NameCensus.

UK surname

Roots

A surname derived from the English word referring to the underground part of a plant.

In the 1881 census there were 875 people recorded with the Roots surname, ranking it #4,336 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 930, ranked #6,144, down from #4,336 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Meopham and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shepway, Medway and Derby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Roots is 1,106 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.3%.

1881 census count

875

Ranked #4,336

Modern count

930

2016, ranked #6,144

Peak year

1911

1,106 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Roots had 875 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,336 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 930 in 2016, ranked #6,144.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,106 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Roots surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Roots surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Roots 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 586 #4,364
1861 historical 580 #4,544
1881 historical 875 #4,336
1891 historical 907 #4,545
1901 historical 1,059 #4,542
1911 historical 1,106 #4,197
1997 modern 995 #5,525
1998 modern 1,020 #5,591
1999 modern 1,038 #5,538
2000 modern 1,015 #5,611
2001 modern 979 #5,673
2002 modern 997 #5,702
2003 modern 959 #5,793
2004 modern 958 #5,810
2005 modern 907 #5,991
2006 modern 893 #6,081
2007 modern 906 #6,057
2008 modern 912 #6,074
2009 modern 917 #6,166
2010 modern 958 #6,084
2011 modern 938 #6,131
2012 modern 930 #6,093
2013 modern 955 #6,050
2014 modern 963 #6,061
2015 modern 938 #6,133
2016 modern 930 #6,144

Geography

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Where Roots' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Meopham, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Trotterscliffe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shepway, Medway and Derby. 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 1
2 Meopham Kent
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Trotterscliffe Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shepway 011 Shepway
2 Medway 037 Medway
3 Medway 011 Medway
4 Shepway 012 Shepway
5 Derby 029 Derby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Roots

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Roots

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

Roots is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Roots falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Roots 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 Roots, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Roots

The surname Roots has its origins in England, where it first emerged as an occupational name during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "rot," which referred to the root of a plant or tree. The name likely denoted someone who gathered or sold roots, either for medicinal or culinary purposes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Roots can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a certain William Rote was mentioned. This early spelling variation, "Rote," highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Rote, Roote, and Rootes, in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. This suggests that the name was widespread across the southwestern regions of the country.

During the reign of Edward III (1312-1377), a man named John Roote was recorded as holding land in the village of Weston, near Bath. This historical record provides evidence of the name's association with landowners and the gentry during the medieval period.

One notable figure bearing the surname Roots was Bartholomew Roots, a Catholic priest and martyr who was executed in 1615 for his religious beliefs. He was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929, further cementing his place in history.

In the 17th century, the name Roots gained prominence through the work of Thomas Roots, a renowned English mathematician and astronomer. Born in 1605, Roots made significant contributions to the fields of algebra and geometry, and his name is associated with the "Roots' method" for solving polynomial equations.

Another notable individual with the surname Roots was Jesse Roots, an American soldier and frontiersman born in 1737. He fought in the French and Indian War and later served as a scout and guide during the American Revolutionary War, becoming a respected figure in the early history of the United States.

As the name Roots spread across the Atlantic, it gained prominence in various parts of North America. In Canada, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name was John Roots, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1749, establishing a family line that continues to this day.

Throughout its history, the surname Roots has been associated with various places and regions, including the village of Roots in Wiltshire, England, and the town of Rootstown in Ohio, United States, both of which likely derived their names from early settlers bearing the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Roots families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Roots 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. Kent leads with 412 Roots' recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.15x.

County Total Index
Kent 412 14.15x
Surrey 155 3.73x
Middlesex 118 1.38x
Essex 56 3.32x
Sussex 23 1.60x
Hampshire 16 0.91x
Hertfordshire 15 2.55x
Lincolnshire 15 1.10x
Warwickshire 12 0.56x
Gloucestershire 8 0.48x
Yorkshire 8 0.09x
Norfolk 7 0.53x
Oxfordshire 6 1.14x
Wiltshire 6 0.79x
Somerset 3 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.37x
Northumberland 2 0.16x
Staffordshire 2 0.07x
Suffolk 2 0.19x
Berkshire 1 0.16x
Channel Islands 1 0.40x
Durham 1 0.04x
Fife 1 0.20x
Leicestershire 1 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.37x
Royal Navy 1 0.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Meopham in Kent leads with 27 Roots' recorded in 1881 and an index of 750.00x.

