NameCensus.

UK surname

Pittaway

A surname derived from the Old English term for a man living at the pit or quarry.

In the 1881 census there were 576 people recorded with the Pittaway surname, ranking it #6,047 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,080, ranked #5,407, up from #6,047 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Shipton-under-Wychwood, Fulbrook, Swinbrook, Taynton, Asthall and Wednesbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Coventry, Bolsover and Cheltenham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pittaway is 1,140 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.5%.

1881 census count

576

Ranked #6,047

Modern count

1,080

2016, ranked #5,407

Peak year

2002

1,140 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pittaway had 576 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,047 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,080 in 2016, ranked #5,407.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 905 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Pittaway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pittaway surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pittaway 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 258 #8,568
1861 historical 286 #8,793
1881 historical 576 #6,047
1891 historical 705 #5,565
1901 historical 856 #5,331
1911 historical 905 #4,931
1997 modern 1,099 #5,072
1998 modern 1,131 #5,130
1999 modern 1,130 #5,179
2000 modern 1,131 #5,156
2001 modern 1,119 #5,097
2002 modern 1,140 #5,127
2003 modern 1,095 #5,202
2004 modern 1,117 #5,123
2005 modern 1,088 #5,170
2006 modern 1,083 #5,205
2007 modern 1,054 #5,369
2008 modern 1,063 #5,363
2009 modern 1,069 #5,456
2010 modern 1,106 #5,412
2011 modern 1,090 #5,420
2012 modern 1,095 #5,312
2013 modern 1,131 #5,254
2014 modern 1,121 #5,315
2015 modern 1,091 #5,383
2016 modern 1,080 #5,407

Geography

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Where Pittaways are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Shipton-under-Wychwood, Fulbrook, Swinbrook, Taynton, Asthall, Wednesbury, Droitwich St Andrew and St Mary, Droitwich St Nicholas, Dodderhill (Dodderhill in Liberties), Malbor and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Coventry, Bolsover and Cheltenham. 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 Shipton-under-Wychwood Oxfordshire
2 Fulbrook, Swinbrook, Taynton, Asthall Oxfordshire
3 Wednesbury Staffordshire
4 Droitwich St Andrew and St Mary, Droitwich St Nicholas, Dodderhill (Dodderhill in Liberties), Malbor Worcestershire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Coventry 014 Coventry
2 Bolsover 006 Bolsover
3 Coventry 033 Coventry
4 Cheltenham 007 Cheltenham
5 Coventry 017 Coventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pittaway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pittaway

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Pittaway surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Pittaway household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Pittaway 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

Pittaway is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pittaway falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pittaway is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Pittaway

The surname Pittaway is an English locational name derived from the place name Pyttway or Pitway, which refers to a small village or hamlet located along a pit or holloway. The name's origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, around the 13th or 14th century.

The name is believed to have originated in the county of Somerset, where several villages with similar names existed, such as Pitway near Taunton and Pyttway near Yeovil. These place names were likely derived from the Old English words "pytt" meaning a pit or hollow, and "weg" meaning a way or path.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pittaway surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, where a John de Putteweye is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests that the name was initially pronounced with a emphasis on the second syllable.

In the 15th century, the Pittaway surname appears in various historical records, including the Feet of Fines for Somerset from 1446, which mentions a Robert Pytway. Another early example is found in the Churchwardens' Accounts of St. Mary's Church in Taunton, where a Thomas Pytway is listed as a parishioner in 1486.

Notable individuals with the Pittaway surname throughout history include:

1. Sir John Pittaway (1576-1644), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of King Charles I. 2. Richard Pittaway (1635-1712), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Huish Episcopi in Somerset. 3. Elizabeth Pittaway (1740-1823), a renowned English botanist and herbalist from Bristol, known for her extensive collection of pressed plants and flowers. 4. William Pittaway (1809-1881), a prominent English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Somerset and Devon. 5. Reverend Thomas Pittaway (1842-1915), a Welsh minister and author who wrote several books on religious subjects and served as the pastor of various churches in South Wales.

It is worth noting that the Pittaway surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Pittaway Farm in Somerset and Pittaway Lane in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pittaway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pittaway 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. Warwickshire leads with 168 Pittaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.84x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 168 11.84x
Oxfordshire 106 30.50x
Worcestershire 92 12.52x
Gloucestershire 53 4.80x
Staffordshire 38 2.00x
Lancashire 24 0.36x
Somerset 15 1.66x
Westmorland 13 10.51x
Middlesex 12 0.21x
Monmouthshire 9 2.21x
Durham 6 0.36x
Wiltshire 6 1.21x
Yorkshire 6 0.11x
Glamorgan 4 0.41x
Lanarkshire 4 0.22x
Lincolnshire 4 0.44x
Derbyshire 3 0.34x
Essex 3 0.27x
Northamptonshire 3 0.57x
Surrey 3 0.11x
Kent 2 0.10x
Herefordshire 1 0.43x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.13x
Royal Navy 1 1.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Taynton in Oxfordshire leads with 56 Pittaways recorded in 1881 and an index of 8750.00x.

