NameCensus.

UK surname

Poultney

An English place name derived from an Old English word meaning "plant nursery town".

In the 1881 census there were 481 people recorded with the Poultney surname, ranking it #6,969 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 732, ranked #7,440, down from #6,969 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Foleshill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Nuneaton and Bedworth and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Poultney is 803 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.2%.

1881 census count

481

Ranked #6,969

Modern count

732

2016, ranked #7,440

Peak year

2002

803 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Poultney had 481 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,969 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 732 in 2016, ranked #7,440.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 737 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Poultney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Poultney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Poultney 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 330 #7,062
1861 historical 290 #8,686
1881 historical 481 #6,969
1891 historical 560 #6,775
1901 historical 679 #6,431
1911 historical 737 #5,816
1997 modern 757 #6,829
1998 modern 791 #6,815
1999 modern 797 #6,815
2000 modern 782 #6,899
2001 modern 765 #6,884
2002 modern 803 #6,754
2003 modern 792 #6,701
2004 modern 774 #6,856
2005 modern 743 #7,012
2006 modern 729 #7,144
2007 modern 732 #7,199
2008 modern 737 #7,204
2009 modern 743 #7,305
2010 modern 744 #7,423
2011 modern 744 #7,358
2012 modern 729 #7,385
2013 modern 758 #7,282
2014 modern 744 #7,432
2015 modern 735 #7,438
2016 modern 732 #7,440

Geography

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Where Poultneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Foleshill, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Cornwall, Stroud and Basildon. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
3 Foleshill Warwickshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 007 Blaenau Gwent
2 Nuneaton and Bedworth 004 Nuneaton and Bedworth
3 Cornwall 071 Cornwall
4 Stroud 014 Stroud
5 Basildon 016 Basildon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Poultney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Poultney

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Poultney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Poultney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Poultney is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Poultney 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

Poultney falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Poultney 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 Poultney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Poultney

The surname Poultney has its origins in the county of Norfolk, England, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is derived from the place name Poultney, a small town located near King's Lynn. The name is thought to have originated from the Old English words "pol" meaning a pool or pond, and "ey" meaning an island, referring to the town's location on a marshy island surrounded by water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Feet of Fines for Norfolk in 1198, where a Robert de Polteneye is mentioned. The name also appears in various local records and tax rolls throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, often spelled as Polteneye, Poltenay, or Poulteney.

In the late 13th century, a prominent merchant and landowner named John de Pulteneye lived in London. He served as the city's mayor four times between 1330 and 1337 and was a wealthy benefactor who founded a college and a religious house. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Poulteney (c. 1355-1416), a English soldier and landowner who fought in the Hundred Years' War and served as a member of Parliament.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname was sometimes recorded as Poultney or Pulteney, with various spellings appearing in different regions of England. In the 17th century, Sir William Pulteney (1624-1701) was a prominent English politician and member of the House of Commons, while Daniel Pulteney (1684-1731) was a British MP and Secretary at War.

Other historical figures with the Poultney surname include Sir James Murray Pulteney (1755-1811), a Scottish baronet and politician, and Richard Pulteney (1730-1801), an English botanist and author who wrote several works on plants and gardening.