Place Total Index
Meopham 27 750.00x
Battersea 26 8.28x
Tonbridge 26 24.75x
Goudhurst 22 272.95x
Trottiscliffe 22 2558.14x
Newington 18 5.71x
Halling 17 445.03x
Penge 17 31.18x
St Marylebone London 17 3.73x
St Pancras London 16 2.33x
West Ham 16 4.30x
Merton 15 206.04x
Orpington 15 168.16x
Marden 14 204.98x
Paddington London 13 4.14x
Wimbledon 13 27.84x
Islington London 12 1.45x
Longfield 12 1250.00x
Maidstone 12 13.83x
Swanscombe 12 91.74x
Camberwell 11 2.02x
Canterbury St Mildred 11 159.19x
Northfleet 11 42.87x
Bromley London 10 5.33x
Chislehurst 10 64.02x
Greenwich 10 7.36x
Smarden 9 270.27x
Bletchingley 8 147.33x
Boughton Monchelsea 8 249.22x
Brasted 8 212.20x
Crayford 8 62.89x
Deptford St Paul 8 3.56x
Edenham 8 487.80x
High Halden 8 430.11x
Newington In Milton 8 263.16x
Rochester St Margaret 8 26.05x
Roxwell 8 336.13x
Aston 7 1.18x
Cranbrook 7 56.73x
Lower Halstow 7 331.75x
Margate St John Baptist 7 13.13x
Boxley 6 134.23x
Bushey 6 42.83x
Cheshunt 6 29.17x
Chiswick 6 12.86x
Clee With Weelsby 6 20.08x
East Guildford 6 1132.08x
Gillingham 6 9.99x
Hackney London 6 1.25x
Hampstead London 6 4.51x
Holdenhurst 6 13.07x
Lambeth 6 0.81x
Ospringe 6 167.60x
Salisbury St Thomas 6 100.33x
South Cerney 6 217.39x
Stapleford Abbots 6 416.67x
Strood 6 36.12x
Canterbury St Dunstan 5 99.40x
Chaldon 5 925.93x
Croydon 5 2.17x
Kingston On Thames 5 5.01x
Lewisham 5 3.22x
Merstham 5 189.39x
Mile End Old Town 5 3.71x
Morestead 5 1219.51x
St George Hanover 5 4.49x
Sutton 5 16.62x
Wrotham 5 51.81x
Beckenham 4 10.51x
Bicester Market End 4 41.32x
Bromley 4 9.01x
Burwash 4 59.88x
Carshalton 4 25.14x
Dartford 4 13.43x
Eastchurch 4 139.37x
Harrow On The Hill 4 23.46x
High Easter 4 171.67x
Luddesdown 4 506.33x
Westminster St John 4 3.85x
Wortley In Bramley 4 5.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 46
Sarah 29
Elizabeth 26
Emily 21
Ellen 20
Eliza 18
Jane 16
Emma 14
Louisa 14
Alice 11
Ann 11
Annie 10
Martha 10
Hannah 9
Harriet 9
Margaret 9
Charlotte 8
Ada 7
Caroline 6
Edith 6
Amy 5
Clara 5
Maria 5
Fanny 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Harriett 4
Kate 4
Lucy 4
Ella 3
Henrietta 3
Matilda 3
Amelia 2
Catherine 2
Celia 2
Eleanor 2
Elenor 2
Ethel 2
Gertrude 2
Helen 2
Laura 2
Leonora 2
Lottie 2
Marian 2
Rachel 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Susannah 2
Catheline 1
Eliz.S. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 67
John 43
Thomas 36
George 31
Henry 31
James 22
Charles 15
Frederick 15
Alfred 13
Robert 13
Albert 9
Edward 9
Joseph 9
Harry 8
Arthur 7
Samuel 7
Wm. 7
Frank 5
Fredrick 4
Walter 4
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Martin 3
Richard 3
Stephen 3
Albion 2
Bertie 2
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Edgar 2
Edwin 2
Foster 2
Fred. 2
Frederic 2
Herbert 2
Jno. 2
Percy 2
Augusts. 1
C. 1
David 1
Douglas 1
Edwd.J. 1
Edwd.T. 1
Ethelbert 1
Fred 1
Harold 1
Horace 1
Jas. 1
Knole 1
Martha 1

FAQ

Roots surname: questions and answers

How common was the Roots surname in 1881?

In 1881, 875 people were recorded with the Roots surname. That placed it at #4,336 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Roots surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 930 in 2016. That gives Roots a modern rank of #6,144.

What does the Roots surname mean?

A surname derived from the English word referring to the underground part of a plant.

What does the Roots map show?

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