NameCensus.

UK surname

Poppleton

A surname derived from a place name referring to a settlement where poppies grew abundantly.

In the 1881 census there were 524 people recorded with the Poppleton surname, ranking it #6,528 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 536, ranked #9,486, down from #6,528 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Doncaster, Richmond and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Kintyre Trail and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Poppleton is 661 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.3%.

1881 census count

524

Ranked #6,528

Modern count

536

2016, ranked #9,486

Peak year

1911

661 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Poppleton had 524 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,528 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 536 in 2016, ranked #9,486.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 661 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Poppleton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Poppleton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Poppleton 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 334 #7,001
1861 historical 355 #7,198
1881 historical 524 #6,528
1891 historical 593 #6,444
1901 historical 660 #6,565
1911 historical 661 #6,353
1997 modern 533 #8,871
1998 modern 532 #9,152
1999 modern 560 #8,855
2000 modern 587 #8,532
2001 modern 577 #8,514
2002 modern 575 #8,685
2003 modern 566 #8,652
2004 modern 572 #8,618
2005 modern 546 #8,827
2006 modern 553 #8,775
2007 modern 560 #8,782
2008 modern 562 #8,812
2009 modern 574 #8,880
2010 modern 591 #8,884
2011 modern 563 #9,102
2012 modern 543 #9,264
2013 modern 536 #9,535
2014 modern 544 #9,476
2015 modern 540 #9,465
2016 modern 536 #9,486

Geography

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Where Poppletons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Doncaster, Richmond, Wakefield, Sheffield and Huddersfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Kintyre Trail, Gateshead, Stockton-on-Tees and Cheltenham. 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 Doncaster Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Richmond Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 021 Doncaster
2 Kintyre Trail Argyll and Bute
3 Gateshead 011 Gateshead
4 Stockton-on-Tees 010 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Cheltenham 007 Cheltenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Poppleton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Poppleton

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Poppleton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Poppleton 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

Poppleton falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Poppleton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Poppleton

The surname Poppleton is an English locational name that emerged in the medieval period. It derived from the place name Poppleton, a village in North Yorkshire, England, located a few miles northwest of York. The name traces its roots back to the Old English words "popel" meaning "pebble" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement," suggesting it was originally a settlement near a pebbly or stony area.

Poppleton is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Popeltune." Over the centuries, various spellings appeared, including Popelton, Popilton, and Poplton, before the modern spelling of Poppleton became standardized. The village's name likely evolved due to changes in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Poppleton is found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax returns of 1379, which list a John de Poppleton. In the 15th century, records show a Richard Poppleton was a merchant in York, highlighting the surname's association with the city and surrounding area.

Notable individuals with the Poppleton surname include Sir John Poppleton (c.1435-1508), a lawyer and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Henry VII. In the 16th century, Richard Poppleton (c.1520-1580) was a prominent clergyman who served as the Archbishop of York from 1572 until his death.

In the 17th century, Thomas Poppleton (1605-1675) was a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of trigonometry. A century later, William Poppleton (1730-1807) was a successful architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the iconic Poppleton's Court on Carey Street.

Lastly, Sir William Poppleton (1854-1931) was a distinguished British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He attained the rank of Admiral and played a crucial role in the development of naval strategy during World War I.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Poppleton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Poppleton 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. Yorkshire leads with 354 Poppletons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.98x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 354 6.98x
Staffordshire 36 2.08x
Lincolnshire 21 2.56x
Lancashire 20 0.33x
Northumberland 18 2.36x
Durham 15 0.98x
Leicestershire 13 2.29x
Cheshire 10 0.88x
Middlesex 9 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 6 1.85x
Devon 6 0.56x
Surrey 6 0.24x
Kent 5 0.29x
Glamorgan 2 0.22x
Essex 1 0.10x
Norfolk 1 0.13x
Northamptonshire 1 0.21x
Royal Navy 1 1.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Huddersfield in Yorkshire leads with 33 Poppletons recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.64x.

