NameCensus.

UK surname

Poet

A surname originating from an occupation related to poetry or literature.

In the 1881 census there were 27 people recorded with the Poet surname, ranking it #29,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 109, ranked #29,402, up from #29,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Elmbridge, Southend-on-Sea and Croydon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Poet is 112 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 303.7%.

1881 census count

27

Ranked #29,793

Modern count

109

2016, ranked #29,402

Peak year

2014

112 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Poet had 27 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016, ranked #29,402.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 51 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Poet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Poet surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Poet 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 51 #27,498
1881 historical 27 #29,793
1891 historical 45 #30,747
1901 historical 34 #30,281
1911 historical 35 #29,478
1997 modern 91 #28,215
1998 modern 99 #27,785
1999 modern 100 #27,757
2000 modern 95 #28,441
2001 modern 93 #28,382
2002 modern 96 #28,534
2003 modern 93 #28,829
2004 modern 89 #29,623
2005 modern 83 #30,486
2006 modern 84 #30,665
2007 modern 86 #30,808
2008 modern 90 #30,567
2009 modern 99 #29,754
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 95 #31,107
2013 modern 106 #29,740
2014 modern 112 #28,934
2015 modern 111 #28,986
2016 modern 109 #29,402

Geography

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Where Poets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Elmbridge, Southend-on-Sea, Croydon and Hart. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Elmbridge 015 Elmbridge
2 Southend-on-Sea 007 Southend-on-Sea
3 Croydon 017 Croydon
4 Southend-on-Sea 010 Southend-on-Sea
5 Hart 001 Hart

Forenames

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First names often paired with Poet

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Poet

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

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Poet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Poet 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 many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Poet is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Poet is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Poet falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Poet

The surname POET is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Middle English word "poete," which itself came from the Old French "poeta" and the Latin "poeta," meaning "poet" or "maker of verses."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname POET can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273, where a certain Robert le Poete is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname POET appears in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, where a John Poet is listed. Similarly, in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, a William Poet is recorded.

The surname POET may have been initially bestowed upon individuals who were known for their poetic talents or those who were associated with the craft of poetry. It is also possible that the name was given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was particularly eloquent or imaginative in their speech.

Interestingly, the surname POET is also linked to the place name "Poets Rivenhall" in Essex, England, which was formerly known as "Rivenhall Poyet" in the 13th century. This suggests that the surname may have originated from this location and then spread to other parts of the country.

Notable individuals who bore the surname POET throughout history include:

1. John Poet (c. 1520 - c. 1590), an English churchman and academic who served as the Dean of Chester Cathedral. 2. Thomas Poet (c. 1550 - 1612), an English clergyman and writer who authored several religious works. 3. Edward Poet (c. 1600 - 1670), an English clergyman and author who wrote on theological subjects. 4. William Poet (c. 1650 - 1720), an English physician and writer who published works on medical topics. 5. Samuel Poet (c. 1720 - 1790), an English lawyer and playwright known for his satirical works.

While the surname POET may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, reflecting the country's literary and cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Poet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Poet 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. Surrey leads with 23 Poets recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.93x.

County Total Index
Surrey 23 17.93x
Middlesex 2 0.76x
Berkshire 1 5.06x
Cornwall 1 3.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 10 Poets recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.49x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 10 59.49x
Kingston On Thames 10 324.68x
Croydon 2 28.09x
Kenwyn 1 128.21x
Lambeth 1 4.36x
Reading St Mary 1 63.29x
St Marylebone London 1 7.12x
St Pancras London 1 4.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Caroline 2
Mary 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Emma 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1
Rosey 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 3
Henry 2
James 2
John 2
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Maria 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Poet households.

FAQ

Poet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Poet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 27 people were recorded with the Poet surname. That placed it at #29,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Poet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016. That gives Poet a modern rank of #29,402.

What does the Poet surname mean?

A surname originating from an occupation related to poetry or literature.

What does the Poet map show?

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