NameCensus.

UK surname

Poulton

A locational surname derived from a place name, likely from an English town or village.

In the 1881 census there were 2,403 people recorded with the Poulton surname, ranking it #1,854 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,663, ranked #1,859, down from #1,854 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Neath Port Talbot and Lewes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Poulton is 4,033 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.4%.

1881 census count

2,403

Ranked #1,854

Modern count

3,663

2016, ranked #1,859

Peak year

1999

4,033 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Poulton had 2,403 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,854 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,663 in 2016, ranked #1,859.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,470 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Poulton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Poulton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Poulton 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 1,335 #2,149
1861 historical 1,348 #2,120
1881 historical 2,403 #1,854
1891 historical 2,573 #1,848
1901 historical 3,196 #1,754
1911 historical 3,470 #1,506
1997 modern 3,870 #1,679
1998 modern 3,960 #1,708
1999 modern 4,033 #1,686
2000 modern 3,978 #1,705
2001 modern 3,910 #1,693
2002 modern 3,949 #1,716
2003 modern 3,858 #1,722
2004 modern 3,843 #1,729
2005 modern 3,762 #1,742
2006 modern 3,727 #1,762
2007 modern 3,710 #1,778
2008 modern 3,729 #1,779
2009 modern 3,843 #1,764
2010 modern 3,869 #1,796
2011 modern 3,800 #1,804
2012 modern 3,712 #1,812
2013 modern 3,779 #1,813
2014 modern 3,794 #1,817
2015 modern 3,715 #1,838
2016 modern 3,663 #1,859

Geography

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Where Poultons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, St Mary Islington and Luton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Neath Port Talbot, Lewes, Wychavon and Sandwell. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 Luton Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 041 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Neath Port Talbot 011 Neath Port Talbot
3 Lewes 009 Lewes
4 Wychavon 019 Wychavon
5 Sandwell 017 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Poulton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Poulton

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Poulton is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Poulton is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Poulton falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Poulton

The surname Poulton is of English origin, having its roots in the northern counties of England, particularly in areas like Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is a locational surname, derived from the place name Poulton, which itself is derived from the Old English words 'pol' meaning 'pool' or 'stream' and 'tun' meaning 'farm' or 'settlement'.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Poulton can be traced back to the late 12th century, with references found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195. During this time, the name was often spelled as 'Polton' or 'Poltun', reflecting the local dialectal variations.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries for places called 'Poltun' or 'Polton', indicating the existence of settlements with this name across various parts of England. One notable example is the entry for Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, which was recorded as 'Poltun'.

During the medieval period, the Poulton name was associated with several notable individuals. One example is John de Poulton, a 14th-century cleric and scholar who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1349 to 1361. Another is William Poulton, a 15th-century English merchant and trader who was involved in the wool trade with the Low Countries.

In the 16th century, the Poulton surname gained further prominence with figures like Thomas Poulton (c.1540-1595), a Catholic martyr executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his religious beliefs. Additionally, there was Sir John Poulton (1586-1645), an English politician and Member of Parliament who played a role in the English Civil War.

As the centuries progressed, the Poulton name continued to be found across various parts of England, with some bearers achieving notable positions. For instance, John Poulton (1637-1713) was an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton in Somerset. Another figure was Edward Poulton (1856-1943), a renowned British entomologist and evolutionary biologist who made significant contributions to the study of mimicry in butterflies.

Throughout history, the Poulton surname has maintained its connection to its locational origins, with many individuals bearing this name hailing from or having ancestral ties to the various settlements and townships called Poulton across England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Poulton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Poulton 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. Middlesex leads with 388 Poultons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.65x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 388 1.65x
Lancashire 242 0.87x
Surrey 230 2.01x
Staffordshire 216 2.73x
Warwickshire 169 2.86x
Essex 150 3.24x
Gloucestershire 146 3.17x
Bedfordshire 78 6.42x
Hertfordshire 72 4.45x
Kent 71 0.89x
Wiltshire 71 3.42x
Yorkshire 71 0.31x
Herefordshire 70 7.28x
Buckinghamshire 45 3.17x
Durham 45 0.65x
Worcestershire 45 1.47x
Berkshire 41 2.33x
Northumberland 41 1.18x
Hampshire 36 0.75x
Monmouthshire 30 1.77x
Derbyshire 27 0.74x
Northamptonshire 18 0.82x
Lanarkshire 17 0.22x
Devon 12 0.25x
Oxfordshire 9 0.62x
Glamorgan 6 0.15x
Somerset 6 0.16x
Sussex 6 0.15x
Dorset 5 0.32x
Montgomeryshire 5 0.93x
Cheshire 4 0.08x
Lincolnshire 4 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.54x
Shropshire 4 0.20x
Cumberland 3 0.15x
Denbighshire 3 0.34x
Royal Navy 3 1.07x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.09x
Norfolk 2 0.06x
Suffolk 2 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.29x
Leicestershire 1 0.04x
Radnorshire 1 0.53x
Rutland 1 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Bromwich in Staffordshire leads with 86 Poultons recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.98x.

