NameCensus.

UK surname

Nutter

An occupational surname for a person who gathered or processed nuts, or a nickname for an eccentric person.

In the 1881 census there were 2,278 people recorded with the Nutter surname, ranking it #1,962 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,284, ranked #4,666, down from #1,962 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Preston, Bradford and Whalley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pendle, Ribble Valley and Burnley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nutter is 2,911 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 43.6%.

1881 census count

2,278

Ranked #1,962

Modern count

1,284

2016, ranked #4,666

Peak year

1911

2,911 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nutter had 2,278 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,962 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,284 in 2016, ranked #4,666.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,911 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Nutter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nutter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nutter 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 1,352 #2,125
1861 historical 1,073 #2,625
1881 historical 2,278 #1,962
1891 historical 2,040 #2,262
1901 historical 2,667 #2,071
1911 historical 2,911 #1,790
1997 modern 1,521 #3,867
1998 modern 1,537 #3,970
1999 modern 1,562 #3,943
2000 modern 1,548 #3,956
2001 modern 1,506 #3,971
2002 modern 1,522 #4,022
2003 modern 1,426 #4,159
2004 modern 1,403 #4,213
2005 modern 1,372 #4,260
2006 modern 1,377 #4,254
2007 modern 1,376 #4,287
2008 modern 1,382 #4,299
2009 modern 1,356 #4,441
2010 modern 1,386 #4,439
2011 modern 1,374 #4,423
2012 modern 1,316 #4,513
2013 modern 1,341 #4,523
2014 modern 1,329 #4,589
2015 modern 1,298 #4,642
2016 modern 1,284 #4,666

Geography

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Where Nutters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Preston, Bradford, Whalley and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pendle, Ribble Valley and Burnley. 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 Preston Lancashire
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Whalley Lancashire
4 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pendle 008 Pendle
2 Ribble Valley 001 Ribble Valley
3 Pendle 001 Pendle
4 Pendle 006 Pendle
5 Burnley 004 Burnley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nutter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nutter

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Nutter, 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 Nutter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Nutter 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, Nutter 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

Nutter is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Nutter

The surname Nutter is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word "nott" or "not," which means "nut" or "nutkin." It was likely an occupational surname given to a person who gathered or sold nuts. The name can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of northern England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nutter can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, where a John le Nutter is mentioned. The prefix "le" was commonly used in medieval times to denote a person's occupation or place of origin.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Nuttour," "Nuter," and "Nuttar" in various records and documents from the region. The spellings began to standardize to "Nutter" by the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Nutter family has a long history in the village of Haworth, Yorkshire, where they were prominent landowners and farmers. John Nutter (1679-1753), a wealthy clothier and landowner from Haworth, was a notable figure who left a significant portion of his estate to fund the building of a new church in the village.

Another notable Nutter was Thomas Nutter (1764-1846), a renowned clockmaker from Pendle, Lancashire. His longcase clocks are highly prized by collectors and can be found in various museums and private collections.

In the 19th century, Isaac Nutter (1837-1905), a businessman and philanthropist from Bradford, Yorkshire, made significant contributions to the city's development. He founded the Nutter Orphanage and was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions in the area.

The name Nutter also has connections to the infamous Pendle Witch Trials of 1612, where members of the Nutter family were accused of witchcraft. Alice Nutter, a wealthy landowner, was one of the accused and was eventually executed for her alleged involvement in the trials.

While the surname Nutter is predominantly found in northern England, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. Some notable Nutters include Charles Nutter (1858-1951), an English cricketer who played for Lancashire, and Jonathan Nutter (born 1957), an American actor and screenwriter known for his work in films like "Firefly" and "Serenity."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nutter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nutter 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. Lancashire leads with 1,334 Nutters recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.05x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,334 5.05x
Yorkshire 553 2.51x
Middlesex 66 0.30x
Kent 46 0.61x
Cheshire 33 0.67x
Durham 33 0.50x
Cumberland 25 1.30x
Surrey 17 0.16x
Bedfordshire 16 1.39x
Cambridgeshire 16 1.13x
Hampshire 16 0.35x
Leicestershire 16 0.65x
Northumberland 14 0.42x
Derbyshire 12 0.34x
Warwickshire 12 0.21x
Sussex 11 0.29x
Westmorland 10 2.04x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.27x
Worcestershire 8 0.28x
Hertfordshire 7 0.46x
Lanarkshire 5 0.07x
Lincolnshire 5 0.14x
Essex 4 0.09x
Staffordshire 4 0.05x
Angus 1 0.05x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.07x
Channel Islands 1 0.15x
Devon 1 0.02x
Dorset 1 0.07x
Oxfordshire 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.38x
Somerset 1 0.03x
Wigtownshire 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Little Marsden in Lancashire leads with 252 Nutters recorded in 1881 and an index of 208.26x.

