NameCensus.

UK surname

Pettman

In the 1881 census there were 245 people recorded with the Pettman surname, ranking it #11,232 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 467, ranked #10,522, up from #11,232 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Herne (incl. Herne Bay Chapelry), London parishes and Woodnesborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thanet, Dover and Suffolk Coastal.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pettman is 547 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.6%.

1881 census count

245

Ranked #11,232

Modern count

467

2016, ranked #10,522

Peak year

1999

547 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pettman had 245 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,232 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 467 in 2016, ranked #10,522.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 479 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Pettman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pettman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pettman 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 149 #12,967
1861 historical 181 #12,997
1881 historical 245 #11,232
1891 historical 339 #10,089
1901 historical 455 #8,641
1911 historical 479 #8,088
1997 modern 511 #9,162
1998 modern 535 #9,118
1999 modern 547 #9,024
2000 modern 530 #9,211
2001 modern 527 #9,097
2002 modern 546 #9,029
2003 modern 524 #9,181
2004 modern 513 #9,338
2005 modern 492 #9,553
2006 modern 495 #9,554
2007 modern 502 #9,538
2008 modern 500 #9,630
2009 modern 523 #9,530
2010 modern 515 #9,821
2011 modern 495 #10,026
2012 modern 486 #10,073
2013 modern 492 #10,138
2014 modern 489 #10,253
2015 modern 475 #10,396
2016 modern 467 #10,522

Geography

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Where Pettmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Herne (incl. Herne Bay Chapelry), London parishes, Woodnesborough, Margate and Birchington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thanet, Dover and Suffolk Coastal. 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 Herne (incl. Herne Bay Chapelry) Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Woodnesborough Kent
4 Margate Kent
5 Birchington Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thanet 004 Thanet
2 Dover 010 Dover
3 Thanet 013 Thanet
4 Suffolk Coastal 009 Suffolk Coastal
5 Dover 013 Dover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pettman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pettman

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Pettman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pettman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Pettman 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

Pettman is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Pettman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pettman 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. Kent leads with 211 Pettmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.88x.

County Total Index
Kent 211 25.88x
Middlesex 10 0.42x
Yorkshire 10 0.42x
Hampshire 3 0.61x
Hertfordshire 2 1.21x
Lincolnshire 2 0.52x
Surrey 2 0.17x
Berkshire 1 0.56x
Durham 1 0.14x
Northumberland 1 0.28x
Somerset 1 0.26x
Warwickshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Margate St John Baptist in Kent leads with 50 Pettmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 334.90x.

Place Total Index
Margate St John Baptist 50 334.90x
Woodnesborough 28 3733.33x
Herne 19 526.32x
Whitstable 16 400.00x
Ramsgate 11 82.64x
Holy Trinity 10 17.56x
Canterbury St Mary 9 164.53x
Birchington 8 701.75x
Dunkirk 6 983.61x
Northbourne 6 769.23x
St Lawrence 6 106.95x
Canterbury Archbishops 5 3333.33x
Ash Next Sandwich 4 222.22x
Canterbury St Alphage 4 459.77x
Chatham 4 17.83x
Alverstoke 3 16.92x
Dover St Mary Virgin 3 38.02x
Maidstone 3 12.35x
Mile End Old Town 3 7.95x
Plumstead 3 11.04x
Cheshunt 2 34.72x
Clapham 2 6.70x
Dartford 2 23.98x
Ealing 2 9.36x
Eastchurch 2 250.00x
Folkestone 2 12.64x
Kensington London 2 1.51x
Lewisham 2 4.60x
Milton In Gravesend 2 16.35x
Minster In Thanet 2 117.65x
St Peters 2 53.05x
Barham 1 120.48x
Bedminster 1 2.77x
Bexley 1 13.87x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.64x
Bray 1 18.98x
Bromley 1 8.05x
Buckland In Dover 1 37.04x
Chiswick 1 7.66x
Clee With Weelsby 1 11.96x
Eastry 1 88.50x
Eltham 1 20.92x
Gillingham 1 5.95x
Great Grimsby 1 4.12x
Maxstoke 1 500.00x
Newnham 1 384.62x
Paddington London 1 1.14x
Pluckley 1 131.58x
Sandwich St Peter 1 116.28x
Seasalter 1 97.09x
St Pancras London 1 0.52x
Wallsend 1 8.87x
Wingham 1 106.38x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 11
James 8
John 8
Robert 8
Thomas 8
William 8
Edwin 6
Frederick 6
Charles 5
Albert 4
Henry 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Edward 2
Fred 2
Horace 2
Isaac 2
Wm. 2
Allan 1
Arthur 1
Athelstan 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
G. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Hatfield 1
Jas. 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Percy 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Stanley 1
Stephen 1
Tho. 1
Thos. 1
Thos.Ed. 1
Wallace 1

FAQ

Pettman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pettman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 245 people were recorded with the Pettman surname. That placed it at #11,232 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pettman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 467 in 2016. That gives Pettman a modern rank of #10,522.

What does the Pettman map show?

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