NameCensus.

UK surname

Ollerton

A place name referring to a town in Nottinghamshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 305 people recorded with the Ollerton surname, ranking it #9,615 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 483, ranked #10,240, down from #9,615 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Preston, Wigan and Ormskirk. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Chorley, Wigan and West Lancashire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ollerton is 542 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.4%.

1881 census count

305

Ranked #9,615

Modern count

483

2016, ranked #10,240

Peak year

2000

542 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ollerton had 305 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,615 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 483 in 2016, ranked #10,240.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 509 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Ollerton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ollerton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ollerton 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 130 #14,314
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 305 #9,615
1891 historical 344 #9,969
1901 historical 406 #9,393
1911 historical 509 #7,732
1997 modern 526 #8,963
1998 modern 521 #9,296
1999 modern 539 #9,116
2000 modern 542 #9,056
2001 modern 520 #9,192
2002 modern 534 #9,190
2003 modern 523 #9,192
2004 modern 517 #9,288
2005 modern 508 #9,340
2006 modern 499 #9,500
2007 modern 498 #9,592
2008 modern 499 #9,646
2009 modern 526 #9,487
2010 modern 522 #9,739
2011 modern 512 #9,777
2012 modern 519 #9,617
2013 modern 503 #9,979
2014 modern 502 #10,050
2015 modern 488 #10,182
2016 modern 483 #10,240

Geography

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Where Ollertons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Preston, Wigan, Ormskirk and Standish. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Chorley, Wigan and West Lancashire. 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 Wigan Lancashire
3 Ormskirk Lancashire
4 Standish Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Chorley 013 Chorley
2 Wigan 024 Wigan
3 Chorley 010 Chorley
4 West Lancashire 004 West Lancashire
5 Wigan 019 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ollerton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ollerton

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Ollerton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Ollerton 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Ollerton 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

Ollerton 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

Ollerton 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 Ollerton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ollerton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ollerton

The surname Ollerton originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Ollerton, which is found in several counties across England, including Nottinghamshire, Cheshire, and North Yorkshire.

The name Ollerton itself is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "alor" or "alr," meaning alder tree, and "tun," meaning a farmstead or village. This suggests that the name initially referred to a settlement or farmstead situated near an alder tree or alder grove.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Ollerton can be found in the Nottinghamshire County Records, where a Richard de Ollerton is mentioned in 1275. This indicates that individuals from the village of Ollerton in Nottinghamshire likely adopted the surname Ollerton.

Another early record of the name appears in the Cheshire County Records from 1327, where a William de Ollerton is listed. This suggests that the surname may have been used by individuals from different locations bearing the name Ollerton.

In the 15th century, the surname Ollerton appears in various forms, including Olyrton, Olerton, and Olierton, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time.

One notable individual with the surname Ollerton was John Ollerton, a prominent English clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He served as the Dean of Ripon Cathedral from 1587 until his death in 1604.

Another person of note was Richard Ollerton, a 17th-century English landowner and member of the gentry from Nottinghamshire. Records indicate that he owned several estates in the region.

In the 18th century, a certain Thomas Ollerton gained recognition as a skilled architect and builder. He was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in the city of Chester, including the Bluecoat School, which was completed in 1717.

Moving into the 19th century, one individual of note was William Ollerton, a respected scholar and author who published several works on the history and antiquities of Nottinghamshire. He lived from 1810 to 1884.

Lastly, in the early 20th century, there was a notable figure named Edward Ollerton, who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Nottingham South from 1918 to 1922. He was born in 1865 and passed away in 1932.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ollerton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ollerton 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 295 Ollertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.38x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 295 8.38x
Surrey 3 0.21x
Staffordshire 2 0.20x
Middlesex 1 0.03x
Norfolk 1 0.22x
Suffolk 1 0.28x
Westmorland 1 1.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coppull in Lancashire leads with 61 Ollertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3262.03x.

Place Total Index
Coppull 61 3262.03x
Standish With Langtree 40 923.79x
Lathom 35 823.53x
Skelmersdale 17 290.10x
Wigan 17 34.57x
Rainford 11 288.71x
Duxbury 8 2424.24x
Great Bolton 8 17.16x
Ince In Makerfield 8 48.87x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 8 78.97x
Worthington 8 3076.92x
Preston 7 7.43x
Salford 7 6.76x
Blackrod 6 137.30x
Chorley 6 30.38x
Dalton In Wigan 6 1200.00x
Eccleston In Chorley 6 659.34x
Everton 6 5.35x
Upholland 6 133.04x
Atherton 4 31.23x
Caterham 3 46.95x
Mawdesley 3 315.79x
Scarisbrick 3 73.53x
Eccleston In Prescot 2 11.32x
Liverpool 2 0.94x
Orrell 2 45.66x
Over Darwen 2 7.11x
Tottington Higher End 2 49.88x
Tottington Lower End 2 11.96x
Crook 1 357.14x
Lydiate 1 90.91x
Nacton 1 192.31x
Rugeley 1 13.93x
Shevington 1 62.11x
Shoreditch London 1 0.78x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 0.94x
Tilney All Sts 1 175.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Ellen 16
Alice 13
Margaret 13
Sarah 13
Elizabeth 12
Jane 12
Ann 7
Esther 6
Fanny 4
Eliz. 3
Elizebth. 3
Martha 3
Edith 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Nancy 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Eliz.A. 1
Eliza 1
Elizabth. 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
James 1
Janet 1
Katherine 1
Litty 1
Margary 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Ruth 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Richard 22
William 21
John 19
Thomas 17
James 15
Joseph 7
Wm. 5
Henry 4
George 3
Matthew 3
Peter 3
Robert 3
Andrew 2
Edward 2
Walter 2
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
H. 1
Jas. 1
Josh 1
Margaret 1
Michel 1
Moses 1
Oliver 1
Roger 1
Seth 1

FAQ

Ollerton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ollerton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 305 people were recorded with the Ollerton surname. That placed it at #9,615 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ollerton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 483 in 2016. That gives Ollerton a modern rank of #10,240.

What does the Ollerton surname mean?

A place name referring to a town in Nottinghamshire, England.

What does the Ollerton map show?

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