NameCensus.

UK surname

Ponting

A surname derived from an Old French word referring to a maker of bridges or other structures.

In the 1881 census there were 879 people recorded with the Ponting surname, ranking it #4,315 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,354, ranked #4,451, down from #4,315 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Swindon, Lyddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Test Valley, Wiltshire and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ponting is 1,501 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.0%.

1881 census count

879

Ranked #4,315

Modern count

1,354

2016, ranked #4,451

Peak year

1999

1,501 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ponting had 879 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,315 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,354 in 2016, ranked #4,451.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,339 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ponting surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ponting surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ponting 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 557 #4,549
1861 historical 498 #5,253
1881 historical 879 #4,315
1891 historical 1,047 #3,995
1901 historical 1,264 #3,919
1911 historical 1,339 #3,572
1997 modern 1,429 #4,071
1998 modern 1,469 #4,121
1999 modern 1,501 #4,085
2000 modern 1,462 #4,143
2001 modern 1,433 #4,138
2002 modern 1,458 #4,160
2003 modern 1,414 #4,189
2004 modern 1,385 #4,264
2005 modern 1,365 #4,276
2006 modern 1,355 #4,305
2007 modern 1,355 #4,344
2008 modern 1,355 #4,362
2009 modern 1,378 #4,386
2010 modern 1,389 #4,432
2011 modern 1,387 #4,393
2012 modern 1,347 #4,429
2013 modern 1,391 #4,399
2014 modern 1,381 #4,439
2015 modern 1,351 #4,479
2016 modern 1,354 #4,451

Geography

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Where Pontings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Swindon, Lyddington, Berkeley and Calne, Bowood, Blackland, Calstone Withington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Test Valley, Wiltshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Stroud. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Swindon, Lyddington Wiltshire
4 Berkeley Gloucestershire
5 Calne, Bowood, Blackland, Calstone Withington Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Test Valley 003 Test Valley
2 Wiltshire 001 Wiltshire
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 006 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Wiltshire 003 Wiltshire
5 Stroud 006 Stroud

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ponting

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ponting

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ponting, 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 Ponting surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ponting 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, Ponting 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

Ponting is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Ponting

The surname Ponting is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "punt" and "ing," which together mean "the ridge of a hill" or "the bridge over a stream." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived near a prominent hill or bridge.

In the 13th century, surnames began to emerge in England as a way to distinguish individuals from others with the same given name. The Ponting surname appeared in various early records, including the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1273, where it was spelled as "Pontyng."

The Domesday Book, a remarkable survey of England completed in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the Ponting surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the name, such as "Pontone" (Pont-on-Bourne) in Lincolnshire and "Ponteburg" (Ponton) in Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Ponting surname was John Ponting, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1285. Another early bearer of the name was William Pontyng, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

The Ponting name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous was Sir John Ponting (1470-1551), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1536 and played a significant role in the dissolution of the monasteries under King Henry VIII.

Another prominent figure was Sir Isaac Ponting (1615-1688), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Tregony, Cornwall, during the reign of Charles II. He served as the Governor of the East India Company from 1679 to 1681.

In the literary world, Mary Ponting (1756-1835) was a British writer and translator known for her translations of German works into English. Her most notable work was a translation of Friedrich Schiller's play "The Robbers" in 1792.

William Ponting (1835-1918) was a celebrated English painter and watercolorist, best known for his landscapes and seascapes. He was a member of the Royal Watercolour Society and exhibited his works at the Royal Academy.

Finally, Herbert Ponting (1870-1935) was a renowned British photographer and filmmaker who accompanied Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition to the Antarctic from 1910 to 1913. His photographs and films of the expedition are considered some of the most iconic images of early Antarctic exploration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ponting families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ponting 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. Wiltshire leads with 320 Pontings recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.15x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 320 42.15x
Gloucestershire 176 10.45x
Somerset 79 5.72x
Middlesex 66 0.77x
Hampshire 45 2.56x
Glamorgan 30 2.01x
Worcestershire 21 1.87x
Northamptonshire 17 2.11x
Staffordshire 15 0.52x
Surrey 12 0.29x
Kent 11 0.38x
Cumberland 10 1.35x
Dorset 10 1.78x
Warwickshire 10 0.46x
Durham 9 0.35x
Cornwall 8 0.82x
Monmouthshire 8 1.29x
Oxfordshire 8 1.51x
Suffolk 7 0.67x
Essex 4 0.24x
Berkshire 3 0.47x
Sussex 3 0.21x
Bedfordshire 1 0.23x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.18x
Cardiganshire 1 0.48x
Devon 1 0.06x
Lancashire 1 0.01x
Royal Navy 1 0.98x
Yorkshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bremhill in Wiltshire leads with 38 Pontings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1111.11x.

