NameCensus.

UK surname

Rountree

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a prominent tree, often an oak or elm.

In the 1881 census there were 85 people recorded with the Rountree surname, ranking it #21,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 148, ranked #23,958, down from #21,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wilberfoss, Govan Combination and Newcastle St John. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Whisky Isles and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rountree is 188 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.1%.

1881 census count

85

Ranked #21,573

Modern count

148

2016, ranked #23,958

Peak year

1901

188 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rountree had 85 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016, ranked #23,958.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 188 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Rountree surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rountree surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rountree 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 105 #16,618
1861 historical 110 #19,562
1881 historical 85 #21,573
1891 historical 129 #20,285
1901 historical 188 #15,742
1911 historical 139 #18,745
1997 modern 125 #23,567
1998 modern 141 #22,517
1999 modern 146 #22,202
2000 modern 142 #22,544
2001 modern 140 #22,441
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 147 #22,221
2007 modern 148 #22,406
2008 modern 150 #22,429
2009 modern 155 #22,438
2010 modern 162 #22,292
2011 modern 164 #21,900
2012 modern 149 #23,372
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 153 #23,537
2015 modern 152 #23,507
2016 modern 148 #23,958

Geography

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Where Rountrees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wilberfoss, Govan Combination, Newcastle St John, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Whisky Isles and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Wilberfoss Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Newcastle St John Northumberland
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 032 County Durham
2 Whisky Isles Argyll and Bute
3 Stockton-on-Tees 024 Stockton-on-Tees
4 County Durham 016 County Durham
5 County Durham 017 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rountree

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rountree

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Rountree surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Rountree household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rountree is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Rountree 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

Rountree falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Rountree

The surname Rountree is an English topographic name derived from the Old English words "rund" meaning "round" and "treow" meaning "tree." It likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a distinctive round-shaped tree or a group of round trees. The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the 13th century in the Huntingdonshire county of England, where it appeared as "Rundetre" in official records.

The Rountree surname has its roots in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Huntingdonshire, Northamptonshire, and Yorkshire. It is believed to have been initially adopted as a locational name by families residing near distinctive round-shaped trees or copses. Over time, the name evolved into its modern spelling, Rountree.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a Thomas Rountree. Additionally, the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642 for Yorkshire list several individuals with the surname Rountree, suggesting its widespread use in that region during the 17th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Rountree throughout history include:

1. Sir John Rountree (1615-1692), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Brackley in Northamptonshire during the 17th century.

2. William Rountree (1773-1842), an American pioneer and frontiersman who played a significant role in the early settlement of Tennessee and Kentucky.

3. Reverend John Rountree (1805-1873), an English clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Wragby in Lincolnshire.

4. Martha Rountree (1837-1923), an American activist and philanthropist from Alabama, known for her work in establishing schools and promoting education for African Americans during the Reconstruction era.

5. Harry Rountree (1892-1949), a British actor and comedian who appeared in numerous films and stage productions in the early 20th century.

While the Rountree surname originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through British immigration and colonization efforts. Today, the name can be found in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rountree families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rountree 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. Yorkshire leads with 36 Rountrees recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.38x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 36 4.38x
Durham 11 4.46x
Surrey 9 2.23x
Hampshire 6 3.53x
Lanarkshire 5 1.86x
Middlesex 5 0.60x
Worcestershire 5 4.62x
Lancashire 4 0.41x
Northumberland 2 1.62x
Cornwall 1 1.07x
Dunbartonshire 1 4.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stranton in Durham leads with 11 Rountrees recorded in 1881 and an index of 132.53x.

Place Total Index
Stranton 11 132.53x
Wilberfoss 10 8333.33x
Market Weighton Arras 7 1320.75x
Alverstoke 6 97.56x
Newington 6 19.59x
Holy Trinity 4 20.24x
Bermondsey 3 12.16x
Easingwold 3 517.24x
Liverpool 3 5.02x
Middlesbrough 3 28.04x
Redditch 3 136.36x
Shoreditch London 3 8.35x
Carluke 2 82.30x
Humbleton Flinton 2 1818.18x
Leeds 2 4.31x
Mile End Old Town 2 15.28x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 31.30x
Rutherglen 2 50.89x
Stoke Prior 2 298.51x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 35.59x
Dewsbury 1 11.86x
Govan 1 1.51x
Linthorpe 1 20.41x
Marton In Middlesbrough 1 333.33x
New Kilpatrick 1 47.17x
Parr 1 28.41x
Ruan Minor 1 1250.00x
Sowerby Under Cotcliff 1 10000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 4
Mary 4
Ann 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Sarah 2
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Bridget 1
Emily 1
Enna 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Harrietta 1
Henrietta 1
Julia 1
M. 1
Margt. 1
Rebecca 1
S. 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 4
John 4
Joseph 4
William 4
Alfred 3
Robt. 3
Charles 2
Edward 2
Henry 2
Patrick 2
Arnold 1
C. 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Geo. 1
Hugh 1
James 1
R. 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Rountree surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rountree surname in 1881?

In 1881, 85 people were recorded with the Rountree surname. That placed it at #21,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rountree surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016. That gives Rountree a modern rank of #23,958.

What does the Rountree surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a prominent tree, often an oak or elm.

What does the Rountree map show?

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