NameCensus.

UK surname

Partington

A locational surname derived from the town of Partington in Cheshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 4,237 people recorded with the Partington surname, ranking it #1,056 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,840, ranked #1,766, down from #1,056 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Manchester and Dean. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Partington is 5,378 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.4%.

1881 census count

4,237

Ranked #1,056

Modern count

3,840

2016, ranked #1,766

Peak year

1911

5,378 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Partington had 4,237 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,056 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,840 in 2016, ranked #1,766.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,378 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Partington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Partington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Partington 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 2,546 #1,163
1861 historical 2,460 #1,187
1881 historical 4,237 #1,056
1891 historical 4,392 #1,076
1901 historical 5,169 #1,085
1911 historical 5,378 #969
1997 modern 4,002 #1,618
1998 modern 4,117 #1,637
1999 modern 4,192 #1,625
2000 modern 4,158 #1,630
2001 modern 4,098 #1,606
2002 modern 4,102 #1,655
2003 modern 3,990 #1,656
2004 modern 3,964 #1,670
2005 modern 3,856 #1,693
2006 modern 3,871 #1,686
2007 modern 3,870 #1,704
2008 modern 3,875 #1,715
2009 modern 3,967 #1,713
2010 modern 4,023 #1,722
2011 modern 3,972 #1,721
2012 modern 3,846 #1,746
2013 modern 3,944 #1,740
2014 modern 3,954 #1,741
2015 modern 3,887 #1,747
2016 modern 3,840 #1,766

Geography

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Where Partingtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Manchester, Dean, Bolton-le-Moors and Middleton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan and Bolton. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Dean Lancashire
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Middleton Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 025 Wigan
2 Bolton 030 Bolton
3 Bolton 029 Bolton
4 Bolton 033 Bolton
5 Bolton 031 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Partington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Partington

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Partington is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Partington 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

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

Meaning and origin of Partington

The surname Partington originated in England, likely in the region of Lancashire, during the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational surname derived from the place name "Partington," which refers to a town in the historic county of Cheshire. The name itself is thought to come from the Old English words "Pearl" (a person's name) and "tun" (meaning an enclosure or settlement), suggesting it was originally a place associated with someone named Pearl.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Partington can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where it appears as "de Partington." This indicates that the name was already well-established by the late 12th century. The Hundred Rolls of Cheshire from 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Partington, further solidifying its presence in the region during the Middle Ages.

Notable individuals bearing the Partington surname throughout history include John Partington (c. 1644-1715), an English academic and churchman who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Another prominent figure was Ralph Partington (c. 1564-1647), an English clergyman and author who published several works on theology and religious subjects.

In the 18th century, James Partington (1715-1774) was a successful businessman and merchant in Liverpool, while his contemporary, John Partington (1723-1799), was a renowned mathematician and astronomer. Additionally, Charles Frederick Partington (1810-1890) was a noted British chemist and author who published extensively on scientific subjects during the Victorian era.

While the Partington surname has its roots in the northwest of England, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond. Over the centuries, various spelling variations have emerged, including Partinton, Partyngton, and Parttington, reflecting the evolution of the name and its geographic distribution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Partington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Partington 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 3,425 Partingtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.96x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,425 6.96x
Cheshire 262 2.86x
Middlesex 100 0.24x
Yorkshire 98 0.24x
Surrey 52 0.26x
Worcestershire 48 0.89x
Staffordshire 33 0.24x
Warwickshire 29 0.28x
Cumberland 18 0.50x
Devon 16 0.19x
Derbyshire 15 0.23x
Shropshire 14 0.39x
Dunbartonshire 13 1.17x
Gloucestershire 13 0.16x
Isle of Man 13 1.69x
Sussex 12 0.17x
Denbighshire 11 0.70x
Kent 11 0.08x
Flintshire 8 0.72x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.14x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.28x
Lincolnshire 6 0.09x
Hertfordshire 5 0.18x
Herefordshire 4 0.24x
Northumberland 4 0.06x
Dorset 3 0.11x
Fife 3 0.12x
Westmorland 3 0.33x
Berkshire 2 0.06x
Lanarkshire 2 0.01x
Royal Navy 2 0.40x
Somerset 2 0.03x
Durham 1 0.01x
Hampshire 1 0.01x
Leicestershire 1 0.02x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Perthshire 1 0.05x
Renfrewshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middleton In Oldham in Lancashire leads with 177 Partingtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 120.02x.

