NameCensus.

UK surname

Pratt

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of tools or small metal objects.

In the 1881 census there were 17,181 people recorded with the Pratt surname, ranking it #220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 14,248, ranked #443, down from #220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Richmondshire, County Durham and Aylesbury Vale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pratt is 21,047 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.1%.

1881 census count

17,181

Ranked #220

Modern count

14,248

2016, ranked #443

Peak year

1911

21,047 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pratt had 17,181 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 14,248 in 2016, ranked #443.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 21,047 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pratt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pratt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pratt 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 10,908 #228
1861 historical 9,990 #259
1881 historical 17,181 #220
1891 historical 17,597 #225
1901 historical 20,679 #231
1911 historical 21,047 #206
1997 modern 16,851 #351
1998 modern 17,168 #363
1999 modern 17,069 #367
2000 modern 16,646 #379
2001 modern 16,153 #383
2002 modern 16,291 #386
2003 modern 15,763 #387
2004 modern 15,571 #393
2005 modern 15,090 #401
2006 modern 14,905 #409
2007 modern 14,868 #414
2008 modern 14,783 #420
2009 modern 14,935 #425
2010 modern 15,112 #427
2011 modern 14,886 #427
2012 modern 14,300 #436
2013 modern 14,510 #440
2014 modern 14,597 #439
2015 modern 14,345 #441
2016 modern 14,248 #443

Geography

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Where Pratts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Richmondshire, County Durham, Aylesbury Vale, Hambleton and Scarborough. 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 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Richmondshire 005 Richmondshire
2 County Durham 044 County Durham
3 Aylesbury Vale 009 Aylesbury Vale
4 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
5 Scarborough 014 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pratt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pratt

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pratt is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pratt 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

Pratt 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 Pratt 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 Pratt, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pratt

The surname Pratt originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "prat," meaning a small meadow or piece of land. This name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked on such a plot of land.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century. In the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, a William Prat is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include a reference to a Hugo Prat in Oxfordshire.

During the 13th century, the name Pratt appeared in various parts of England, including Hertfordshire, Yorkshire, and Norfolk. It was sometimes spelled differently, such as Prat, Pratte, or Prate.

The Domesday Book, completed in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Pratt. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Pratis in Oxfordshire and Prate in Wiltshire.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Pratt was Sir John Pratt (c. 1520-1594), an English landowner and Member of Parliament. Another prominent figure was Sir Roger Pratt (1628-1684), an English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Pratt (1737-1819) was a successful American merchant and philanthropist. He founded the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

Charles Pratt (1830-1891), an American businessman and philanthropist, was a co-founder of the Standard Oil Company and a major benefactor of educational institutions.

