NameCensus.

UK surname

Robert

A Germanic surname derived from the given name meaning "bright fame," referring to a person with a glorious reputation.

In the 1881 census there were 1,151 people recorded with the Robert surname, ranking it #3,478 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,467, ranked #4,197, down from #3,478 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Festiniog, London parishes and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newmains, Newham and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Robert is 7,397 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.5%.

1881 census count

1,151

Ranked #3,478

Modern count

1,467

2016, ranked #4,197

Peak year

1861

7,397 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Robert had 1,151 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,478 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,467 in 2016, ranked #4,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,397 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Robert surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Robert surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Robert 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 3,543 #798
1861 historical 7,397 #385
1881 historical 1,151 #3,478
1891 historical 4,737 #981
1901 historical 1,012 #4,713
1911 historical 2,745 #1,886
1997 modern 896 #5,983
1998 modern 841 #6,491
1999 modern 865 #6,399
2000 modern 815 #6,682
2001 modern 730 #7,118
2002 modern 795 #6,812
2003 modern 765 #6,904
2004 modern 790 #6,745
2005 modern 844 #6,340
2006 modern 911 #5,977
2007 modern 1,015 #5,542
2008 modern 1,027 #5,527
2009 modern 1,083 #5,386
2010 modern 1,162 #5,187
2011 modern 1,163 #5,123
2012 modern 1,297 #4,582
2013 modern 1,400 #4,372
2014 modern 1,416 #4,352
2015 modern 1,391 #4,375
2016 modern 1,467 #4,197

Geography

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Where Roberts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Festiniog, London parishes, Toxteth Park, St Pancras and St Dunstan Stepney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newmains, Newham, Wakefield and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 Festiniog Merionethshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newmains North Lanarkshire
2 Newham 010 Newham
3 Newham 018 Newham
4 Wakefield 027 Wakefield
5 Kensington and Chelsea 007 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Robert

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Robert

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Robert surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Robert 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Robert 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

Robert 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

Robert falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Robert 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
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Robert

The surname Robert is an ancient one that can be traced back to the Germanic regions of Europe, particularly France and England. It is derived from the old Germanic words "hrod" meaning "fame" and "berht" meaning "bright." The name Robert essentially means "bright fame" or "shining with glory."

In medieval times, the name Robert was quite popular among the nobility and ruling classes. It first appeared in written records as early as the 9th century, with one of the earliest known references being in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners in England after the Norman Conquest.

Robert I, also known as Robert the Bruce, was a famous Scottish king who ruled from 1306 to 1329. He played a crucial role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England. Another notable figure was Robert Guiscard, a Norman adventurer who conquered parts of southern Italy and Sicily in the 11th century and established the Hauteville dynasty.

During the Renaissance period, Robert Grosseteste (c. 1175-1253) was an influential English philosopher, theologian, and Bishop of Lincoln. He made significant contributions to the scientific method and is considered a forerunner of the modern scientific movement. Robert Hooke (1635-1703), an English polymath, was a renowned scientist and architect who made important discoveries in various fields, including optics and microscopy.

In the literary world, Robert Browning (1812-1889) was a renowned English poet and playwright, whose works include famous poems such as "My Last Duchess" and "The Pied Piper of Hamelin." Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), a Scottish novelist, essayist, and travel writer, is best known for his classic novels "Treasure Island" and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

The surname Robert has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England, and Robertville in Belgium. These places likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname or from other historical connections to the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Robert families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Robert 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. Channel Islands leads with 317 Roberts recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.91x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 317 74.91x
Middlesex 144 1.01x
Glamorgan 132 5.31x
Lancashire 94 0.55x
Surrey 71 1.02x
Caernarfonshire 66 11.43x
Carmarthenshire 53 8.81x
Yorkshire 50 0.35x
Lanarkshire 36 0.78x
Kent 34 0.70x
Shropshire 30 2.43x
Devon 27 0.91x
Angus 24 1.81x
Essex 24 0.85x
Merionethshire 24 9.18x
Gloucestershire 23 0.82x
Lincolnshire 22 0.96x
Monmouthshire 22 2.13x
Staffordshire 17 0.35x
Cheshire 16 0.51x
Warwickshire 16 0.44x
Durham 15 0.35x
Kincardineshire 15 8.63x
Hampshire 14 0.48x
Worcestershire 14 0.75x
Northamptonshire 13 0.97x
Somerset 13 0.57x
Sussex 13 0.54x
Flintshire 12 3.13x
Denbighshire 11 2.04x
Northumberland 11 0.52x
Anglesey 8 3.16x
Bedfordshire 8 1.08x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.42x
Cornwall 6 0.37x
Suffolk 6 0.34x
Leicestershire 5 0.32x
Herefordshire 4 0.68x
Midlothian 4 0.21x
Montgomeryshire 4 1.22x
Shetland 4 2.74x
Perthshire 3 0.47x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.15x
Ayrshire 2 0.19x
Berkshire 2 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.23x
Dorset 2 0.21x
Norfolk 2 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.44x
Radnorshire 2 1.74x
Wiltshire 2 0.16x
Brecknockshire 1 0.35x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.11x
Cardiganshire 1 0.29x
Cumberland 1 0.08x
Derbyshire 1 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.26x
East Lothian 1 0.53x
Hertfordshire 1 0.10x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.35x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.48x
Orkney 1 0.64x
Renfrewshire 1 0.09x
Stirlingshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Peter Port in Channel Islands leads with 77 Roberts recorded in 1881 and an index of 98.36x.

