33
Alice 31
Emma 27
Annie 26
Florence 20
Louisa 18
Maria 18
Fanny 17
Edith 16
Anne 15
Hannah 15
Martha 15
Charlotte 14
Caroline 13
Ada 12
Kate 12
Amelia 11
Bessie 11
Catherine 11
Harriet 11
Lucy 10
Susan 10
Frances 9
Agnes 8
Grace 8
Julia 8
Rose 8
Sophia 8
Beatrice 7
Clara 7
Gertrude 7
Margaret 7
Amy 6
Anna 6
Bertha 6
Minnie 6
Laura 5
Lydia 5
Rosa 5
Eleanor 4
Harriett 4
Kezia 4
Marian 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 141
John 114
George 78
Thomas 48
James 45
Henry 42
Charles 39
Joseph 28
Samuel 26
Alfred 24
Albert 22
Frederick 21
Arthur 20
Edward 20
Robert 19
Richard 17
Walter 17
Edwin 15
Herbert 12
Francis 11
Harry 11
Wm. 11
Frank 10
Benjamin 9
Daniel 7
Ernest 7
Fred 5
Stephen 5
Sydney 4
David 3
Frederic 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Louis 3
Percy 3
Sidney 3
Abraham 2
Clement 2
Elias 2
Geo. 2
Hugh 2
Jas. 2
Jno. 2
Josiah 2
Lewis 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Richd. 2
Sam 2
Thos. 2

FAQ

Nott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,111 people were recorded with the Nott surname. That placed it at #2,093 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,907 in 2016. That gives Nott a modern rank of #3,334.

What does the Nott surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "a rocky ridge" in Old English.

What does the Nott map show?

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