NameCensus.

UK surname

Portass

In the 1881 census there were 95 people recorded with the Portass surname, ranking it #20,349 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 86, ranked #32,570, down from #20,349 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Portass is 105 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.5%.

1881 census count

95

Ranked #20,349

Modern count

86

2016, ranked #32,570

Peak year

1998

105 bearers

Map years

1

1998 to 1998

Key insights

  • Portass had 95 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,349 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 86 in 2016, ranked #32,570.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 95 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Portass surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Portass surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Portass 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 13 #30,970
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 95 #20,349
1891 historical 63 #28,881
1901 historical 87 #24,386
1911 historical 95 #23,294
1997 modern 96 #27,490
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 104 #27,164
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 94 #28,896
2005 modern 89 #29,683
2006 modern 88 #30,160
2007 modern 78 #31,748
2008 modern 78 #32,081
2009 modern 80 #32,277
2010 modern 87 #31,990
2011 modern 81 #32,558
2012 modern 83 #32,611
2013 modern 86 #32,557
2014 modern 87 #32,585
2015 modern 80 #33,052
2016 modern 86 #32,570

Geography

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Where Portass' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Plymouth. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 008 South Holland
2 South Holland 003 South Holland
3 South Holland 002 South Holland
4 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 013 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
5 Plymouth 017 Plymouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Portass

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Portass

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

Spacious Rural Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Portass 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

Portass is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Portass falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Portass is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Portass families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Portass 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. Lincolnshire leads with 82 Portass' recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.34x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 82 55.34x
Surrey 10 2.21x
Yorkshire 3 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sutton St Mary in Lincolnshire leads with 13 Portass' recorded in 1881 and an index of 928.57x.

Place Total Index
Sutton St Mary 13 928.57x
Effingham 7 3684.21x
Scunthorpe 7 1044.78x
Sutterton 7 2413.79x
Wootton 7 3888.89x
Central Wingland 6 7500.00x
Great Grimsby 6 63.83x
Holton Le Clay 6 6666.67x
Great Coates 5 6250.00x
Stenigot 5 16666.67x
North Coates 4 5000.00x
North South Killingholme 4 1600.00x
Battersea 3 8.80x
Hogsthorpe 3 1304.35x
Holy Trinity 2 9.05x
Kirton In Lindsey 2 338.98x
Cawkwell 1 10000.00x
Croft 1 416.67x
Fotherby 1 1250.00x
Hatton 1 1666.67x
Saltfleetby St Peter 1 1000.00x
Shipley 1 20.96x
Skegness 1 238.10x
St Peterat Arches 1 588.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 5
Sarah 5
Betsy 3
Ellen 3
Fanny 3
Maria 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Mildred 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Milly 1
Naomi 1
Pheoba 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Portass households.

FAQ

Portass surname: questions and answers

How common was the Portass surname in 1881?

In 1881, 95 people were recorded with the Portass surname. That placed it at #20,349 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Portass surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 86 in 2016. That gives Portass a modern rank of #32,570.

What does the Portass map show?

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