Place Total Index
St Peter Port 77 98.36x
St Andrew 68 1216.46x
St Martin 64 246.91x
Llanllyfni 35 128.44x
Llandebie 29 166.09x
Cambusnethan 25 24.37x
Islington London 22 1.59x
St Helier 22 15.97x
Laleston 19 722.43x
Chobham 17 138.44x
St Mary 16 328.54x
St Pancras London 16 1.39x
St Sampson 16 83.90x
Pembrey 15 54.19x
Clerkenwell London 14 4.15x
St Maryde Castro 14 134.62x
Kensington London 13 1.64x
Llansamlet Higher 13 70.08x
St Peterinthe Wood 13 226.48x
Beddgelert 11 168.45x
St Marylebone London 11 1.44x
Aberdare 10 5.86x
Chelsea London 10 2.32x
English Bicknor 10 322.58x
Hulme 10 2.83x
Llanrhidian Higher 10 63.33x
St Peter 10 81.90x
Holbeach 9 35.39x
Lambeth 9 0.72x
Lewisham 9 3.46x
Margate St John Baptist 9 10.09x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 3.93x
Saddleworth 9 8.24x
Sheffield 9 2.00x
Battersea 8 1.52x
Bermondsey 8 1.88x
Clase 8 8.65x
Leyton Low 8 13.96x
Llysfaen 8 132.67x
Mawr 8 152.67x
Pyle 8 174.29x
Swansea Higher 8 30.89x
West Derby 8 1.61x
West Ham 8 1.29x
Bradfield 7 12.83x
Broughton In Salford 7 4.52x
Croydon 7 1.81x
Hackney London 7 0.87x
Linthorpe 7 8.29x
Liverpool 7 0.68x
Plymstock 7 44.99x
Shoreditch London 7 1.13x
St Luke London 7 3.06x
Almondbury 6 8.77x
Ashton In Makerfield 6 12.44x
Bayton 6 289.86x
Bettws 6 70.01x
Brechin 6 11.54x
Dundee 6 1.21x
Gainsborough 6 11.15x
Govan 6 0.53x
Habergham Eaves 6 3.87x
Llanblethian 6 169.49x
Llanelian 6 255.32x
Llanrug 6 39.66x
Sevenoaks 6 15.19x
Toxteth Park 6 1.05x
W Felton 6 114.50x
Wolstanton Chesterton 6 24.35x
Birkenhead 5 1.99x
Burnham 5 28.52x
Llanddeiniolen 5 14.81x
Llantwit Major 5 103.09x
Marykirk 5 69.74x
Northampton St Sepulchre 5 7.32x
Preston 5 1.10x
Shrewsbury St Mary 5 10.27x
St John 5 61.88x
St Vigeans 5 7.00x
Wombridge 5 32.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 84
Elizabeth 63
Margaret 32
Sarah 32
Jane 26
Ann 23
Alice 22
Eliza 20
Emma 18
Louisa 17
Maria 14
Ellen 13
Hannah 13
Harriet 12
Emily 11
Rachel 11
Anne 10
Annie 10
Ada 9
Martha 9
Sophia 8
Fanny 7
Florence 7
Susan 7
Catherine 6
Cathrine 6
Charlotte 6
Harriett 6
Lucy 6
Marie 6
Betsey 5
Edith 5
Julia 5
Amelia 4
Amy 4
Frances 4
Sara 4
Caroline 3
Cath. 3
Clara 3
Isabella 3
Mabel 3
Nancy 3
Susannah 3
Adelaide 2
Cathrin 2
Jessie 2
Laura 2
Lydia 2
M. 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 86
William 69
Thomas 48
James 35
George 26
Robert 22
David 20
Richard 20
Edward 17
Charles 16
Joseph 16
Henry 15
Arthur 13
Alfred 12
Peter 11
Samuel 10
Francis 8
Frederick 8
Nicholas 8
Walter 8
Owen 7
Daniel 6
Griffith 6
Harry 6
Albert 4
Herbert 4
Louis 4
Percy 4
Stephen 4
Wm. 4
Abraham 3
Edwin 3
Elie 3
Fred 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Helier 3
Hilary 3
Isaac 3
Adolphus 2
Claude 2
Denis 2
Evan 2
Francois 2
Howell 2
Humphrey 2
Philip 2
Robt. 2
Rowland 2

FAQ

Robert surname: questions and answers

How common was the Robert surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,151 people were recorded with the Robert surname. That placed it at #3,478 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Robert surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,467 in 2016. That gives Robert a modern rank of #4,197.

What does the Robert surname mean?

A Germanic surname derived from the given name meaning "bright fame," referring to a person with a glorious reputation.

What does the Robert map show?

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