NameCensus.

UK surname

Pollitt

An English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "polet," meaning a young chicken or hen.

In the 1881 census there were 2,309 people recorded with the Pollitt surname, ranking it #1,933 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,235, ranked #2,906, down from #1,933 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Eccles and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bolton, Manchester and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pollitt is 2,999 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.2%.

1881 census count

2,309

Ranked #1,933

Modern count

2,235

2016, ranked #2,906

Peak year

1911

2,999 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pollitt had 2,309 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,933 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,235 in 2016, ranked #2,906.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,999 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Pollitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pollitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pollitt 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 1,249 #2,289
1861 historical 1,031 #2,717
1881 historical 2,309 #1,933
1891 historical 2,275 #2,052
1901 historical 2,909 #1,927
1911 historical 2,999 #1,734
1997 modern 2,353 #2,653
1998 modern 2,398 #2,708
1999 modern 2,461 #2,669
2000 modern 2,450 #2,667
2001 modern 2,460 #2,599
2002 modern 2,517 #2,601
2003 modern 2,418 #2,639
2004 modern 2,374 #2,685
2005 modern 2,290 #2,732
2006 modern 2,275 #2,745
2007 modern 2,298 #2,748
2008 modern 2,322 #2,743
2009 modern 2,372 #2,760
2010 modern 2,405 #2,780
2011 modern 2,369 #2,790
2012 modern 2,281 #2,828
2013 modern 2,263 #2,895
2014 modern 2,304 #2,864
2015 modern 2,242 #2,906
2016 modern 2,235 #2,906

Geography

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Where Pollitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, Eccles, Manchester, Bolton-le-Moors and Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bolton, Manchester and Cheshire West and Chester. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Eccles Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
5 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bolton 034 Bolton
2 Bolton 001 Bolton
3 Bolton 008 Bolton
4 Manchester 011 Manchester
5 Cheshire West and Chester 022 Cheshire West and Chester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pollitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pollitt

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pollitt 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

Pollitt 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

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

Meaning and origin of Pollitt

The surname Pollitt has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "pol" meaning "pool" or "stream" and "hyt" meaning "shelter" or "refuge." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where people lived near a pool or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pollitt can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1195, where it is spelled "Polhit." This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire as "Polhyt," indicating its presence in different regions of England. The earliest known bearer of the name was John Polyt, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

The Pollitt surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Pollitt's Fold in Lancashire and Pollitt's Farm in Cheshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Pollitt include:

1. John Pollitt (c. 1520-1557), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions.

2. Thomas Pollitt (1780-1853), an English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Manchester.

3. Walter Pollitt (1888-1957), a British trade unionist and politician who served as the General Secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen.

4. Harry Pollitt (1890-1960), a British communist and leader of the Communist Party of Great Britain during the mid-20th century.

