NameCensus.

UK surname

Platts

An English habitational surname derived from various places so named, meaning "flat land".

In the 1881 census there were 2,006 people recorded with the Platts surname, ranking it #2,195 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,932, ranked #2,302, down from #2,195 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Chesterfield and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, Barnsley and North West Leicestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Platts is 3,153 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.2%.

1881 census count

2,006

Ranked #2,195

Modern count

2,932

2016, ranked #2,302

Peak year

1998

3,153 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Platts had 2,006 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,195 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,932 in 2016, ranked #2,302.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,708 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Platts surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Platts surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Platts 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 1,320 #2,173
1861 historical 1,210 #2,346
1881 historical 2,006 #2,195
1891 historical 2,108 #2,209
1901 historical 2,542 #2,163
1911 historical 2,708 #1,911
1997 modern 3,076 #2,088
1998 modern 3,153 #2,128
1999 modern 3,131 #2,163
2000 modern 3,120 #2,157
2001 modern 3,015 #2,189
2002 modern 3,064 #2,196
2003 modern 3,018 #2,174
2004 modern 3,024 #2,168
2005 modern 2,977 #2,175
2006 modern 2,953 #2,193
2007 modern 2,951 #2,218
2008 modern 2,957 #2,226
2009 modern 3,054 #2,208
2010 modern 3,110 #2,218
2011 modern 3,070 #2,214
2012 modern 2,984 #2,237
2013 modern 3,000 #2,268
2014 modern 3,011 #2,280
2015 modern 2,967 #2,285
2016 modern 2,932 #2,302

Geography

Back to top

Where Platts' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Chesterfield, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Sheffield and Ecclesfield (Ecclesfield), Rotherham (Dalton), Conisborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield, Barnsley and North West Leicestershire. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Chesterfield Derbyshire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Ecclesfield (Ecclesfield), Rotherham (Dalton), Conisborough Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 004 Sheffield
2 Barnsley 029 Barnsley
3 Sheffield 005 Sheffield
4 Barnsley 007 Barnsley
5 North West Leicestershire 010 North West Leicestershire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Platts

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Platts

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Platts surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Platts household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Platts 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

Platts is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Platts

The surname Platts is an English locational name derived from the Old English words "plat" meaning a small piece of ground or plot, and "flat" meaning a level, low-lying area. It originated in areas of England where families lived on small plots of flat land.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century in Yorkshire, England. In 1273, a Robert de Plat was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire. The name was also found in various forms such as Platt, Plat, and Platte in medieval records and tax rolls across northern England.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Platt, a landowner from Cheshire, England, who was born in 1400. Another notable individual was Sir Hugh Platt, an English writer and inventor from Lincolnshire, who lived from 1552 to 1608 and authored several books on agriculture and gardening.

The Platts surname has ties to several place names in England, including Platt in Lancashire, Platt Bridge in Greater Manchester, and Platt in Staffordshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English words and influenced the development of the surname.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name appeared in various parish records and historical documents across northern England. Notable bearers of the Platts surname included Thomas Platt, a wealthy merchant from Manchester who lived from 1675 to 1743, and John Platt, a renowned clockmaker from Bolton, Lancashire, born in 1730.

Another prominent individual with the Platts surname was Sir Thomas Joshua Platt, a British businessman and politician who lived from 1831 to 1898. He served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the cotton industry in Manchester.

