NameCensus.

UK surname

Orton

Derived from a place name meaning "farmstead on a shore" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 2,810 people recorded with the Orton surname, ranking it #1,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,794, ranked #1,780, down from #1,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Foleshill and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hinckley and Bosworth, Tamworth and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Orton is 4,001 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.0%.

1881 census count

2,810

Ranked #1,587

Modern count

3,794

2016, ranked #1,780

Peak year

2000

4,001 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Orton had 2,810 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,794 in 2016, ranked #1,780.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,849 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Orton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Orton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Orton 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 1,799 #1,605
1861 historical 1,447 #1,963
1881 historical 2,810 #1,587
1891 historical 2,698 #1,761
1901 historical 3,532 #1,582
1911 historical 3,849 #1,349
1997 modern 3,877 #1,673
1998 modern 3,992 #1,693
1999 modern 3,999 #1,701
2000 modern 4,001 #1,690
2001 modern 3,913 #1,690
2002 modern 3,948 #1,717
2003 modern 3,840 #1,734
2004 modern 3,853 #1,724
2005 modern 3,799 #1,717
2006 modern 3,769 #1,739
2007 modern 3,773 #1,750
2008 modern 3,778 #1,754
2009 modern 3,846 #1,762
2010 modern 3,944 #1,763
2011 modern 3,902 #1,758
2012 modern 3,823 #1,753
2013 modern 3,894 #1,759
2014 modern 3,857 #1,785
2015 modern 3,806 #1,785
2016 modern 3,794 #1,780

Geography

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Where Ortons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Foleshill, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hinckley and Bosworth, Tamworth, County Durham and Harborough. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Foleshill Warwickshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hinckley and Bosworth 006 Hinckley and Bosworth
2 Tamworth 004 Tamworth
3 County Durham 044 County Durham
4 Hinckley and Bosworth 007 Hinckley and Bosworth
5 Harborough 004 Harborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Orton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Orton

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

Orton is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Orton

The surname Orton is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "orton," which means a village or a farm near a gravelly shore or riverbank. The name first emerged in the regions of Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire, where many places bear the name Orton.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions an Ordric de Orton, a landowner in Lincolnshire. Another early reference is from the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195, where a Richard de Orton is listed.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as Orton, Oreton, and Ortion, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation. One notable bearer of the name during this period was John Orton, a member of the Parliament of England in 1295, representing the county of Northamptonshire.

The surname Orton is also associated with several place names, such as Orton Waterville and Orton Longueville in Huntingdonshire, as well as Orton-on-the-Hill and Orton Scar in Cumbria. These place names likely derived from the same Old English root as the surname.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Orton throughout history are:

1. Job Orton (1717-1783), an English Dissenting minister and writer, known for his works on theology and ecclesiastical history. 2. Reginald Orton (1899-1980), a British comic actor and playwright, best known for his collaboration with his partner, Gertie Gitana, in music hall performances. 3. Arthur Orton (1834-1898), also known as the Tichborne Claimant, who infamously impersonated Sir Roger Tichborne, a wealthy baronet, in a famous 19th-century English court case. 4. Joe Orton (1933-1967), an English playwright and author, renowned for his dark comedies and shocking black humor plays, such as "Loot" and "What the Butler Saw." 5. Randy Orton (born 1980), an American professional wrestler, currently signed with WWE and a multi-time world champion in the company.

