NameCensus.

UK surname

Raitt

A Scottish surname derived from a parish in Renfrewshire.

In the 1881 census there were 268 people recorded with the Raitt surname, ranking it #10,542 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 323, ranked #13,997, down from #10,542 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbroath and St. Vigeans, London parishes and Kirkden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Balmedie and Potterton, Forfar East and The Glens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Raitt is 353 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.5%.

1881 census count

268

Ranked #10,542

Modern count

323

2016, ranked #13,997

Peak year

1901

353 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Raitt had 268 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,542 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016, ranked #13,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 353 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Raitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Raitt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Raitt 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 191 #10,808
1861 historical 220 #11,076
1881 historical 268 #10,542
1891 historical 304 #11,005
1901 historical 353 #10,364
1911 historical 86 #24,243
1997 modern 340 #12,428
1998 modern 349 #12,567
1999 modern 350 #12,609
2000 modern 345 #12,693
2001 modern 338 #12,669
2002 modern 335 #13,020
2003 modern 319 #13,263
2004 modern 331 #12,973
2005 modern 318 #13,302
2006 modern 316 #13,402
2007 modern 324 #13,322
2008 modern 324 #13,437
2009 modern 338 #13,302
2010 modern 345 #13,370
2011 modern 341 #13,341
2012 modern 328 #13,625
2013 modern 317 #14,186
2014 modern 316 #14,301
2015 modern 322 #14,023
2016 modern 323 #13,997

Geography

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Where Raitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbroath and St. Vigeans, London parishes, Kirkden, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Huntly. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Balmedie and Potterton, Forfar East, The Glens, Forfar Central and Forfar West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
2 London parishes London 3
3 Kirkden Forfar
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Huntly Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Balmedie and Potterton Aberdeenshire
2 Forfar East Angus
3 The Glens Dundee City
4 Forfar Central Angus
5 Forfar West Angus

Forenames

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First names often paired with Raitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Raitt

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Raitt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Raitt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Raitt is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Raitt is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Raitt

The surname RAITT is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word "rath" meaning a fort or earthen rampart. It is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands around the 13th or 14th century.

The earliest recorded use of the name RAITT can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where it appears as "de Rath" or "de Rathe". This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a fortified settlement or defensive earthwork.

In the 16th century, the name RAITT appears in various Scottish records and documents, often spelled as "Rait", "Raitt", or "Raith". One notable bearer of the name was John Raitt, a Scottish clergyman and writer who lived from 1572 to 1628.

The RAITT surname is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Raith in Fife and Raith in Aberdeenshire. These place names likely derived from the same Gaelic root word "rath", indicating the presence of ancient fortifications or earthworks in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the surname RAITT include:

1. Sir James Raitt (1622-1705), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh. 2. Robert Raitt (1715-1784), a Scottish poet and writer from Renfrewshire. 3. Martha Raitt (1813-1890), a Scottish-born Canadian pioneer and educator who founded several schools in Upper Canada. 4. John Raitt (1917-2005), an American actor and singer best known for his roles in Broadway musicals like "The Pajama Game" and "Carousel". 5. Bonnie Raitt (born 1949), an American singer-songwriter and multi-Grammy Award winner, daughter of the Broadway star John Raitt.

While the surname RAITT has Scottish origins, it has spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and diaspora over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Raitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Raitt 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. Angus leads with 100 Raitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.14x.

County Total Index
Angus 100 41.14x
Aberdeenshire 58 23.87x
Hampshire 25 4.65x
Middlesex 15 0.57x
Perthshire 14 11.89x
Lanarkshire 12 1.41x
Midlothian 10 2.84x
Durham 9 1.15x
Hertfordshire 5 2.76x
Northumberland 5 1.28x
Kent 4 0.45x
Surrey 3 0.23x
Worcestershire 3 0.88x
Ayrshire 1 0.51x
Fife 1 0.64x
Gloucestershire 1 0.19x
Inverness-shire 1 1.28x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 3.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Vigeans in Angus leads with 41 Raitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 312.50x.

Place Total Index
St Vigeans 41 312.50x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 17 37.39x
Arbroath 16 198.51x
Dundee 14 15.43x
Newhills 11 220.88x
Aberdeen Old Machar 10 19.71x
Alverstoke 10 51.36x
Huntly 9 227.85x
Crieff 8 182.65x
Forfar 7 53.19x
Glasgow 7 4.65x
Milford 7 445.86x
Monymusk 7 673.08x
St Pancras London 7 3.31x
Blairgowrie 6 128.76x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 4.24x
Coundon 5 158.23x
Coupar Angus 5 217.39x
Kirkden 5 328.95x
Logie Pert 5 555.56x
Longbenton 5 30.23x
St Albans St Michael 5 247.52x
Dyce 4 380.95x
Hordle 4 425.53x
South Leith 4 10.11x
Southampton St Mary 4 11.83x
Woolwich 4 12.09x
Barony 3 1.40x
Durham St Nicholas 3 156.25x
Hallow 3 178.57x
Newington 3 3.10x
St Marylebone London 3 2.14x
Brechin 2 20.94x
Enfield 2 11.61x
Govan 2 0.95x
Liff Benvie 2 5.42x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.36x
Barry 1 34.25x
Bristol St Augustine 1 12.05x
Edzell 1 135.14x
Forgan 1 33.56x
Gateshead 1 1.71x
Hampstead London 1 2.45x
Islington London 1 0.39x
Kingussie Insh 1 55.56x
Panbride 1 78.74x
Royal Navy 1 3.74x
Symington 1 158.73x
Westminster St John 1 3.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Margaret 4
Annie 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Annette 1
Christian 1
Christina 1
Emily 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Lillian 1
Lillie 1
M. 1
M.A. 1
Nina 1
R.T. 1
Sally 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 4
Charles 3
Frederick 3
George 3
William 3
Alexander 2
Arthur 1
C.J.A. 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
G.H. 1
Granville 1
John 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Raitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Raitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 268 people were recorded with the Raitt surname. That placed it at #10,542 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Raitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016. That gives Raitt a modern rank of #13,997.

What does the Raitt surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a parish in Renfrewshire.

What does the Raitt map show?

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