5. Gordon Pollitt (1886-1918), an English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club and England.

While the Pollitt surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, carried by emigrants from the British Isles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pollitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pollitt 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. Lancashire leads with 1,863 Pollitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.96x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,863 6.96x
Cheshire 228 4.58x
Yorkshire 160 0.72x
Essex 12 0.27x
Middlesex 11 0.05x
Derbyshire 10 0.28x
Durham 8 0.12x
Staffordshire 4 0.05x
Devon 3 0.06x
Surrey 3 0.03x
Flintshire 2 0.33x
Anglesey 1 0.25x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.11x
Dorset 1 0.07x
Kent 1 0.01x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.14x
Roxburghshire 1 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 113 Pollitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.39x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 113 9.39x
Pendleton In Salford 106 33.26x
Worsley 105 63.68x
Barton Upon Irwell 100 49.66x
Salford 89 11.31x
Failsworth 77 125.82x
Oldham 77 8.92x
Little Bolton 74 21.51x
Hulme 64 11.46x
Great Bolton 62 17.50x
Newton 61 29.59x
Stockport 55 21.48x
Heaton Norris 46 30.21x
Broughton In Salford 44 17.99x
Elton 43 46.53x
Bury 40 13.09x
Bradford 35 27.95x
Tonge With Haulgh 33 63.38x
Cheetham 32 16.04x
Heap 32 22.55x
Soothill 32 39.66x
Altrincham 28 32.20x
Ashton Under Lyne 25 4.28x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 25 32.46x
Spotland 24 8.07x
Farnworth 23 14.35x
Droylsden 20 22.92x
Radcliffe 20 15.51x
Castleton 19 7.11x
Toxteth Park 19 2.10x
Pendlebury 18 31.87x
Mirfield 17 13.86x
Romiley 16 113.96x
Burnley 15 6.66x
Openshaw 15 11.97x
Ardwick 14 5.80x
Chorlton On Medlock 14 3.29x
Kearsley 14 24.87x
Lepton 14 59.98x
North Meols 14 5.35x
Bredbury 13 45.14x
Dukinfield 13 5.65x
Ince In Makerfield 13 10.44x
Withington 13 15.09x
Barrow In Furness 12 3.30x
Little Hulton 12 27.09x
Liverpool 11 0.68x
Runcorn 11 9.59x
Walton Inferior 11 285.71x
Adlington 10 39.92x
Barnsley 10 4.34x
Warrington 10 3.15x
Atherton 9 9.24x
Brinnington 9 19.36x
Monks Coppenhall 9 4.79x
Over Darwen 9 4.21x
Sale 9 14.74x
Crumpsall 8 12.69x
Darcy Lever 8 51.95x
Great Crosby 8 10.97x
Kirkdale 8 1.78x
Layton With Warbreck 8 8.15x
Newton In Ashton Under 8 16.29x
Northenden 8 88.20x
Pilsworth 8 136.05x
St Marylebone London 8 0.66x
West Derby 8 1.02x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 7 30.15x
Colne 7 8.78x
Didsbury 7 19.71x
Everton 7 0.82x
Halliwell 7 7.19x
Osmotherley 7 98.45x
Partington 7 207.10x
Skircoat 7 7.95x
Wigan 7 1.87x
Almondbury 6 5.55x
Crompton 6 7.88x
High Leigh 6 91.46x
West Ham 6 0.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 201
Sarah 106
Elizabeth 100
Alice 62
Ann 49
Jane 44
Hannah 41
Margaret 41
Martha 37
Emma 32
Annie 31
Ellen 31
Eliza 19
Maria 16
Ada 15
Charlotte 12
Fanny 12
Catherine 11
Clara 11
Esther 11
Harriet 11
Anne 10
Betty 10
Edith 10
Emily 10
Louisa 9
Eliz. 8
Nancy 8
Betsy 7
Florence 7
Frances 7
Isabella 7
Elizth. 6
Phoebe 6
Agnes 5
Amelia 5
Harriett 5
Rachel 5
Susannah 5
Anna 4
Ethel 4
Gertrude 4
Julia 4
Matilda 4
Caroline 3
Elizh. 3
Janet 3
Lavinia 3
Lilly 3
Maude 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 167
James 130
William 101
Thomas 87
Joseph 64
George 52
Charles 33
Samuel 32
Henry 30
Richard 22
Robert 21
Arthur 20
Albert 16
Edmund 14
Walter 12
Edward 11
Edwin 11
Harry 11
Alfred 10
Frank 10
Wm. 10
Isaac 9
Frederick 8
Herbert 8
Thos. 8
Daniel 7
Jas. 7
Miles 7
Peter 6
Ralph 6
Abraham 5
David 5
Ernest 5
Jno. 5
Fred 4
Luke 4
Tom 4
Andrew 3
Benjamin 3
Ellis 3
Jesse 3
Jos. 3
Nathan 3
Squire 3
Stanley 3
Timothy 3
Willie 3
Wright 3
Dick 2
Nathaniel 2

FAQ

Pollitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pollitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,309 people were recorded with the Pollitt surname. That placed it at #1,933 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pollitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,235 in 2016. That gives Pollitt a modern rank of #2,906.

What does the Pollitt surname mean?

An English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "polet," meaning a young chicken or hen.

What does the Pollitt map show?

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