NameCensus.

UK surname

Profitt

An occupational surname for someone who made a profit or gained an advantage, likely through trade or business.

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Profitt surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 95, ranked #31,782, down from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Middlesbrough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Profitt is 125 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 63.8%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

95

2016, ranked #31,782

Peak year

1998

125 bearers

Map years

1

1998 to 1998

Key insights

  • Profitt had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 95 in 2016, ranked #31,782.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 95 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Profitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Profitt surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Profitt 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 95 #24,694
1901 historical 67 #26,703
1911 historical 79 #24,903
1997 modern 118 #24,423
1998 modern 125 #24,198
1999 modern 114 #25,766
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 100 #27,944
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 97 #28,455
2005 modern 93 #29,133
2006 modern 92 #29,576
2007 modern 99 #28,852
2008 modern 92 #30,286
2009 modern 92 #30,820
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 100 #30,058
2012 modern 98 #30,612
2013 modern 100 #30,773
2014 modern 107 #29,827
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 95 #31,782

Geography

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Where Profitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Middlesbrough. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Middlesbrough 014 Middlesbrough
2 Middlesbrough 019 Middlesbrough
3 Middlesbrough 020 Middlesbrough
4 Middlesbrough 017 Middlesbrough
5 Middlesbrough 004 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Profitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Profitt

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Profitt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Profitt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Profitt is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Profitt 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

Profitt falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Profitt

The surname Profitt is of English origin and traces its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from an occupational name referring to someone who profited or made a living through trade or business dealings. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1195, where it appears as Richard le Profyt.

The Profitt name is thought to have originated in the counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire in the southern part of England. It is likely that the name was initially used as a descriptive term for someone who was successful in their profession or trade, possibly a merchant or trader who made a significant profit from their endeavors.

In the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, dated 1273, there is a record of a Roger Profyt, indicating the presence of the name in that county during the 13th century. The name also appears in various tax and legal records throughout the following centuries, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379, which mentions a Johannes Profite.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Profitt surname was Sir William Profitt, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the late 14th century. He is recorded as having owned estates in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, further cementing the name's connection to those regions.

Another notable figure with the Profitt surname was John Profitt, born in 1582 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is mentioned in several records from the town during that period.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records across England, with variations in spelling such as Proffitt, Profett, and Proffett. One such record is the baptism of Thomas Profitt in 1623 in the parish of St. Mary's, Lambeth, London.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), a Captain Edward Profitt is recorded as having fought for the Parliamentarian forces, further demonstrating the presence of the name in significant historical events.

Over the centuries, the Profitt surname has been associated with various place names and locations across England, including Profitt's Hill in Gloucestershire and Profitt's Lane in Oxfordshire, both of which likely derived their names from early bearers of the surname in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Profitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Profitt 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. Cornwall leads with 21 Profitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.80x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 21 32.80x
Lancashire 18 2.68x
Staffordshire 14 7.33x
Cheshire 2 1.60x
Middlesex 2 0.35x
Angus 1 1.91x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Minver in Cornwall leads with 21 Profitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 10500.00x.

Place Total Index
St Minver 21 10500.00x
Stoke Upon Trent 13 64.23x
Little Bolton 7 81.11x
Moss Side 7 198.30x
Chelsea London 2 11.74x
Kirkdale 2 17.71x
Chester St Oswald 1 44.25x
Darlaston 1 37.88x
Dundee 1 5.11x
Liverpool 1 2.45x
Tranmere 1 21.79x
Warrington 1 12.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 8
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Charles 2
Francis 2
William 2
Alexander 1
Henry 1
James 1
Job 1
Robert 1

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 Profitt households.

FAQ

Profitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Profitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Profitt surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Profitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 95 in 2016. That gives Profitt a modern rank of #31,782.

What does the Profitt surname mean?

An occupational surname for someone who made a profit or gained an advantage, likely through trade or business.

What does the Profitt map show?

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