Overall, the Poultney surname has a long and distinguished history in England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk and London, where many bearers of the name held positions of wealth, influence, and social standing.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Poultney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Poultney 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. Staffordshire leads with 93 Poultneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.87x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 93 5.87x
Warwickshire 86 7.27x
Worcestershire 61 9.96x
Leicestershire 60 11.53x
Somerset 39 5.16x
Middlesex 37 0.79x
Derbyshire 15 2.04x
Kent 14 0.87x
Surrey 13 0.57x
Yorkshire 11 0.24x
Lancashire 10 0.18x
Northamptonshire 10 2.27x
Cumberland 7 1.73x
Essex 6 0.65x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.95x
Monmouthshire 4 1.18x
Shropshire 4 0.99x
Lincolnshire 2 0.27x
Cheshire 1 0.10x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Renfrewshire 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. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 27 Poultneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.25x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 27 13.25x
Kingswinford 21 36.52x
Aston 18 5.52x
Atherstone 18 298.01x
Leicester St Margaret 14 11.04x
Oldbury 14 46.43x
Dudley 13 17.45x
Leicester St Nicholas 13 440.68x
Bedminster 12 16.91x
Polesworth 11 195.73x
Sedgley 11 18.70x
Meare 10 440.53x
Birmingham 9 2.28x
Mancetter 9 264.71x
Shrawley 9 1216.22x
Congresbury 8 418.85x
Derby St Peter 8 34.19x
Leek Lowe 8 37.97x
Northampton St Sepulchre 8 35.63x
Plumstead 8 14.99x
Wednesbury 8 20.21x
Camberwell 7 2.34x
Coventry St Michael 7 18.42x
Rearsby 7 909.09x
Workington 7 30.26x
Burton Upon Trent 6 16.19x
Hasbury 6 149.63x
Nether Seal 6 652.17x
Radford 6 18.67x
Stone 6 600.00x
Tipton 6 12.37x
Trysull 6 652.17x
Wolverhampton 6 4.93x
Woodford 6 57.25x
Bermondsey 5 3.58x
Braunstone 5 1562.50x
Dodderhill 5 191.57x
Manchester 5 2.00x
Newington 5 39.06x
Powick 5 117.92x
Willenhall 5 16.86x
Woolwich 5 8.45x
Brightside Bierlow 4 4.39x
Edgbaston 4 10.90x
Hornsey 4 6.74x
Puriton 4 330.58x
Seals 4 218.58x
Stoke 4 171.67x
Taunton St James 4 36.33x
Ulverston 4 24.66x
Wombourn 4 136.05x
Burton Extra 3 33.04x
Derby St Alkmund 3 13.63x
Derby St Werburgh 3 7.07x
Droitwich St Andrew 3 193.55x
Harborne 3 5.91x
Islington London 3 0.66x
Leicester St Mary 3 7.14x
Sheepy Magna 3 447.76x
St Woollos 3 7.93x
Cheadle 2 26.28x
Foleshill 2 16.06x
Grendon 2 198.02x
Leeds 2 0.76x
Loughborough 2 8.47x
Shifnal 2 18.18x
St Pancras London 2 0.53x
Stamford All Sts 2 47.62x
Tettenhall 2 20.66x
Whitwick 2 30.26x
Cranford St John 1 166.67x
Hackney London 1 0.38x
Lutterworth 1 31.55x
Macclesfield 1 2.17x
Neilston 1 5.48x
Rowley Regis 1 2.27x
Shipton 1 333.33x
Thornton In Fylde 1 8.21x
Walsall Borough 1 8.14x
Westbury On Trym 1 3.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Sarah 19
Elizabeth 14
Eliza 12
Jane 12
Ann 10
Annie 10
Emma 10
Alice 7
Ellen 7
Hannah 7
Emily 6
Martha 5
Caroline 4
Louisa 4
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Lizzie 3
Phoebe 3
Susan 3
Betsey 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Laura 2
Madeleine 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
Sophia 2
Amelia 1
Bertha 1
C.J. 1
Cathrine 1
Clara 1
Elizth.E. 1
Emmiline 1
Ethel 1
Ethelwyn 1
Euphania 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1
Lilly 1
Louie 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 38
Thomas 26
John 25
George 16
Joseph 16
James 13
Charles 11
Samuel 9
Albert 8
Edward 7
Arthur 6
Henry 6
Richard 6
Alfred 5
Benjamin 4
Edwin 4
Frederick 3
Robert 3
Abner 2
Benjm. 2
Ephraim 2
Eylon 2
Francis 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Percy 2
Thos. 2
Aaron 1
Amos 1
Cha 1
Ed.C. 1
Ed.W. 1
Eli.Jno. 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Eustice 1
Frank 1
Henery 1
Infant 1
J.Edwin 1
Jph. 1
Levi 1
Luke 1
Norman 1
Phillip 1
Richd. 1
W. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Poultney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Poultney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 481 people were recorded with the Poultney surname. That placed it at #6,969 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Poultney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 732 in 2016. That gives Poultney a modern rank of #7,440.

What does the Poultney surname mean?

An English place name derived from an Old English word meaning "plant nursery town".

What does the Poultney map show?

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