NameCensus.

UK surname

Root

An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with plants and trees.

In the 1881 census there were 977 people recorded with the Root surname, ranking it #3,981 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,077, ranked #5,421, down from #3,981 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Chapel or Pontisbright, Wakes Colne, Mount Bures. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braintree, Cornwall and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Root is 1,327 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.2%.

1881 census count

977

Ranked #3,981

Modern count

1,077

2016, ranked #5,421

Peak year

1911

1,327 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Root had 977 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,981 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,077 in 2016, ranked #5,421.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,327 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Root surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Root surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Root 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 688 #3,784
1861 historical 635 #4,220
1881 historical 977 #3,981
1891 historical 1,131 #3,759
1901 historical 1,205 #4,085
1911 historical 1,327 #3,602
1997 modern 1,177 #4,792
1998 modern 1,218 #4,831
1999 modern 1,218 #4,856
2000 modern 1,196 #4,922
2001 modern 1,172 #4,918
2002 modern 1,174 #4,989
2003 modern 1,153 #4,978
2004 modern 1,153 #4,993
2005 modern 1,135 #5,000
2006 modern 1,131 #5,012
2007 modern 1,124 #5,088
2008 modern 1,120 #5,146
2009 modern 1,122 #5,233
2010 modern 1,157 #5,209
2011 modern 1,147 #5,194
2012 modern 1,085 #5,350
2013 modern 1,104 #5,356
2014 modern 1,096 #5,411
2015 modern 1,076 #5,447
2016 modern 1,077 #5,421

Geography

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Where Roots are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Chapel or Pontisbright, Wakes Colne, Mount Bures, Blaby and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Braintree, Cornwall, South Norfolk and Ribble Valley. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 Chapel or Pontisbright, Wakes Colne, Mount Bures Essex
4 Blaby Leicestershire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braintree 004 Braintree
2 Braintree 006 Braintree
3 Cornwall 059 Cornwall
4 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
5 Ribble Valley 005 Ribble Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Root

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Root

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Root is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Root is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Root

The surname Root has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from places called Root, which were found in Northumberland and Yorkshire. The name comes from the Old English word 'rot', meaning a rooting or clearing in a forest.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are a few references to people with the name Root or similar spellings. For example, a man named Rot is listed as holding lands in Cambridgeshire, while another entry mentions a place called Rotinges in Suffolk.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Root dates back to 1275, when a Robert le Rote is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. Other early spellings include Rote, Rott, and Roote.

The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire. Some notable historical figures with the name Root include:

1. Thomas Root (c. 1605-1694), an early Puritan settler in Connecticut, considered one of the founders of the town of Farmington.

2. Jesse Root (1737-1822), an American minister and educator who served as the second president of Dartmouth College from 1793 to 1815.

3. Elihu Root (1845-1937), an American lawyer, statesman, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the 38th United States Secretary of War and the 38th United States Secretary of State.

4. Charles Root (1863-1959), an American beekeeper and inventor who developed the Root Smoker and the Root Honey Extractor, which revolutionized beekeeping practices.

5. Waverley Root (1903-1982), an American writer, journalist, and scholar who specialized in food and wine. He wrote several books on French gastronomy and helped popularize French cuisine in the United States.

The surname Root has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Root Farm in Worcestershire, Root Hill in Nottinghamshire, and Root Town in Yorkshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Root families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Root 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. Essex leads with 367 Roots recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.51x.

County Total Index
Essex 367 19.51x
Middlesex 231 2.42x
Surrey 62 1.34x
Leicestershire 55 5.20x
Suffolk 47 4.05x
Yorkshire 44 0.47x
Cambridgeshire 43 7.12x
Norfolk 21 1.43x
Kent 15 0.46x
Northamptonshire 11 1.23x
Lincolnshire 10 0.66x
Oxfordshire 9 1.53x
Warwickshire 7 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 6 1.04x
Lanarkshire 6 0.19x
Lancashire 6 0.05x
Cornwall 5 0.46x
Derbyshire 5 0.34x
Glamorgan 4 0.24x
Hampshire 4 0.20x
Sussex 4 0.25x
Gloucestershire 3 0.16x
Hertfordshire 3 0.46x
Durham 2 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.16x
Royal Navy 2 1.76x
Staffordshire 2 0.06x
Berkshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halstead in Essex leads with 98 Roots recorded in 1881 and an index of 446.47x.

