NameCensus.

UK surname

Pratchett

In the 1881 census there were 137 people recorded with the Pratchett surname, ranking it #16,358 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 222, ranked #18,277, down from #16,358 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barnet, Chipping, Hendon and Hertford St Andrew within and without. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Colchester, St Albans and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pratchett is 245 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 62.0%.

1881 census count

137

Ranked #16,358

Modern count

222

2016, ranked #18,277

Peak year

1998

245 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pratchett had 137 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,358 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 222 in 2016, ranked #18,277.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 213 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Pratchett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pratchett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pratchett 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 79 #19,712
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 137 #16,358
1891 historical 178 #16,264
1901 historical 213 #14,563
1911 historical 206 #14,677
1997 modern 240 #15,678
1998 modern 245 #15,903
1999 modern 239 #16,268
2000 modern 235 #16,423
2001 modern 231 #16,365
2002 modern 242 #16,186
2003 modern 241 #16,013
2004 modern 241 #16,086
2005 modern 244 #15,900
2006 modern 240 #16,177
2007 modern 240 #16,392
2008 modern 237 #16,688
2009 modern 239 #16,951
2010 modern 233 #17,606
2011 modern 228 #17,673
2012 modern 220 #18,034
2013 modern 224 #18,080
2014 modern 223 #18,279
2015 modern 219 #18,406
2016 modern 222 #18,277

Geography

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Where Pratchetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barnet, Chipping, Hendon, Hertford St Andrew within and without, Tottenham and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Colchester, St Albans, Kensington and Chelsea, Barnet and Hammersmith and Fulham. 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 Barnet, Chipping Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Hendon Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 Hertford St Andrew within and without Hertfordshire
4 Tottenham Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Colchester 008 Colchester
2 St Albans 018 St Albans
3 Kensington and Chelsea 003 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Barnet 016 Barnet
5 Hammersmith and Fulham 001 Hammersmith and Fulham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pratchett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pratchett

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Pratchett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Pratchett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Pratchett is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pratchett is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pratchett 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 Pratchett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Pratchett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pratchett 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 38 Pratchetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.84x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 38 2.84x
Hertfordshire 26 28.23x
Yorkshire 14 1.06x
Lancashire 13 0.82x
Cheshire 9 3.05x
Lincolnshire 7 3.28x
Kent 6 1.32x
Cumberland 5 4.35x
Derbyshire 4 1.91x
Essex 4 1.52x
Sussex 4 1.78x
Hampshire 3 1.10x
Warwickshire 2 0.59x
Royal Navy 1 6.28x
Worcestershire 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 14 Pratchetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.81x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 14 10.81x
North Mimms 14 2413.79x
Tottenham 10 46.99x
Allostock 9 3913.04x
Bowling 9 68.60x
Barkstone 7 3043.48x
Hatfield 6 320.86x
Liverpool 5 5.19x
Rickergate 5 205.76x
West Ardsley 5 314.47x
Derby St Werburgh 4 33.11x
Everton 4 7.91x
Harwich St Nicholas 4 196.08x
Hendon 4 83.16x
Hertford St Andrew 4 350.88x
Ickham Well 4 1538.46x
Toxteth Park 4 7.45x
Carisbrooke 3 78.95x
Hampstead London 3 14.42x
Birmingham 2 1.78x
Brighton 2 4.40x
Chipping Barnet 2 571.43x
Erith 2 44.54x
Finchley 2 39.06x
Willesden 2 15.87x
Wisborough Green 2 263.16x
Chipping Barnet 1 62.11x
Kings Norton 1 6.39x
St Albans St Peter 1 32.15x
Westminster St 1 20.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emily 9
Elizabeth 7
Alice 6
Eliza 5
Clara 4
Frances 4
Hannah 4
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Emma 3
Annie 2
Florence 2
Martha 2
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Infant 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Nellie 1
Pearssa 1
Rosa 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 7
William 7
Charles 6
John 6
Alfred 4
Henry 4
Edward 3
George 3
James 3
Robert 2
Albert 1
Amos 1
Brownbridge 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo.Willm. 1
Harry 1
Jas.Henry 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Luther 1
Nathan 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Pratchett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pratchett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 137 people were recorded with the Pratchett surname. That placed it at #16,358 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pratchett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 222 in 2016. That gives Pratchett a modern rank of #18,277.

What does the Pratchett map show?

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