While the surname Orton has its roots in the English countryside, it has since spread across the globe, with bearers of the name contributing to various fields, including literature, theater, and sports.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Orton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Orton 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. Leicestershire leads with 597 Ortons recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.62x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 597 19.62x
Warwickshire 470 6.79x
Middlesex 271 0.99x
Yorkshire 229 0.84x
Staffordshire 207 2.23x
Lancashire 172 0.53x
Durham 130 1.59x
Nottinghamshire 113 3.05x
Northamptonshire 86 3.33x
Derbyshire 82 1.91x
Surrey 57 0.43x
Cheshire 47 0.78x
Sussex 47 1.02x
Norfolk 40 0.95x
Kent 36 0.38x
Worcestershire 31 0.86x
Northumberland 26 0.64x
Gloucestershire 25 0.46x
Essex 20 0.37x
Huntingdonshire 20 3.67x
Hertfordshire 14 0.74x
Hampshire 12 0.21x
Lincolnshire 10 0.23x
Lanarkshire 8 0.09x
Berkshire 6 0.29x
Shropshire 6 0.25x
Suffolk 6 0.18x
Monmouthshire 5 0.25x
Glamorgan 4 0.08x
Rutland 4 1.98x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.18x
Dorset 3 0.17x
Herefordshire 3 0.27x
Isle of Man 3 0.59x
Oxfordshire 3 0.18x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.12x
Flintshire 2 0.27x
Royal Navy 2 0.61x
Bedfordshire 1 0.07x
Brecknockshire 1 0.18x
Channel Islands 1 0.12x
Devon 1 0.02x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.11x
Somerset 1 0.02x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 174 Ortons recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.44x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 174 23.44x
Aston 62 3.25x
Birmingham 55 2.38x
Wellingborough 41 31.58x
Hinckley 37 51.25x
Islington London 37 1.39x
Atherstone 36 101.81x
Coventry Holy Trinity 35 16.93x
Foleshill 32 43.94x
Darlaston 31 24.21x
Mansfield 31 24.21x
Shoreditch London 30 2.52x
Leicester St Mary 29 11.79x
Derby St Werburgh 28 11.28x
Belgrave 26 37.85x
Loughborough 26 18.83x
Bedworth 25 49.50x
Enderby 25 158.63x
Heeley 23 27.82x
Nuneaton 23 28.68x
Ripon 23 36.44x
Bow London 22 6.30x
Mancetter 22 110.50x
Wigston Magna 22 54.50x
Burton Upon Trent 21 9.69x
Salford 21 2.19x
Kensington London 19 1.25x
Blaby 17 138.78x
Horninglow 17 38.95x
Paddington London 16 1.59x
Sedgley 16 4.65x
Shilton 16 411.31x
Sutton In Ashfield 16 19.93x
Barlestone 15 225.56x
Bethnal Green London 15 1.26x
Coleshill 15 67.60x
Longdon 15 116.82x
St Marylebone London 14 0.96x
Whitwick 14 36.19x
Exhall 13 123.81x
Lambeth 13 0.54x
Liverpool 13 0.66x
Sheffield 13 1.50x
Toxteth Park 13 1.18x
Bolehall Glascote 12 40.91x
Horsham 12 13.35x
Barrow Upon Soar 11 43.76x
Bromley London 11 1.82x
Ecclesall Bierlow 11 1.99x
Grays Thurrock 11 21.84x
Leamington Priors 11 6.46x
Radford 11 5.85x
Tamworth 11 22.20x
Whitworth 11 18.40x
East Barnet 10 26.65x
Elswick 10 3.07x
Halliwell 10 8.44x
Haworth 10 15.47x
Mile End Old Town 10 2.31x
Polesworth 10 30.42x
Shenton 10 483.09x
South Kilworth 10 251.89x
Stonehouse 10 32.69x
Sutton Coldfield 10 13.74x
Willenhall 10 5.76x
Wilnecote 10 50.40x
Wingate 10 17.86x
Darlington 9 2.85x
Edmonton 9 4.07x
Everton 9 0.87x
Great Stukeley 9 229.01x
Hucknall Torkard 9 9.59x
Kings Norton 9 2.80x
Knighton 9 52.42x
Newton Regis 9 212.77x
Nottingham St Mary 9 0.94x
Pendlebury 9 13.09x
Runhall 9 491.80x
Sowe 9 72.17x
Wednesbury 9 3.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 193
Elizabeth 115
Sarah 84
Emma 62
Eliza 58
Ann 56
Alice 38
Jane 38
Hannah 36
Ellen 32
Emily 32
Annie 31
Louisa 30
Martha 27
Harriet 23
Maria 23
Florence 22
Fanny 20
Ada 19
Edith 19
Clara 17
Caroline 16
Catherine 15
Harriett 14
Anne 12
Margaret 12
Susannah 11
Frances 10
Isabella 10
Lucy 10
Sophia 10
Agnes 9
Charlotte 9
Kate 9
Susan 9
Esther 6
Ethel 6
Julia 6
Selina 6
Beatrice 5
Betsy 5
Lizzie 5
Millicent 5
Rose 5
Adelaide 4
Agness 4
Eleanor 4
Gertrude 4
Nellie 4
Rebecca 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 185
John 166
Thomas 123
George 85
Charles 72
Joseph 71
Henry 68
James 64
Arthur 44
Edward 36
Alfred 35
Samuel 27
Albert 26
Robert 26
Richard 22
Walter 20
Frederick 17
Harry 15
Frank 12
Herbert 12
Ernest 10
Wm. 10
David 8
Edwin 7
Percy 7
Tom 7
Benjamin 6
Daniel 6
Fred 6
Oliver 6
Christopher 5
Francis 5
Fredrick 5
Horace 5
Geo. 4
Isaac 4
Leonard 4
Thos. 4
Benj. 3
Earnest 3
Edgar 3
Josiah 3
Luke 3
Matthew 3
Peter 3
Reginald 3
Stephen 3
Colin 2
Philip 2
Reuben 2

FAQ

Orton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Orton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,810 people were recorded with the Orton surname. That placed it at #1,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Orton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,794 in 2016. That gives Orton a modern rank of #1,780.

What does the Orton surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "farmstead on a shore" in Old English.

What does the Orton map show?

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