Place Total Index
Huddersfield 33 44.64x
Walsall Foreign 27 30.24x
Horbury 26 292.79x
Wakefield 24 61.60x
Doncaster 16 43.15x
Hunslet 13 16.43x
Richmond 13 163.93x
Holy Trinity 12 9.83x
Brandon Byshottles 11 57.62x
Shitlington 11 209.52x
Wheatley 11 628.57x
Byker 9 23.89x
Newton 9 19.21x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 8 132.01x
Barkstone Ash 8 1333.33x
Darton 8 153.85x
Marston 8 683.76x
Middlesbrough 8 12.11x
Newcastle On Tyne St 8 20.25x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 8 44.13x
Roystone 8 404.04x
Almondbury 7 28.52x
Crofton 7 560.00x
Leeds 7 2.44x
Leicester St Margaret 7 5.06x
Great Grimsby 6 11.55x
Kenton 6 178.57x
Mirfield 6 21.54x
St Benedict Lincoln 6 545.45x
Wisbech St Peter 6 36.88x
Wistaston 6 845.07x
Wortley In Wortley 6 301.51x
Ackworth 5 128.21x
Bradfield 5 25.56x
Clerkenwell London 5 4.14x
Conisbrough 5 105.04x
Crigglestone 5 102.25x
Crowle 5 100.40x
Normanton 5 32.79x
North Deighton 5 2500.00x
Sandal Magna 5 66.67x
Spofforth Cum Stockeld 5 625.00x
West Haddlesey 5 1923.08x
Barnsley 4 7.64x
Cheadle 4 18.53x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 4.14x
Horsforth 4 35.94x
North Meols 4 6.72x
Tong 4 40.82x
Boston 3 12.08x
Bradford 3 2.44x
Cudworth 3 163.93x
Darfield 3 64.94x
Easingwold 3 83.80x
Erith 3 17.43x
Failsworth 3 21.58x
Kirton 3 91.46x
Leicester St Martin 3 78.74x
St George Bloomsbury 3 10.21x
Cottingham 2 18.28x
Coyty Lower 2 34.54x
Dewsbury 2 3.84x
Farnham 2 10.31x
Halifax 2 2.68x
Lambeth 2 0.45x
Leicester St Nicholas 2 62.11x
Lockwood 2 10.95x
Naburn 2 200.00x
Otley 2 16.23x
Ryther Cum Ossendyke 2 392.16x
Sculcoates 2 2.49x
Sherburn 2 47.96x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 2 17.36x
Staveley 2 350.88x
Thornhill 2 13.50x
Bexley 1 6.47x
Hipperholme Cum 1 4.48x
Holbeck 1 2.97x
Islington London 1 0.20x
Willington 1 11.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Sarah 24
Annie 17
Elizabeth 16
Hannah 14
Ann 12
Ada 8
Ellen 8
Harriet 8
Martha 8
Alice 7
Emma 7
Frances 7
Jane 7
Eliza 5
Anne 4
Edith 4
Emily 4
Lucy 4
Caroline 3
Fanny 3
Harriett 3
Isabella 3
Margaret 3
A. 2
Eleanor 2
Florence 2
Henrietta 2
Jessie 2
Lizzie 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Rachel 2
Rosa 2
Rose 2
Amy 1
Bertha 1
Biltriah 1
Blanche 1
Carey 1
Clark 1
Dinah 1
Dorothy 1
E. 1
Elizth. 1
Gertrude 1
Hilda 1
Infant 1
Isabel 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 31
John 30
George 16
James 15
Henry 14
Thomas 11
Joseph 10
Charles 8
Edward 8
Richard 8
Robert 8
Arthur 7
Herbert 7
Harry 6
Frederick 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Edmund 2
Edwin 2
F. 2
Fred 2
Joe 2
Mark 2
Auther 1
Benjamin 1
Clement 1
Ellis 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Hy. 1
Granby 1
Horace 1
Jas.George 1
Jno. 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Mary 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Migson 1
Peter 1
Robt. 1
Sam 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Poppleton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Poppleton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 524 people were recorded with the Poppleton surname. That placed it at #6,528 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Poppleton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 536 in 2016. That gives Poppleton a modern rank of #9,486.

What does the Poppleton surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name referring to a settlement where poppies grew abundantly.

What does the Poppleton map show?

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