Place Total Index
Bremhill 38 1111.11x
Swindon 31 52.64x
Andover 29 174.49x
Malmesbury St Paul 28 428.79x
Bristol St George 22 28.26x
Minchinhampton 21 156.60x
Calne 19 121.56x
Purton 18 266.27x
Stratton St Margaret 18 154.64x
Marlborough St Mary Virgin 16 299.07x
Walcot 15 20.38x
Westport St Mary 15 272.73x
Emborough 13 2500.00x
Bath St James 12 83.28x
Fairford 12 266.67x
Chilcompton 11 582.01x
Kensington London 10 2.10x
Preshute 10 214.13x
St Brides Major 10 500.00x
Thornbury 10 86.88x
Upton St Leonards 10 233.64x
Birmingham 9 1.25x
Bristol St Augustine 9 33.12x
Dudley 9 6.60x
Rickergate 9 57.54x
Walsall Foreign 9 6.01x
Wanborough 9 347.49x
Bisley 8 52.42x
Chisledon 8 231.88x
Eastrop 8 1951.22x
Erith 8 27.72x
Marlborough St Peter St 8 204.60x
Melksham 8 60.70x
Beccles 7 41.59x
Berkeley 7 74.71x
Cardiff St Mary 7 8.50x
Cricklade St Sampson 7 198.30x
Feock 7 115.13x
Haswell 7 38.25x
Llanwonno 7 13.03x
Radstock 7 77.01x
Trowbridge 7 20.86x
Bedminster 6 4.62x
Biddestone St Nicholas 6 500.00x
Brinkworth 6 175.95x
Compton Bassett 6 545.45x
Kingswood 6 218.98x
Pewsey 6 107.53x
Stoke Prior 6 86.83x
Stroud 6 18.32x
Warminster 6 36.08x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 5 3.15x
Bromley London 5 2.65x
Clifton 5 5.87x
Dallington 5 105.26x
Frampton Cotterell 5 84.60x
Holwell 5 406.50x
Hound 5 41.88x
Pucklechurch 5 131.58x
Sherston Magna 5 109.17x
St Luke London 5 3.63x
Taynton 5 295.86x
Tortworth 5 862.07x
Undy 5 384.62x
Wolverhampton 5 2.24x
Alderton 4 1081.08x
Bath St Catherine 4 1000.00x
Chelsea London 4 1.55x
Cirencester 4 17.55x
Devizes St James 4 39.64x
Kempsford 4 163.93x
Leckhampton 4 38.57x
Newington 4 1.26x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 9.74x
Paddington London 4 1.27x
Thame 4 41.49x
Wanstead 4 13.48x
West Overton 4 202.02x
Westminster St John 4 3.83x
Whistones 4 49.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 46
Henry 35
John 35
George 28
Charles 26
Thomas 25
James 20
Frederick 11
Joseph 11
Albert 10
Walter 10
Alfred 9
Frank 8
Edward 7
Ernest 7
Arthur 6
Harry 6
Samuel 6
Francis 5
Herbert 4
Richard 4
Wm. 4
Edwin 3
Jesse 3
Ralph 3
Robert 3
Tom 3
Daniel 2
Earnest 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Harold 2
Jabez 2
Jas. 2
Job 2
Levi 2
Luke 2
Percy 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2
Theophilus 2
Thos. 2
Alfd. 1
Alma 1
Andrew 1
Dan 1
David 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Jonathan 1

FAQ

Ponting surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ponting surname in 1881?

In 1881, 879 people were recorded with the Ponting surname. That placed it at #4,315 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ponting surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,354 in 2016. That gives Ponting a modern rank of #4,451.

What does the Ponting surname mean?

A surname derived from an Old French word referring to a maker of bridges or other structures.

What does the Ponting map show?

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