Place Total Index
West Bromwich 86 18.98x
Lambeth 62 3.03x
Islington London 54 2.38x
Aston 49 3.01x
Luton 49 23.31x
Shoreditch London 39 3.84x
Birmingham 37 1.88x
Preston 37 4.97x
St Pancras London 37 1.96x
Harborne 33 13.01x
Dudley 26 6.98x
Theydon Garnon 24 227.06x
Blackburn 23 3.11x
Clerkenwell London 23 4.16x
Kensington London 23 1.76x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 23 71.14x
St Marylebone London 23 1.84x
Wolverhampton 23 3.78x
Cheltenham 22 6.20x
Leominster 22 55.28x
Warwick St Mary 21 40.90x
Tring 20 46.35x
Portsea 19 2.02x
Eye 18 318.58x
Hulme 18 3.10x
Kingswinford 18 6.26x
Wotton Under Edge 18 66.40x
Edmonton 17 9.00x
Streatham 17 9.77x
Camberwell 16 1.07x
Houghton Regis 16 82.64x
Plumstead 16 6.00x
Southam 16 111.34x
Dalziel 15 18.38x
Bethnal Green London 14 1.37x
Deptford St Paul 14 2.27x
Manchester 14 1.12x
Bermondsey 13 1.86x
Edgbaston 13 7.09x
Wandsworth 13 5.76x
Battersea 12 1.39x
Bradford 12 9.21x
Crudwell 12 198.68x
Gateshead 12 2.30x
Nymphsfield 12 550.46x
Painswick 12 36.89x
Rotherham 12 9.16x
Rotherhithe 12 4.14x
Wallsend 12 10.84x
Bilston 11 7.17x
Newington 11 1.27x
Pennington In Leigh 11 20.60x
Ardwick 10 3.98x
Aylesbury 10 15.92x
Fulham London 10 2.94x
Greenwich 10 2.68x
Habergham Eaves 10 3.93x
Lee 10 8.61x
Little Waltham 10 214.59x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 10 4.80x
Ramsden Bell House 10 313.48x
St Andrew Holborn 10 12.58x
Wednesbury 10 5.06x
West Derby 10 1.23x
Westminster St James 10 4.15x
Chelsea London 9 1.27x
Coates 9 240.64x
Hackney London 9 0.68x
Hammersmith London 9 1.56x
Heston 9 11.56x
Monks Risborough 9 132.35x
Oldham 9 1.00x
Princes Risborough 9 47.39x
Reading St Mary 9 6.38x
Southwark Christchurch 9 8.19x
Stoke Prior 9 205.48x
Tottenham 9 2.41x
Toxteth Park 9 0.96x
Wotton St Mary 9 37.72x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 8 9.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 143
Elizabeth 117
Sarah 85
Ann 45
Jane 44
Alice 40
Eliza 39
Emma 38
Ellen 34
Annie 29
Emily 28
Caroline 25
Hannah 25
Maria 23
Charlotte 20
Fanny 19
Clara 18
Harriet 18
Louisa 18
Martha 17
Margaret 16
Minnie 14
Florence 13
Edith 12
Rose 11
Frances 10
Amy 9
Anne 9
Kate 9
Ada 8
Agnes 8
Ethel 8
Jessie 8
Georgina 7
Isabella 7
Julia 7
Lucy 7
Matilda 7
Susan 7
Lydia 6
Maud 6
Catherine 5
Laura 5
Rebecca 5
Ruth 5
Sophia 5
Elizth. 4
Esther 4
Nellie 4
Rhoda 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 165
John 134
Thomas 90
George 78
Joseph 71
Henry 67
James 63
Charles 56
Edward 34
Frederick 29
Richard 28
Samuel 28
Arthur 25
Robert 20
Alfred 17
Walter 14
Albert 13
Ernest 11
Harry 9
Isaac 9
Edwin 8
Wm. 8
David 6
Francis 6
Frank 6
Geo. 5
Benjamin 4
Fred 4
Leonard 4
Sidney 4
Thos. 4
Daniel 3
Enoch 3
Fredrick 3
Herbert 3
Mark 3
Matthew 3
Nathaniel 3
Percy 3
Sydney 3
Clarence 2
E. 2
Fred. 2
Lewis 2
Lionel 2
Oliver 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Reuben 2
Rupert 2

FAQ

Poulton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Poulton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,403 people were recorded with the Poulton surname. That placed it at #1,854 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Poulton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,663 in 2016. That gives Poulton a modern rank of #1,859.

What does the Poulton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name, likely from an English town or village.

What does the Poulton map show?

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