NameCensus.

UK surname

Pont

A surname derived from the French word for "bridge."

In the 1881 census there were 273 people recorded with the Pont surname, ranking it #10,390 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 435, ranked #11,084, down from #10,390 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes and Ashburnham, Dallington, Brightling, Ninfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Mole Valley and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pont is 483 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.3%.

1881 census count

273

Ranked #10,390

Modern count

435

2016, ranked #11,084

Peak year

1998

483 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pont had 273 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,390 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 435 in 2016, ranked #11,084.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 434 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pont surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pont surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pont 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 247 #8,868
1861 historical 176 #13,335
1881 historical 273 #10,390
1891 historical 392 #9,019
1901 historical 432 #8,968
1911 historical 434 #8,740
1997 modern 451 #10,049
1998 modern 483 #9,853
1999 modern 468 #10,160
2000 modern 473 #10,049
2001 modern 452 #10,192
2002 modern 468 #10,117
2003 modern 440 #10,475
2004 modern 443 #10,442
2005 modern 421 #10,762
2006 modern 423 #10,765
2007 modern 430 #10,729
2008 modern 422 #10,992
2009 modern 428 #11,112
2010 modern 440 #11,101
2011 modern 445 #10,880
2012 modern 439 #10,873
2013 modern 439 #11,052
2014 modern 438 #11,149
2015 modern 430 #11,226
2016 modern 435 #11,084

Geography

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Where Ponts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes, Ashburnham, Dallington, Brightling, Ninfield, Brighton and Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Mole Valley, North Kesteven and Isle of Wight. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Ashburnham, Dallington, Brightling, Ninfield Sussex
4 Brighton Sussex
5 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 014 Wealden
2 Mole Valley 012 Mole Valley
3 North Kesteven 006 North Kesteven
4 Isle of Wight 006 Isle of Wight
5 Wealden 010 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pont

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pont

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Pont surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Pont 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Pont 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

Pont is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Pont

The surname PONT is believed to have originated from France in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "pont," meaning "bridge." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a bridge or worked as a bridge keeper or toll collector.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PONT can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Robert de Pont, indicating that the name had already been established in Normandy before the Norman Conquest of England.

During the Middle Ages, the name PONT appeared in various spellings, such as Pont, Pount, and Punte, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions. Some notable historical figures with this surname include:

1. Jean de Pont (c. 1330-1390), a French architect and engineer known for his work on the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. 2. Remi du Pont (c. 1450-1520), a Flemish painter and illuminator active in the early Renaissance period. 3. Pierre du Pont (1515-1590), a French Huguenot nobleman and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. 4. Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817), a French-American economist and diplomat who played a role in the American Revolutionary War. 5. Éleuthère Irénée du Pont (1771-1834), a French-American chemist and industrialist who founded the DuPont Company, one of the largest chemical companies in the world.

In addition to these individuals, the name PONT has been associated with various place names throughout Europe, such as Pont-à-Mousson in northeastern France and Pont-Audemer in Normandy. These place names likely derived from the presence of bridges or fords over rivers in those locations, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its meaning.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pont families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pont 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. Sussex leads with 110 Ponts recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.41x.

County Total Index
Sussex 110 24.41x
Cambridgeshire 45 26.58x
Kent 26 2.85x
Middlesex 26 0.97x
Midlothian 12 3.35x
Surrey 12 0.92x
Fife 11 6.95x
Angus 7 2.83x
Huntingdonshire 5 9.42x
Somerset 4 0.93x
Suffolk 4 1.23x
Derbyshire 3 0.72x
Devon 3 0.54x
Hampshire 3 0.55x
Channel Islands 1 1.26x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 22 Ponts recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.20x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 22 24.20x
South Leith 12 29.78x
Brightling 11 1774.19x
Hastings St Mary In The 11 114.46x
Histon 11 1235.96x
Kinghorn 11 327.38x
Burwash 9 430.62x
St Marylebone London 8 5.61x
Bethnal Green London 7 6.03x
Dundee 7 7.57x
Haddenham 7 440.25x
Hollington 7 437.50x
Hougham 7 129.15x
Landbeach 7 1489.36x
Hastings St Clement 6 141.51x
Heathfield 6 327.87x
Battle 5 164.47x
Camberwell 5 2.93x
Catsfield 5 769.23x
Fen Stanton 5 510.20x
Hackington St Stephen 5 862.07x
Hooe 5 1162.79x
Kirdford 5 320.51x
St Andrewthe Less 5 25.85x
Ticehurst 5 181.16x
Bedminster 4 9.89x
Holy Trinity Cambridge 4 217.39x
St Edward Cambridge 4 740.74x
Buckland In Dover 3 99.34x
Eckington 3 29.50x
Folkestone 3 16.96x
Pilton 3 163.04x
Preston 3 38.12x
St Pancras London 3 1.39x
St Thomas Winchester 3 77.52x
Waterbeach 3 217.39x
Whitstable 3 67.11x
Wrentham 3 333.33x
Charlton 2 33.00x
Chelsea London 2 2.48x
Frant 2 62.70x
Lambeth 2 0.86x
Rotherhithe 2 6.06x
Bromley 1 7.19x
Cottenham 1 44.44x
Dallington 1 204.08x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 13.81x
Ealing 1 4.19x
Elm 1 60.24x
Everton 1 0.99x
Ewell 1 36.36x
Hackney London 1 0.67x
Hastings St Mary 1 8.92x
Herne 1 24.75x
Hove 1 5.06x
Ipswich St Helen 1 25.91x
Islington London 1 0.39x
Kingstone On Soar 1 555.56x
Lewes St John Southover 1 33.00x
Ore 1 29.85x
Paddington London 1 1.02x
Ripe 1 277.78x
Seaford 1 65.36x
Southwark Christchurch 1 7.99x
St George Hanover 1 2.87x
St Lawrence 1 46.30x
St Marythe Great 1 181.82x
The Holy Sepulchre 1 243.90x
Wadhurst 1 33.78x
Walton On Thames 1 16.72x
Willesden 1 3.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 10
Jane 8
Ellen 7
Harriet 7
Charlotte 5
Eliza 5
Elizabeth 5
Emily 5
Alice 3
Ann 3
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Emma 3
Kate 3
Mercy 3
Rose 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Edith 2
Fanny 2
Maria 2
Adelaide 1
Agness 1
Amy 1
Antonia 1
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Ethel 1
Ettie 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Hariet 1
Hettie 1
Hetty 1
Jessie 1
Jonathan 1
Julia 1
Katie 1
Lily 1
Lousa 1
Lydia 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Millie 1
Miniver 1
Rhoda 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 18
James 14
George 12
Thomas 10
John 9
Alfred 4
Charles 4
Edward 4
Henry 4
Richard 3
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Matthew 2
Percy 2
Samuel 2
Bertie 1
Charley 1
Daniel 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Hacaiah 1
Harold 1
Harrey 1
Howard 1
Jas.D. 1
Jesse 1
Jonathan 1
Luke 1
Mark 1
Reginald 1

FAQ

Pont surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pont surname in 1881?

In 1881, 273 people were recorded with the Pont surname. That placed it at #10,390 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pont surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 435 in 2016. That gives Pont a modern rank of #11,084.

What does the Pont surname mean?

A surname derived from the French word for "bridge."

What does the Pont map show?

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