Place Total Index
Taynton 56 8750.00x
Aston 50 12.79x
Birmingham 38 8.03x
Dudley 20 22.38x
Shipton Under Wychwood 19 848.21x
Dodderhill In Liberties 18 1782.18x
Old Stratford 18 223.88x
Barrow In Furness 15 16.51x
St Decumans Watchet 15 655.02x
Burford 13 430.46x
Kenilworth 13 162.50x
Droitwich St Nicholas 12 441.18x
Balsall 10 450.45x
Bedwellty 9 12.53x
Sedgley 9 12.75x
Flaxley 8 322.58x
Strickland Roger 8 952.38x
West Bromwich 8 7.36x
Whichford 8 1025.64x
Winchcomb 8 145.99x
Ashleworth 7 721.65x
Walsall Foreign 7 7.13x
Ashton Keynes 6 324.32x
Gloucester Holy Trinity 6 631.58x
Grimley 6 431.65x
Halliwell 6 24.68x
Pirton 6 1714.29x
Rowley Regis 6 11.33x
Clifford Chambers 5 675.68x
Curdworth 5 384.62x
Hadsor 5 2173.91x
Hartpury 5 322.58x
Kings Norton 5 7.59x
Leamington Priors 5 14.31x
Leckhampton 5 73.53x
Undermilbeck 5 122.55x
Aston Cote 4 291.97x
Baddesley Clinton 4 1538.46x
Bishopwearmouth 4 2.78x
Cirencester 4 26.77x
Scunthorpe 4 98.77x
Shipston On Stour 4 119.76x
Steeple Aston 4 305.34x
Alveston 3 161.29x
Battersea 3 1.45x
Berkeley 3 48.86x
Cannock 3 9.05x
Curbridge 3 258.62x
Droitwich St Andrew 3 162.16x
Droitwich St Peter 3 181.82x
Hanbury 3 150.75x
Merthyr Tydfil 3 3.18x
Northampton Priory St 3 9.44x
Sutton Stoneferry 3 18.80x
Claines 2 9.92x
Cockerton 2 37.24x
Dalziel 2 10.21x
Derby St Peter 2 7.13x
Everton 2 0.94x
Kidderminster Foreign 2 19.25x
Rutherglen 2 7.49x
Sculcoates 2 2.26x
Solihull 2 19.61x
St George Hanover 2 2.72x
St Marylebone London 2 0.67x
Stanford Le Hope 2 125.79x
Stratford On Avon 2 25.41x
Tamworth 2 19.69x
Westminster St James 2 3.46x
Bampton 1 37.17x
Bromley London 1 0.81x
Deerhurst 1 62.50x
Filkins 1 88.50x
Kensington London 1 0.32x
Long Compton 1 74.07x
Poplar London 1 0.94x
St Martin In Fields 1 2.97x
Wasperton 1 208.33x
Wellesbourne Hastings 1 74.63x
Wolverhampton 1 0.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 36
Sarah 27
Elizabeth 25
Ellen 14
Jane 14
Ann 11
Annie 11
Harriet 11
Eliza 10
Alice 9
Emma 9
Hannah 8
Louisa 8
Emily 6
Maria 6
Rose 6
Margaret 5
Florence 4
Martha 4
Susan 4
Caroline 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Fanny 3
Gertrude 3
Selina 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Ester 2
Harriett 2
Susannah 2
Amelia 1
Belle 1
Blanch 1
Blanche 1
Emley 1
Flora 1
K.B. 1
Kate 1
Leah 1
Lena 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Lois 1
Louicey 1
Lourie 1
Lousia 1
Tilley 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 43
John 26
George 23
Thomas 22
James 14
Charles 13
Henry 13
Joseph 10
Ernest 7
Edward 6
Richard 6
Alfred 5
Arthur 5
Edwin 5
Walter 5
Frank 3
Jas. 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Thos. 3
Albert 2
Amos 2
Anthony 2
Arther 2
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Edmund 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Alfc. 1
Christopher 1
Dennis 1
Escott 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.H. 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Jonathon 1
Leonard 1
Mathew 1
Owen 1
Raymond 1
Reuben 1
Wm.T. 1

FAQ

Pittaway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pittaway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 576 people were recorded with the Pittaway surname. That placed it at #6,047 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pittaway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,080 in 2016. That gives Pittaway a modern rank of #5,407.

What does the Pittaway surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English term for a man living at the pit or quarry.

What does the Pittaway map show?

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