Lastly, Orville Pratt (1819-1891) was a prominent leader and apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pratt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pratt 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 2,135 Pratts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.27x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,135 1.27x
Yorkshire 1,951 1.17x
Warwickshire 989 2.34x
Surrey 927 1.13x
Lancashire 807 0.41x
Leicestershire 614 3.30x
Sussex 610 2.16x
Durham 598 1.20x
Norfolk 551 2.14x
Kent 531 0.93x
Hampshire 489 1.42x
Essex 486 1.47x
Bedfordshire 481 5.53x
Devon 469 1.34x
Hertfordshire 448 3.87x
Staffordshire 445 0.79x
Cambridgeshire 330 3.10x
Suffolk 330 1.61x
Fife 319 3.21x
Northamptonshire 309 1.96x
Worcestershire 306 1.40x
Oxfordshire 290 2.80x
Buckinghamshire 273 2.69x
Aberdeenshire 207 1.33x
Lincolnshire 204 0.76x
Nottinghamshire 201 0.89x
Northumberland 200 0.80x
Derbyshire 194 0.74x
Gloucestershire 171 0.52x
Midlothian 143 0.64x
Somerset 137 0.51x
Lanarkshire 127 0.23x
Cheshire 123 0.33x
Berkshire 117 0.93x
Glamorgan 113 0.39x
Angus 59 0.38x
Westmorland 56 1.52x
Huntingdonshire 49 1.47x
Shropshire 45 0.31x
Orkney 40 2.17x
Herefordshire 37 0.54x
Wiltshire 35 0.24x
Monmouthshire 34 0.28x
Cornwall 32 0.17x
Dorset 23 0.21x
Royal Navy 21 1.05x
Renfrewshire 19 0.15x
Inverness-shire 18 0.36x
Cumberland 16 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 14 0.26x
Ayrshire 12 0.10x
Caernarfonshire 10 0.15x
Denbighshire 9 0.14x
Stirlingshire 8 0.13x
Perthshire 7 0.09x
Banffshire 6 0.17x
Argyllshire 5 0.11x
Channel Islands 4 0.08x
Brecknockshire 3 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.08x
Anglesey 2 0.07x
Caithness 2 0.09x
Cardiganshire 2 0.05x
Flintshire 2 0.04x
Buteshire 1 0.10x
Kincardineshire 1 0.05x
Merionethshire 1 0.03x
Peeblesshire 1 0.13x
Roxburghshire 1 0.03x
Rutland 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 234 Pratts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.66x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 234 1.66x
Lambeth 222 1.52x
Islington London 203 1.25x
Aston 198 1.70x
St Pancras London 191 1.41x
Portsea 151 2.24x
Leighton Buzzard 145 38.79x
Leicester St Margaret 126 2.78x
Hackney London 124 1.32x
West Ham 122 1.67x
Shoreditch London 119 1.64x
Kensington London 109 1.17x
Bromley London 104 2.82x
Totternhoe 96 236.34x
St Marylebone London 95 1.06x
Camberwell 91 0.85x
Brighton 87 1.52x
Bethnal Green London 86 1.18x
Bradford 85 2.11x
St George Hanover 85 3.88x
Wolverhampton 77 1.77x
Leeds 76 0.81x
Nottingham St Mary 73 1.25x
Hinckley 70 15.86x
Lewisham 70 2.29x
Manningham 68 3.32x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 66 0.73x
Tormoham 66 4.46x
Melbecks 65 97.03x
Newington 65 1.05x
Tonbridge 65 3.15x
Paddington London 63 1.02x
Mile End Old Town 60 2.26x
Calverley Cum Farsley 57 12.07x
Leicester St Mary 57 3.79x
Clapham 56 2.67x
Hampstead London 56 2.14x
Deptford St Paul 54 1.22x
St Luke London 53 1.97x
Rawdon 52 26.55x
Hunslet 51 1.97x
Redbourn 51 40.35x
Battersea 49 0.79x
Coventry St Michael 48 3.53x
Govan 48 0.36x
Horton In Bradford 47 1.81x
Stoke Upon Trent 47 0.78x
Liverpool 46 0.38x
Clerkenwell London 45 1.14x
Hammersmith London 45 1.09x
Aberdeen Old Machar 44 1.36x
Bow London 43 2.01x
Chelsea London 43 0.85x
Barrow In Furness 42 1.55x
Manchester 41 0.46x
Poplar London 41 1.29x
Wisbech St Peter 41 7.69x
Bishopwearmouth 40 0.93x
Stockton On Tees 40 1.66x
Bermondsey 39 0.78x
Bushey 38 13.80x
Croydon 38 0.84x
Eccleshill 38 9.39x
Hulme 38 0.91x
Kettle 38 31.86x
Walcot 38 2.64x
Barony 37 0.27x
Sculcoates 37 1.40x
Accrington 36 1.99x
Chesham 36 9.63x
Kilrenny 36 19.59x
Smallburgh 36 118.23x
St Andrewthe Less 36 2.96x
Edgbaston 35 2.67x
Edmonton 35 2.59x
Houghton Regis 35 25.26x
Leamington Priors 35 3.36x
Luton 35 2.33x
Wednesbury 34 2.40x
Great Yarmouth 33 1.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,031
Elizabeth 648
Sarah 609
Jane 349
Ann 346
Emma 271
Eliza 259
Ellen 255
Annie 251
Alice 233
Emily 212
Hannah 157
Martha 122
Edith 119
Margaret 118
Louisa 117
Caroline 102
Harriet 102
Charlotte 101
Fanny 100
Harriett 92
Maria 92
Florence 90
Catherine 86
Ada 83
Kate 75
Lucy 73
Clara 71
Frances 70
Isabella 70
Agnes 60
Susan 60
Anne 59
Rose 52
Minnie 45
Rebecca 45
Amelia 44
Sophia 41
Julia 40
Matilda 37
Amy 35
Eleanor 34
Jessie 34
Laura 32
Ruth 32
Esther 29
Elizth. 28
Ethel 28
Lizzie 28
Lydia 28

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 1,023
John 831
George 550
Thomas 529
James 499
Henry 362
Charles 356
Joseph 288
Edward 195
Arthur 181
Alfred 175
Robert 173
Frederick 156
Walter 155
Richard 135
Harry 102
Albert 95
Frank 89
Samuel 82
Ernest 69
Herbert 69
David 65
Wm. 65
Francis 55
Edwin 51
Benjamin 45
Daniel 32
Isaac 32
Fredrick 31
Stephen 27
Thos. 26
Sidney 22
Percy 21
Christopher 20
Fred 20
Anthony 19
Fredk. 19
Michael 19
Matthew 18
Ralph 18
Edmund 17
Leonard 17
Tom 17
Chas. 16
Geo. 16
Abraham 15
Mark 15
Alexander 14
Lewis 14
Horace 13

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 Pratt households.

FAQ

Pratt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pratt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 17,181 people were recorded with the Pratt surname. That placed it at #220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pratt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 14,248 in 2016. That gives Pratt a modern rank of #443.

What does the Pratt surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of tools or small metal objects.

What does the Pratt map show?

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