Place Total Index
Middleton In Oldham 177 120.02x
Westhoughton 154 117.33x
Farnworth 144 48.87x
Hopwood 123 191.29x
Great Bolton 108 16.58x
Salford 104 7.19x
Tonge 96 93.03x
Castleton 95 19.34x
Manchester 94 4.25x
Heap 93 35.65x
Atherton 88 49.16x
Chadderton 85 35.35x
Worsley 82 27.05x
Little Bolton 81 12.81x
Kearsley 76 73.44x
Ashton Under Lyne 75 6.98x
Oldham 74 4.66x
Radcliffe 70 29.53x
Halliwell 61 34.08x
Hulme 61 5.94x
Little Hulton 60 73.67x
Hindley 51 24.32x
Blackburn 50 3.82x
Little Lever 46 73.13x
Prestwich 44 35.86x
Newton 43 11.34x
Rumworth 43 61.18x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 41 28.96x
Barton Upon Irwell 40 10.80x
Everton 40 2.55x
Pendleton In Salford 40 6.83x
Broughton In Salford 39 8.67x
Stockport 35 7.43x
Blackley 31 35.95x
Middle Hulton 31 106.42x
Lostock 26 234.23x
Pilkington 26 13.92x
Blackrod 25 40.90x
Over Hulton 25 178.83x
Pendlebury 25 24.08x
Chorlton On Medlock 24 3.07x
West Derby 24 1.67x
Bedford 23 22.36x
Pennington In Leigh 22 23.32x
Bury 21 3.74x
Ardwick 20 4.51x
Blatchinworth 20 17.86x
Chester St John Baptist 20 12.16x
Clifton 19 51.49x
Horwich 19 35.42x
Kensington London 19 0.82x
Liverpool 19 0.64x
Preston 19 1.44x
Wigan 19 2.76x
Macclesfield 18 4.43x
Breightmet 17 78.56x
Camberwell 17 0.64x
Chorley 17 6.16x
Little Heaton 17 144.68x
Crompton 15 10.71x
Halifax 15 2.49x
North Meols 15 3.12x
Warrington 15 2.57x
Crumpsall 14 12.08x
Bonhill 13 7.27x
Great Lever 13 24.91x
Tonge With Haulgh 13 13.58x
Alkrington 12 222.63x
Aston 12 0.42x
Hyde 12 4.44x
Lambeth 12 0.33x
Aspull 11 9.51x
Cheetham 11 3.00x
Dukinfield 11 2.60x
Lonan 11 23.60x
Moston 11 22.30x
Over Darwen 11 2.80x
Standish With Langtree 11 18.16x
Tamworth 11 14.70x
Willesden 11 2.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 349
Sarah 216
Elizabeth 151
Alice 126
Ellen 89
Ann 86
Jane 80
Hannah 75
Margaret 66
Eliza 60
Martha 55
Annie 53
Emily 40
Emma 36
Betsy 35
Maria 30
Betty 28
Amelia 23
Clara 21
Edith 21
Harriet 20
Ada 18
Esther 18
Lucy 18
Catherine 15
Louisa 15
Agnes 14
Florence 14
Frances 14
Fanny 13
Charlotte 12
Rebecca 12
Caroline 11
Susannah 11
Nancy 10
Eleanor 9
Elizth. 9
Isabella 9
Kate 9
Lydia 9
Bertha 8
Rachel 8
Anne 7
Leah 7
Matilda 7
Gertrude 6
Helen 6
Amy 5
Ethel 5
Margt. 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 308
James 219
William 202
Thomas 174
Joseph 113
George 70
Samuel 61
Robert 54
Charles 53
Richard 51
Henry 45
Edward 44
Alfred 26
Harry 22
Peter 22
Thos. 22
Herbert 21
David 19
Albert 17
Arthur 17
Ernest 17
Frederick 17
Moses 17
Wm. 17
Edwin 16
Walter 16
Edmund 15
Ralph 12
Frank 10
Fred 10
Benjamin 9
Tom 9
Harold 8
Jacob 8
Jonathan 8
Abraham 7
Jno. 7
Joshua 7
Richd. 7
Aaron 6
Adam 6
Chas. 6
Daniel 6
Fredk. 6
Enoch 5
Eri 5
Isaac 5
Jas. 5
Jesse 5
Nathan 5

FAQ

Partington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Partington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,237 people were recorded with the Partington surname. That placed it at #1,056 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Partington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,840 in 2016. That gives Partington a modern rank of #1,766.

What does the Partington surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the town of Partington in Cheshire, England.

What does the Partington map show?

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