NameCensus.

UK surname

Pointon

An English place surname derived from a location in Cheshire.

In the 1881 census there were 1,264 people recorded with the Pointon surname, ranking it #3,224 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,971, ranked #3,266, down from #3,224 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Biddulph, Norton-in-the-Moors and Wolstanton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pointon is 2,106 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.9%.

1881 census count

1,264

Ranked #3,224

Modern count

1,971

2016, ranked #3,266

Peak year

1999

2,106 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pointon had 1,264 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,224 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,971 in 2016, ranked #3,266.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,734 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Pointon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pointon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pointon 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 768 #3,478
1861 historical 751 #3,643
1881 historical 1,264 #3,224
1891 historical 1,260 #3,423
1901 historical 1,600 #3,228
1911 historical 1,734 #2,831
1997 modern 1,551 #3,803
1998 modern 2,053 #3,092
1999 modern 2,106 #3,053
2000 modern 2,087 #3,062
2001 modern 2,025 #3,080
2002 modern 2,094 #3,058
2003 modern 2,008 #3,107
2004 modern 2,000 #3,115
2005 modern 1,925 #3,184
2006 modern 1,916 #3,213
2007 modern 1,928 #3,215
2008 modern 1,963 #3,187
2009 modern 2,011 #3,199
2010 modern 2,033 #3,232
2011 modern 2,011 #3,225
2012 modern 2,025 #3,160
2013 modern 2,026 #3,210
2014 modern 2,043 #3,209
2015 modern 2,000 #3,238
2016 modern 1,971 #3,266

Geography

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Where Pointons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Biddulph, Norton-in-the-Moors, Wolstanton, Burslem and Shiffnal. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands and Newcastle-under-Lyme. 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 Biddulph Cheshire
2 Norton-in-the-Moors Staffordshire
3 Wolstanton Staffordshire
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Shiffnal Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 001 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 003 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 005 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pointon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pointon

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Pointon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Pointon household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pointon 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

Pointon is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pointon falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pointon 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 Pointon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pointon

The surname Pointon originates from England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "point," meaning "a point" or "a sharp end," and the Old English suffix "-tun," meaning "an enclosure" or "a farmstead." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived near a pointed or tapered piece of land or enclosure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pointon can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where it appears as "de Pointon." This indicates that the name was initially associated with a place name, possibly a village or hamlet in Lincolnshire.

In the 13th century, the name Pointon appeared in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled "Poynton." This variation in spelling was common during that time period, as standardized spellings were not yet established.

The Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not explicitly mention the surname Pointon. However, it does include entries for places with similar names, such as Poynton in Cheshire and Pointington in Somerset, suggesting that the name may have originated from these or similar locations.

Notable individuals with the surname Pointon throughout history include:

1. John Pointon (c. 1580-1645), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1638 to 1639.

2. William Pointon (1670-1752), a British naval officer who served as a captain in the Royal Navy during the early 18th century and participated in several notable battles.

3. Elizabeth Pointon (1803-1884), a British writer and philanthropist known for her contributions to education and social reform in the Victorian era.

4. Thomas Pointon (1856-1923), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in Manchester and the surrounding areas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

5. Geoffrey Pointon (1924-2009), a British historian and academic who specialized in the study of early modern Europe and authored several influential works on the subject.

