NameCensus.

UK surname

Purtill

Name derived from an Old French nickname meaning "little boar".

In the 1881 census there were 30 people recorded with the Purtill surname, ranking it #29,363 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 172, ranked #21,648, up from #29,363 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southend-on-Sea, Bolton and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Purtill is 192 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 473.3%.

1881 census count

30

Ranked #29,363

Modern count

172

2016, ranked #21,648

Peak year

2000

192 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Purtill had 30 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,363 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016, ranked #21,648.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 57 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Purtill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Purtill surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Purtill 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 5 #32,456
1861 historical 37 #29,339
1881 historical 30 #29,363
1891 historical 49 #30,349
1901 historical 57 #27,846
1911 historical 51 #27,708
1997 modern 186 #18,448
1998 modern 190 #18,687
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 192 #18,683
2001 modern 186 #18,773
2002 modern 191 #18,817
2003 modern 171 #19,953
2004 modern 169 #20,206
2005 modern 169 #20,153
2006 modern 174 #19,921
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 180 #20,341
2010 modern 181 #20,738
2011 modern 170 #21,407
2012 modern 157 #22,551
2013 modern 164 #22,236
2014 modern 167 #22,180
2015 modern 167 #22,066
2016 modern 172 #21,648

Geography

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Where Purtills 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 Southend-on-Sea, Bolton, Wigan, Manchester and Havering. 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 Southend-on-Sea 007 Southend-on-Sea
2 Bolton 035 Bolton
3 Wigan 019 Wigan
4 Manchester 015 Manchester
5 Havering 016 Havering

Forenames

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First names often paired with Purtill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Purtill

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

Purtill 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

Purtill falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Purtill 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Purtill

The surname Purtill has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the 16th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized form of the old Gaelic name Ó Parthalain, which translates to "descendant of Parthalan," a personal name derived from the Gaelic word "parthalan" meaning "butterwort."

The name is closely associated with County Mayo in the west of Ireland, where it was particularly prevalent in the baronies of Erris and Carra. Historical records show that the name was also found in small numbers in other parts of Connacht and Munster provinces.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I, dated 1586, where a certain "Donogh Purtill" is mentioned as receiving a pardon for his involvement in a rebellion.

In the 17th century, the surname can be found in the records of the Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland, which documented the redistribution of land to English settlers after the Irish Confederate Wars.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the Purtill name is John Purtill (1712-1781), an Irish Catholic priest who served as the Vicar Apostolic of the Western District of Scotland during the latter part of his life.

Another prominent individual was Patrick Purtill (1828-1898), a prominent Irish nationalist and member of the Fenian Brotherhood, a revolutionary organization dedicated to the establishment of an independent Irish republic.

In the late 19th century, Robert Purtill (1855-1933) gained recognition as a successful businessman and philanthropist in Boston, Massachusetts, where he founded the Purtill Lumber Company and donated generously to various charitable causes.

Bridget Purtill (1870-1962), born in County Mayo, Ireland, was a notable labor activist and organizer who played a significant role in the women's labor movement in New York City during the early 20th century.

The surname Purtill has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Purtill's Cross and Purtill's Bridge, both located in County Mayo, reflecting the historical presence of the name in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Purtill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Purtill 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. Cheshire leads with 10 Purtills recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.49x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 10 15.49x
Dorset 5 26.06x
Gloucestershire 4 6.97x
Middlesex 3 1.03x
Lancashire 2 0.58x
Monmouthshire 2 9.46x
Yorkshire 2 0.69x
Lanarkshire 1 1.06x
Pembrokeshire 1 10.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stockport in Cheshire leads with 10 Purtills recorded in 1881 and an index of 301.20x.

Place Total Index
Stockport 10 301.20x
Dorchester All Sts 5 5555.56x
Kensington London 3 18.45x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 104.71x
Clifton 2 68.97x
Oldham 2 17.86x
Bedwellty 1 26.81x
Fishguard 1 500.00x
Lanark 1 131.58x
Leeds 1 6.11x
Newport 1 99.01x
Wortley In Bramley 1 43.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Ann 1
Annie 1
Blanche 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Martha 1
Olive 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Arthur 1
Edmund 1
Frederick 1
James 1
Martin 1
Nicholas 1
Patrick 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 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 Purtill households.

FAQ

Purtill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Purtill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 30 people were recorded with the Purtill surname. That placed it at #29,363 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Purtill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 172 in 2016. That gives Purtill a modern rank of #21,648.

What does the Purtill surname mean?

Name derived from an Old French nickname meaning "little boar".

What does the Purtill map show?

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