Throughout its history, the Platts surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, from landowners and merchants to inventors and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Platts families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Platts 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. Yorkshire leads with 982 Platts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.08x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 982 5.08x
Derbyshire 364 11.92x
Leicestershire 194 8.97x
Nottinghamshire 99 3.77x
Lancashire 74 0.32x
Middlesex 48 0.25x
Durham 46 0.79x
Warwickshire 36 0.73x
Surrey 34 0.36x
Lincolnshire 24 0.77x
Staffordshire 22 0.33x
Kent 18 0.27x
Hampshire 8 0.20x
Wiltshire 7 0.41x
Gloucestershire 6 0.16x
Oxfordshire 6 0.50x
Cheshire 5 0.12x
Shropshire 5 0.30x
Glamorgan 4 0.12x
Hertfordshire 4 0.30x
Norfolk 4 0.13x
Northamptonshire 2 0.11x
Northumberland 2 0.07x
Suffolk 2 0.08x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.13x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 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. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 113 Platts' recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.37x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 113 18.37x
Ecclesall Bierlow 93 23.66x
Ecclesfield 93 65.64x
Nether Hallam 63 24.10x
Brightside Bierlow 49 12.93x
Breedon On The Hill 39 599.08x
Huddersfield 36 12.79x
Nottingham St Mary 33 4.85x
Leeds 30 2.75x
Dronfield 29 74.13x
Swannington 28 350.88x
Heeley 26 44.28x
Alfreton 25 26.95x
Halifax 23 8.11x
Derby St Werburgh 22 12.48x
Doncaster 21 14.88x
Lambeth 21 1.24x
Rotherham 21 19.28x
Birmingham 19 1.16x
Bootle Cum Linacre 19 10.34x
Bowling 19 9.93x
Cole Orton 19 476.19x
Etwall 19 539.77x
Ripley 19 50.34x
Chesterfield 18 15.73x
Beighton 17 122.92x
North Bierley 17 16.29x
Barnsley 15 7.53x
Matlock 15 36.59x
Worsbrough 15 26.49x
Barrow Upon Soar 14 78.39x
Bradford 14 2.99x
Wingfield South 14 171.15x
Brinsworth 13 145.09x
Outseats 12 944.88x
Wingate 12 30.17x
Bradfield 11 14.77x
Brampton 11 25.78x
Catcliffe 11 404.41x
Croydon 11 2.09x
Handsworth 11 21.53x
Hasland 11 35.39x
Hetton Le Hole 11 14.96x
Southowram 11 18.65x
Staveley 11 20.30x
Wakefield 11 7.42x
Whitwood 11 40.07x
Derby St Alkmund 10 10.93x
Headingley Cum Burley 10 8.04x
Holbeck 10 7.81x
Leicester St Mary 10 5.72x
Snenton 10 9.68x
Wilne 10 143.06x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 9 5.00x
Bingley 9 7.31x
Buxton 9 34.83x
Loughborough 9 9.17x
Ockbrook 9 69.44x
Oldham 9 1.21x
Tibshelf 9 60.08x
Ardsley 8 35.92x
Conisbrough 8 44.13x
Gainsborough 8 10.88x
Gillingham 8 5.83x
Gowdall 8 575.54x
Harthill Cum Woodall 8 108.11x
Maidstone 8 4.04x
St George Hanover 8 3.14x
West Stockwith 8 180.59x
Blackburn 7 1.14x
Brimington 7 30.20x
Castle Donnington 7 39.04x
Crumpsall 7 12.84x
Hathersage 7 81.78x
St George In East 7 5.28x
Sutton Bonnington 7 104.32x
Swindon 7 5.23x
Upper Hallam 7 41.69x
Whitwick 7 25.46x
Wombwell 7 12.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 130
Sarah 98
Elizabeth 86
Ann 51
Annie 43
Jane 30
Hannah 29
Ellen 28
Eliza 27
Alice 26
Emily 25
Florence 23
Emma 22
Martha 20
Clara 18
Fanny 14
Lucy 14
Harriet 13
Edith 11
Anne 10
Catherine 10
Frances 10
Ada 9
Agnes 9
Louisa 9
Harriett 8
Lydia 8
Margaret 8
Lilly 7
Rose 7
Betsy 6
Charlotte 6
Elizth. 6
Isabella 5
Maria 5
Amy 4
Caroline 4
Ethel 4
Eva 4
Julia 4
Kate 4
Lily 4
Matilda 4
Millicent 4
Rachel 4
Rebecca 4
Selina 4
Sophia 4
Louise 3
May 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 136
William 96
George 75
Thomas 57
James 47
Charles 42
Joseph 42
Henry 36
Arthur 30
Walter 29
Robert 26
Frederick 24
Albert 19
Alfred 19
Samuel 19
Herbert 18
Richard 17
Harry 13
Edward 12
Benjamin 11
Tom 11
Ernest 8
Francis 8
Frank 8
Isaac 7
Edwin 6
Aaron 5
Edmund 5
Fred 5
Geo. 5
Wm. 5
Amos 4
Jesse 4
Joe 4
Peter 4
Bernard 3
Daniel 3
Fredk. 3
Leonard 3
Mathew 3
Rowland 3
Chas. 2
Eli 2
Horace 2
Mary 2
Percival 2
Ralph 2
Robt. 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2

FAQ

Platts surname: questions and answers

How common was the Platts surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,006 people were recorded with the Platts surname. That placed it at #2,195 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Platts surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,932 in 2016. That gives Platts a modern rank of #2,302.

What does the Platts surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from various places so named, meaning "flat land".

What does the Platts map show?

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