While the surname Pointon is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pointon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pointon 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. Staffordshire leads with 735 Pointons recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.65x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 735 17.65x
Cheshire 121 4.44x
Lancashire 77 0.53x
Shropshire 69 6.47x
Derbyshire 48 2.48x
Yorkshire 44 0.36x
Warwickshire 37 1.19x
Lincolnshire 21 1.06x
Middlesex 19 0.15x
Worcestershire 18 1.12x
Hertfordshire 12 1.41x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.60x
Leicestershire 9 0.66x
Devon 8 0.31x
Norfolk 7 0.37x
Durham 6 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.64x
Isle of Man 3 1.31x
Surrey 3 0.05x
Cornwall 2 0.14x
Hampshire 2 0.08x
Kent 2 0.05x
Wiltshire 2 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.13x
Essex 1 0.04x
Gloucestershire 1 0.04x
Orkney 1 0.74x
Royal Navy 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 182 Pointons recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.20x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 182 41.20x
Wolstanton 101 79.84x
Burslem 82 68.72x
Biddulph 49 208.51x
Norton In Moors 44 199.55x
Audley 34 82.50x
Leek Lowe 32 57.74x
Congleton 31 65.87x
Shifnal 28 96.75x
Stone 21 39.41x
Shenstone 17 160.53x
Aston 15 1.75x
Ardwick 14 10.60x
Cannock 14 19.26x
Edgbaston 14 14.51x
Linton 14 275.59x
Newcastle Under Lyme 14 19.00x
Tamworth 14 62.86x
Wellington 14 23.36x
Yardley 12 29.11x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 11 9.66x
Measham 11 154.93x
Monks Coppenhall 11 10.70x
Odd Rode 11 81.54x
Trentham 11 31.05x
Liverpool 10 1.12x
Stafford St Mary 10 16.96x
Higher Booths 9 34.09x
Willey 9 1232.88x
Wolstanton Knutton 9 35.39x
Birmingham 8 0.77x
Brierley 8 390.24x
Cheadle 8 40.00x
Hollingworth 8 71.24x
Plymouth Charles The 8 7.07x
Sandbach 8 34.44x
Thornaby 8 17.51x
Whittington 8 93.90x
Bradwell 7 162.04x
Draycott In Moors 7 406.98x
Fazeley 7 92.47x
Handsworth 7 6.82x
Nottingham St Mary 7 1.63x
Prees 7 53.93x
St Albans 7 40.16x
Branstone 6 143.20x
Chester St John Baptist 6 12.25x
Eccleston In Prescot 6 8.16x
Hetton Le Hole 6 12.90x
Manchester 6 0.91x
Morton In Gainsborough 6 154.64x
Newton In Northwich 6 72.38x
Somerby In Grantham 6 119.52x
Westminster St John 6 3.99x
Alsager 5 73.75x
Castle Church 5 19.97x
Codicote 5 98.62x
Holy Trinity Cambridge 5 58.96x
Horsforth 5 18.65x
Islington London 5 0.42x
Kirkdale 5 2.03x
Newbold Dunston 5 27.23x
Ogley Hay 5 57.80x
Pendlebury 5 16.17x
Seighford 5 150.60x
Surfleet 5 121.95x
Tyrley 5 154.32x
Castleford 4 8.98x
Everton 4 0.86x
Grantham 4 15.55x
Hale 4 42.60x
Horton 4 78.43x
Hyde 4 4.98x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 4 7.02x
Macclesfield 4 3.30x
Pattingham 4 229.89x
Rawdon 4 27.78x
Salford 4 0.93x
Smallthorne 4 25.87x
Toxteth Park 4 0.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 79
William 66
Thomas 56
Joseph 37
George 31
Henry 25
James 25
Charles 19
Arthur 18
Frederick 18
Samuel 16
Edward 13
Harry 11
Ralph 11
Richard 10
Alfred 9
Daniel 8
Herbert 8
Edwin 7
Robert 7
Abraham 5
Luke 5
Solomon 5
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Moses 4
Thos. 4
David 3
Frank 3
Jeremiah 3
Jesse 3
Joel 3
Levi 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
Clement 2
Elijah 2
Ellis 2
Enoch 2
Fredrick 2
Joshua 2
Michael 2
Percy 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Randle 2
Simeon 2
Wm. 2

FAQ

Pointon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pointon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,264 people were recorded with the Pointon surname. That placed it at #3,224 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pointon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,971 in 2016. That gives Pointon a modern rank of #3,266.

What does the Pointon surname mean?

An English place surname derived from a location in Cheshire.

What does the Pointon map show?

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