NameCensus.

UK surname

Rettie

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "a stream" or "brook".

In the 1881 census there were 208 people recorded with the Rettie surname, ranking it #12,511 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 325, ranked #13,930, down from #12,511 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Deer, Old Deer and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirkshaws, Cotswold and Westhill North and South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rettie is 328 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.3%.

1881 census count

208

Ranked #12,511

Modern count

325

2016, ranked #13,930

Peak year

2009

328 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rettie had 208 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,511 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016, ranked #13,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 294 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Rettie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rettie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rettie 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 155 #12,604
1861 historical 159 #14,553
1881 historical 208 #12,511
1891 historical 293 #11,319
1901 historical 294 #11,805
1911 historical 18 #31,542
1997 modern 294 #13,707
1998 modern 295 #14,029
1999 modern 300 #13,958
2000 modern 304 #13,791
2001 modern 290 #14,033
2002 modern 308 #13,763
2003 modern 303 #13,718
2004 modern 304 #13,783
2005 modern 307 #13,625
2006 modern 302 #13,863
2007 modern 311 #13,703
2008 modern 324 #13,437
2009 modern 328 #13,574
2010 modern 321 #14,066
2011 modern 313 #14,200
2012 modern 310 #14,210
2013 modern 315 #14,245
2014 modern 314 #14,371
2015 modern 315 #14,247
2016 modern 325 #13,930

Geography

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Where Retties are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Deer, Old Deer, Edinburgh, Fyvie and Monquitter. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirkshaws, Cotswold, Westhill North and South, Dollar and Muckhart and Keith and Fife Keith. 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 New Deer Aberdeen
2 Old Deer Aberdeen
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Fyvie Aberdeen
5 Monquitter Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirkshaws North Lanarkshire
2 Cotswold 004 Cotswold
3 Westhill North and South Aberdeenshire
4 Dollar and Muckhart Clackmannanshire
5 Keith and Fife Keith Moray

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rettie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rettie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rettie, 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 Rettie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Rettie 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Rettie is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rettie is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rettie 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 Rettie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rettie

The surname Rettie is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the northeastern regions of Aberdeenshire and Banffshire. Its earliest roots can be traced back to the 13th century.

Rettie is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name. One theory suggests that it originates from the lands of Rathie or Ratie, which were located in the parish of Auchterless, Aberdeenshire. The name may have evolved from the Scottish Gaelic words "rath" or "rath-a," meaning a small fort, fortified dwelling, or earthen rampart.

In historical records, the Rettie surname appears in various spellings, including Rathie, Ratie, Rety, and Ratrie. One of the earliest documented instances is a charter from the mid-13th century, which mentions a "William de Rathy" as a witness to a land transaction.

The earliest known bearer of the Rettie surname was John Rettie, who was recorded in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1451. Another notable early reference is a charter from 1506, which mentions "John Rettie of that Ilk," indicating he was the laird or landowner of the Rettie lands.

Throughout history, several individuals with the Rettie surname have achieved prominence:

1. Sir John Rettie (c. 1595-1657), a Scottish merchant and financier who served as a Lord Provost of Edinburgh. 2. William Rettie (1705-1778), a Scottish architect and stonemason, known for his work on several notable buildings in Edinburgh. 3. John Rettie (1799-1856), a Scottish landscape painter and engraver, recognized for his etchings of Scottish scenery. 4. Thomas Rettie (1826-1892), a Scottish-born architect who emigrated to New Zealand and designed several iconic buildings, including the Dunedin Railway Station. 5. Alexander Rettie (1882-1938), a Scottish footballer who played for several clubs, including Rangers F.C. and the Scottish national team.

While the Rettie surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and descendants of the original Scottish bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rettie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rettie 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 163 Retties recorded in 1881 and an index of 86.75x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 163 86.75x
Banffshire 9 21.38x
Midlothian 9 3.31x
Middlesex 8 0.39x
Lancashire 5 0.21x
Kincardineshire 4 16.19x
Lanarkshire 3 0.46x
Angus 2 1.06x
Morayshire 2 6.35x
Surrey 2 0.20x
Stirlingshire 1 1.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen Old Machar in Aberdeenshire leads with 38 Retties recorded in 1881 and an index of 96.86x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen Old Machar 38 96.86x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 18 51.19x
New Deer 13 382.35x
Fyvie 12 390.88x
Monquhitter 12 615.38x
Tyrie 10 423.73x
Foveran 9 633.80x
Gamrie 9 191.49x
Old Deer 9 252.81x
Edinburgh St Marys 8 151.52x
Lonmay 7 409.36x
Longside 6 267.86x
Ealing 5 27.58x
Toxteth Park 5 6.13x
Auchterless 4 268.46x
Peterculter 4 300.75x
Barony 3 1.81x
Ellon 3 116.28x
Methlick 3 200.00x
Tarves 3 168.54x
Elgin 2 32.63x
Liff Benvie 2 7.01x
Southwark Christchurch 2 21.03x
St George Hanover 2 7.55x
Banchory Devenick 1 43.29x
Banchory Ternan 1 46.73x
Belhelvie 1 78.13x
Crathie Braemar 1 89.29x
Crimond 1 172.41x
Dalkeith 1 18.66x
Drumoak 1 153.85x
Fetteresso 1 25.84x
King Edward 1 46.08x
Newhills 1 25.97x
Nigg 1 49.02x
Paddington London 1 1.34x
Peterhead 1 10.06x
Rathen 1 50.76x
Slains 1 113.64x
Stirling 1 10.60x
Strathdon 1 109.89x
Strichen 1 61.35x
Turriff 1 33.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elspet 2
Isabella 2
Betsy 1
Christian 1
Jessie 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 3
Charles 1
Thomas 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 Rettie households.

FAQ

Rettie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rettie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 208 people were recorded with the Rettie surname. That placed it at #12,511 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rettie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016. That gives Rettie a modern rank of #13,930.

What does the Rettie surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "a stream" or "brook".

What does the Rettie map show?

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