NameCensus.

UK surname

Pritchett

An English occupational surname for a seller or maker of wine-related items, derived from Old French "prichet" meaning wine pitcher.

In the 1881 census there were 714 people recorded with the Pritchett surname, ranking it #5,094 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,241, ranked #4,808, up from #5,094 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Kings Norton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Hertfordshire, Broxtowe and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pritchett is 1,310 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.8%.

1881 census count

714

Ranked #5,094

Modern count

1,241

2016, ranked #4,808

Peak year

2002

1,310 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pritchett had 714 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,094 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,241 in 2016, ranked #4,808.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 962 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pritchett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pritchett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pritchett 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 452 #5,452
1861 historical 397 #6,460
1881 historical 714 #5,094
1891 historical 871 #4,716
1901 historical 962 #4,885
1911 historical 956 #4,713
1997 modern 1,213 #4,669
1998 modern 1,276 #4,653
1999 modern 1,287 #4,640
2000 modern 1,280 #4,643
2001 modern 1,271 #4,571
2002 modern 1,310 #4,541
2003 modern 1,300 #4,484
2004 modern 1,296 #4,497
2005 modern 1,270 #4,530
2006 modern 1,251 #4,604
2007 modern 1,261 #4,609
2008 modern 1,249 #4,680
2009 modern 1,278 #4,683
2010 modern 1,294 #4,726
2011 modern 1,290 #4,677
2012 modern 1,255 #4,725
2013 modern 1,279 #4,724
2014 modern 1,275 #4,762
2015 modern 1,263 #4,757
2016 modern 1,241 #4,808

Geography

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Where Pritchetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Kings Norton, Ilkeston and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Hertfordshire, Broxtowe, Nottingham and Bedford. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Kings Norton Worcestershire
4 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Hertfordshire 004 North Hertfordshire
2 Broxtowe 010 Broxtowe
3 Broxtowe 008 Broxtowe
4 Nottingham 014 Nottingham
5 Bedford 018 Bedford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pritchett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pritchett

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Pritchett is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Pritchett 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

Pritchett falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pritchett

The surname Pritchett originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from an occupational name, referring to someone who made or sold arrows or bolts, known as a "pritch" or "pritch-maker." The earliest known spelling of the name was "Prichet," which was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

The name is believed to have originated in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, where the arrow-making trade was prevalent. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Prichet, Prickett, Pritchett, and Pritchet.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Prichet is mentioned. Another early record is the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1380, which lists a William Prichet.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various historical documents, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1428, which mentions a John Prichet, and the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1486, where a Thomas Prichet is recorded.

Notable individuals with the surname Pritchett throughout history include:

1. Sir William Pritchett (1642-1705), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire.

2. Henry Pritchett (1857-1939), an American astronomer and educator who served as the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1900 to 1907.

3. V.S. Pritchett (1900-1997), a British writer and literary critic known for his short stories and memoirs, such as "A Cab at the Door" and "Midnight Oil."

4. Frances Pritchett (1913-2001), an American mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the development of early computers and programming languages.

5. Robert Pritchett (1828-1907), an English architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.

The surname Pritchett has a rich history deeply rooted in the medieval English trades and occupations. While its origins trace back to the arrow-making industry, the name has since been carried by various individuals across different fields and professions throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pritchett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pritchett 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. Warwickshire leads with 116 Pritchetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.59x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 116 6.59x
Nottinghamshire 89 9.47x
Oxfordshire 65 15.09x
Worcestershire 50 5.49x
Surrey 47 1.38x
Yorkshire 42 0.61x
Middlesex 41 0.59x
Hampshire 37 2.59x
Staffordshire 27 1.15x
Hertfordshire 23 4.78x
Lancashire 22 0.27x
Gloucestershire 21 1.54x
Derbyshire 16 1.47x
Leicestershire 14 1.81x
Midlothian 12 1.28x
Durham 10 0.48x
Herefordshire 10 3.50x
Kent 10 0.42x
Lincolnshire 10 0.90x
Dorset 9 1.97x
Bedfordshire 8 2.22x
Cheshire 8 0.52x
Wiltshire 7 1.13x
Essex 6 0.44x
Lanarkshire 5 0.22x
Northumberland 4 0.39x
Devon 2 0.14x
Somerset 2 0.18x
Cornwall 1 0.13x
Sussex 1 0.09x