Place Total Index
Great Little Marsden 252 208.26x
Habergham Eaves 130 53.84x
Burnley 129 57.99x
Barrowford Booth 79 270.27x
Preston 61 8.63x
Colne 60 76.25x
Holbeck 40 27.37x
Leeds 38 3.05x
Bingley 37 26.34x
Barnoldswick 34 110.43x
Hunslet 29 8.43x
Huddersfield 27 8.40x
Thornton In Craven 25 141.24x
Manningham 24 8.83x
Padiham 24 37.61x
Clitheroe 23 29.58x
Astley 22 107.95x
Tottington Higher End 22 73.16x
Briercliffe Cum 21 239.73x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 21 27.62x
Cliviger 20 134.50x
Walmersley Cum 20 47.38x
Castleton 19 7.20x
Cleckheaton 19 23.38x
Spotland 19 6.47x
Bradford 18 3.37x
Wortley In Bramley 18 10.30x
Pendleton In Clitheroe 17 170.00x
Islington London 16 0.74x
Manchester 16 1.35x
Skipton 16 23.05x
Hipperholme Cum 15 15.48x
Oswaldtwistle 15 16.07x
Pendleton In Salford 15 4.77x
Rawdon 15 57.74x
Salford 15 1.93x
Blackburn 14 1.99x
Elland Cum Greetland 14 14.09x
Goldshaw Booth 14 516.61x
North Meols 14 5.41x
Accrington 13 5.41x
Hackney London 13 1.04x
Leicester St Margaret 13 2.16x
Oldham 13 1.52x
Whalley 13 33.77x
Brinnington 12 26.14x
Crompton 12 15.95x
Over Darwen 12 5.69x
Read 12 169.97x
Baildon 11 26.48x
Heptonstall 11 35.54x
Horton In Bradford 11 3.19x
Allerton 10 35.56x
Brogden With Admirgill 10 1204.82x
Clayton Le Moors 10 19.51x
Keighley 10 4.25x
Littlehampton 10 33.38x
Tottington Lower End 10 7.97x
Trawden 10 60.50x
Tunstall 10 30.33x
Bolton By Bowland 9 168.22x
Chatburn 9 152.80x
Cheadle 9 9.59x
Chislet 9 104.90x
Church 9 24.13x
Glossop Dale 9 5.51x
Little Bolton 9 2.65x
Lytham 9 22.32x
Portsea 9 1.01x
Riseley 9 123.29x
Stansfield 9 11.09x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 1.39x
Bromley London 8 1.63x
Cheetham 8 4.06x
Haslingden 8 7.31x
Hulme 8 1.45x
Lancaster 8 5.09x
Newington 8 0.97x
Tudhoe 8 13.81x
Wadsworth 8 22.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 179
Sarah 111
Elizabeth 86
Jane 54
Ann 44
Margaret 44
Alice 43
Martha 43
Ellen 42
Hannah 25
Annie 20
Susannah 20
Emma 19
Eliza 18
Ada 16
Emily 16
Isabella 16
Nancy 14
Agnes 13
Clara 13
Betty 12
Fanny 11
Harriet 11
Edith 10
Betsy 9
Esther 9
Maria 9
Grace 8
Lucy 7
Ruth 7
Anne 6
Caroline 6
Charlotte 6
Matilda 6
Beatrice 5
Bertha 5
Eleanor 5
Laura 5
Louisa 5
Margt. 5
Rebecca 5
Sophia 5
Susan 5
Amelia 4
Catharine 4
Ethel 4
Harriett 4
Minnie 4
Miriam 4
Olive 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 152
William 124
James 97
Thomas 78
Henry 53
Richard 53
Joseph 43
Robert 42
George 38
Harry 21
Charles 20
Arthur 18
Samuel 18
Albert 14
Alfred 13
Ellis 13
Walter 11
Daniel 9
Fred 9
Benjamin 8
Edward 8
Ernest 8
Hartley 8
Herbert 7
Christopher 6
David 6
Frank 6
Frederick 6
Geo. 6
Willie 6
Edwin 5
Francis 5
Peter 5
Thos. 5
Tom 5
Abraham 4
Jesse 4
Adam 3
Bannister 3
Edmund 3
Eli 3
Ephraim 3
Harold 3
Johnny 3
Leonard 3
Levi 3
Luke 3
Sam 3
Stephen 3
Dan 2

FAQ

Nutter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nutter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,278 people were recorded with the Nutter surname. That placed it at #1,962 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nutter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,284 in 2016. That gives Nutter a modern rank of #4,666.

What does the Nutter surname mean?

An occupational surname for a person who gathered or processed nuts, or a nickname for an eccentric person.

What does the Nutter map show?

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