Place Total Index
Halstead 98 446.47x
Lambeth 32 3.85x
Countesthorpe 29 805.56x
Islington London 29 3.14x
St Pancras London 29 3.78x
Wakes Colne 27 1646.34x
Hackney London 22 4.12x
Poplar London 21 11.68x
West Ham 21 5.06x
Rayne 19 1439.39x
Bethnal Green London 17 4.11x
Horseheath 17 955.06x
Great Waltham 16 208.88x
Shalford 16 672.27x
Wethersfield 16 337.55x
Shoreditch London 15 3.63x
Manningham 14 12.03x
Mile End Old Town 12 7.98x
Bow London 11 9.07x
Whaplode 10 192.68x
Clerkenwell London 9 4.00x
Sutton 9 26.79x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 8 36.71x
Leicester St Margaret 8 3.10x
Whetstone 8 206.72x
Banbury 7 59.37x
Crick 7 231.02x
East Ham 7 20.05x
Herne 7 48.61x
Limehouse London 7 6.69x
Little Dunmow 7 636.36x
Occold 7 409.36x
Walsoken 7 79.46x
Barling 6 504.20x
Bocking 6 53.05x
Bradford 6 2.62x
Braintree 6 35.52x
Chelsea London 6 2.09x
Cherry Hinton 6 211.27x
Croydon 6 2.33x
Feering 6 241.94x
Hendon 6 17.50x
Leicester St Mary 6 7.03x
Leyton 6 18.52x
Leyton Low 6 15.69x
Little Ilford 6 184.62x
Mount Bures 6 666.67x
Shotts 6 16.27x
Sible Hedingham 6 95.39x
St Andrewthe Less 6 8.70x
St George Hanover 6 4.82x
Stansfield 6 444.44x
West Hanningfield 6 428.57x
Westminster St John 6 5.17x
Brome 5 588.24x
Chester All Sts 5 331.13x
Great Coggeshall 5 51.12x
Hornsey 5 4.15x
Southwark St John 5 17.15x
Springfield 5 60.68x
St George Bloomsbury 5 9.14x
St Gluvias 5 82.78x
Woodford 5 23.47x
Alfreton 4 8.82x
Brightside Bierlow 4 2.16x
Camberwell 4 0.66x
Cosby 4 121.95x
St Marylebone London 4 0.79x
Swansea Town 4 2.94x
Tollesbury 4 84.93x
Wanstead 4 12.14x
Brighton 3 0.93x
Bures St Mary 3 170.45x
Copford 3 138.89x
Dunchurch 3 91.46x
Linton 3 52.26x
Marsh Gibbon 3 123.97x
Nevendon 3 681.82x
Snaith Cowick 3 53.10x
Sudbury St Gregory 3 32.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 58
John 45
George 40
Joseph 25
Thomas 24
Samuel 19
Charles 18
James 18
Alfred 14
Arthur 13
Edward 13
Walter 11
Robert 10
Henry 8
Harry 6
David 5
Wm. 5
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Frederick 4
Jonathan 4
Saml. 4
Albert 3
Daniel 3
Geo. 3
Herbert 3
Isaac 3
Percy 3
Stephen 3
A. 2
Arther 2
Benjamin 2
Ebenezer 2
Edgar 2
Ellis 2
Ewin 2
Francis 2
Frederic 2
Nathan 2
Richard 2
Alban 1
Alexander 1
Ben. 1
Bengehaman 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
F. 1
Hannah 1
Hary 1
Infant 1

FAQ

Root surname: questions and answers

How common was the Root surname in 1881?

In 1881, 977 people were recorded with the Root surname. That placed it at #3,981 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Root surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,077 in 2016. That gives Root a modern rank of #5,421.

What does the Root surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with plants and trees.

What does the Root map show?

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