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 90 Pritchetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.35x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 90 15.35x
Bicester Market End 30 379.27x
Aston 22 4.54x
Aslockton 19 1979.17x
Nottingham St Mary 18 7.40x
Kings Norton 17 20.82x
Northfield 17 98.38x
Camberwell 16 3.59x
Cassington 15 1875.00x
Ilkeston 15 49.00x
Whatton 13 1911.76x
Northwood 11 54.03x
Ledbury 10 101.83x
Pendleton In Salford 10 10.14x
Darlington 9 11.23x
Edinburgh Trinity 9 299.00x
Kinson 9 100.56x
Shoreditch London 9 2.98x
Toton 9 1956.52x
East Barnet 8 83.86x
Hulme 8 4.63x
Kempston 8 97.56x
Monks Coppenhall 8 13.77x
Otterbourne 8 392.16x
Plungar 8 1333.33x
The Hill 8 136.75x
Battersea 7 2.73x
Brading 7 36.84x
Holy Trinity 7 4.21x
Huddersfield 7 6.95x
Kimberworth 7 18.25x
Lambeth 7 1.15x
Portsea 7 2.50x
Salisbury St Thomas 7 143.15x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 4.66x
Croydon 6 3.18x
Handsworth 6 10.34x
Harborne 6 7.95x
Langar 6 594.06x
West Bromwich 6 4.45x
Wolstanton Knutton 6 41.75x
Barony 5 0.88x
Bibury 5 303.03x
Bingham 5 125.00x
Bishop Stortford 5 31.13x
Bristol St James St Paul 5 10.96x
Bushey 5 43.67x
Deptford St Paul 5 2.72x
Hackney London 5 1.28x
Halifax 5 4.93x
Islip 5 347.22x
Manthorpe Cum Little 5 58.62x
Newington 5 1.94x
Westbury On Trym 5 10.79x
Enfield 4 8.74x
Hammersmith London 4 2.33x
Islington London 4 0.59x
Loughborough 4 11.40x
Oldbury 4 8.93x
Oxford St Giles 4 19.46x
Park Leys 4 40000.00x
Rastrick 4 20.83x
Salford 4 1.64x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 2.85x
West Ham 4 1.32x
Westgate 4 6.22x
York St Maurice 4 30.75x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 0.80x
Harrow On The Hill 3 21.54x
Hucknall Under 3 61.86x
Wolverhampton 3 1.66x
Carisbrooke 2 10.08x
Colston Bassett 2 270.27x
Cowley 2 14.88x
Edgbaston 2 3.67x
Hertford St John 2 27.93x
Scarborough 2 3.18x
Snydale 2 139.86x
St Maryle Wigford 2 23.09x
St Marylebone London 2 0.54x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 51
John 33
George 30
Charles 19
Henry 18
James 17
Edward 15
Thomas 15
Joseph 12
Walter 10
Albert 9
Arthur 9
Alfred 8
Richard 7
Harry 6
Ernest 5
Frederick 5
Samuel 5
Benjamin 4
Edwin 4
Herbert 4
Frank 3
Fredk. 3
Edmund 2
Jacob 2
Mathew 2
Robert 2
Augustus 1
Benjn. 1
Chas.Evan 1
D. 1
David 1
Edmond 1
Edwd.James 1
Ellis 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Inkerman 1
Isaac 1
Jonas 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Matthew 1
Nathaniel 1
Norman 1
Oscar 1
Percy 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Pritchett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pritchett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 714 people were recorded with the Pritchett surname. That placed it at #5,094 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pritchett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,241 in 2016. That gives Pritchett a modern rank of #4,808.

What does the Pritchett surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a seller or maker of wine-related items, derived from Old French "prichet" meaning wine pitcher.

What does the Pritchett map show?

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