NameCensus.

UK surname

Rowlett

Derived from a place name meaning "rough wood" or "rye hill" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 443 people recorded with the Rowlett surname, ranking it #7,395 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 407, ranked #11,735, down from #7,395 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Biggleswade, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Kettering and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rowlett is 481 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.1%.

1881 census count

443

Ranked #7,395

Modern count

407

2016, ranked #11,735

Peak year

1901

481 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rowlett had 443 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,395 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 407 in 2016, ranked #11,735.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 481 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rowlett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rowlett surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Rowlett 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 270 #8,275
1861 historical 413 #6,216
1881 historical 443 #7,395
1891 historical 424 #8,446
1901 historical 481 #8,291
1911 historical 472 #8,192
1997 modern 425 #10,510
1998 modern 445 #10,491
1999 modern 443 #10,577
2000 modern 430 #10,804
2001 modern 422 #10,773
2002 modern 447 #10,501
2003 modern 421 #10,844
2004 modern 427 #10,749
2005 modern 409 #10,999
2006 modern 406 #11,108
2007 modern 422 #10,904
2008 modern 421 #11,010
2009 modern 422 #11,221
2010 modern 427 #11,379
2011 modern 428 #11,219
2012 modern 415 #11,403
2013 modern 409 #11,714
2014 modern 415 #11,688
2015 modern 405 #11,800
2016 modern 407 #11,735

Geography

Back to top

Where Rowletts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Biggleswade, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, St Neots and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Kettering, Sheffield, Central Bedfordshire and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 Biggleswade Bedfordshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Neots Huntingdonshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 023 Bradford
2 Kettering 011 Kettering
3 Sheffield 044 Sheffield
4 Central Bedfordshire 004 Central Bedfordshire
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 016 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Rowlett

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Rowlett

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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Rowlett 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

Rowlett is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Rowlett

The surname Rowlett originates from England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "row" and "let", meaning a small clearing or meadow. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person living in a small open area surrounded by trees or other vegetation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a person named William Rowelot is mentioned. The spelling variations during this period include Rowlot, Rowlott, and Rowelotte, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where several families bearing the Rowlett surname can be traced back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Records from this time period also show the name associated with various place names, such as Rowlettshyde and Rowlettslane, further reinforcing its connection to small clearings or settlements.

Notable individuals with the Rowlett surname include John Rowlett (1592-1671), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. Another prominent figure was William Rowlett (1675-1732), a successful merchant and landowner in Buckinghamshire, whose family estate, Rowlett Manor, still bears his name.

In the 18th century, Thomas Rowlett (1742-1811) was a respected lawyer and judge in Virginia, United States, having emigrated from England in the late 1700s. His son, John Rowlett (1783-1856), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent lawyer and politician in Kentucky.

Moving into the 19th century, we find William Rowlett (1812-1890), an English architect known for his work on several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Academy of Arts and the Church of St. Mary Aldermary.

While the Rowlett surname has undergone various spelling changes over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the rural landscapes of medieval England, where it likely referred to individuals residing in small meadows or clearings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Rowlett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rowlett 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. Northamptonshire leads with 65 Rowletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.10x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 65 16.10x
Middlesex 64 1.49x
Leicestershire 46 9.67x
Lincolnshire 35 5.10x
Bedfordshire 30 13.50x
Huntingdonshire 25 29.34x
Norfolk 24 3.64x
Yorkshire 24 0.56x
Essex 16 1.89x
Hampshire 16 1.82x
Surrey 15 0.72x
Rutland 14 44.43x
Cambridgeshire 10 3.68x
Lancashire 10 0.20x
Warwickshire 8 0.74x
Derbyshire 7 1.04x
Kent 6 0.41x
Wiltshire 5 1.32x
Cornwall 3 0.62x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.52x
Suffolk 3 0.57x
Berkshire 2 0.62x
Hertfordshire 2 0.68x
Somerset 2 0.29x
Brecknockshire 1 1.17x
Flintshire 1 0.87x
Gloucestershire 1 0.12x
Staffordshire 1 0.07x
Sussex 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. Biggleswade in Bedfordshire leads with 26 Rowletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 357.14x.

Place Total Index
Biggleswade 26 357.14x
St Neots 22 475.16x
Leicester St Margaret 21 18.10x
Islington London 18 4.33x
Romford 11 82.15x
Tichmarsh 11 808.82x
Sheffield 10 7.39x
Upwell 10 325.73x
Warmington 10 990.10x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 9 45.43x
Beaumont Chase 8 16000.00x
Leicester St Mary 8 20.81x
Morton In Bourn 8 571.43x
Ancaster 7 729.17x
Birmingham 7 1.94x
Claylane 7 74.95x
Corby 7 625.00x
East Farndon 7 2121.21x
Portsea 7 4.06x
Stockerston 7 8750.00x
Wortley In Bramley 7 20.78x
Bow London 6 10.98x
Clerkenwell London 6 5.92x
Croydon 6 5.17x
Grafton Underwood 6 1500.00x
Hampton London 6 84.99x
Newton 6 15.29x
St Luke London 6 8.72x
Bromham 5 292.40x
Fareham 5 47.30x
Newington 5 3.15x
Shoreditch London 5 2.69x
Walpole St Peter 5 299.40x
Evington 4 606.06x
Garston 4 26.61x
Hackney London 4 1.66x
Lee 4 18.81x
Marston Trussell 4 1333.33x
Poplar London 4 4.94x
Ringstead 4 285.71x
Wing 4 851.06x
Alverstoke 3 9.42x
Bourn 3 54.15x
Crowland 3 69.77x
Gorleston 3 22.59x
Kettering 3 18.37x
Kings Cliffe 3 159.57x
Lutterworth 3 103.45x
Outwell 3 600.00x
Shefford 3 189.87x
South Weald 3 41.32x
St Andrewthe Less 3 9.66x
Sutterton 3 218.98x
Bowling 2 4.75x
Brigstock 2 130.72x
Cheshunt 2 19.34x
Fyfield 2 400.00x
Holy Trinity 2 1.96x
Hougham 2 22.96x
Kirkleatham 2 34.84x
Leicester St Martin 2 62.50x
Lyncombe Widcombe 2 11.06x
Newborough 2 194.17x
Northampton St Giles 2 13.00x
Pinchbeck 2 45.45x
Snenton 2 8.80x
St Pancras London 2 0.58x
Surfleet 2 139.86x
Weston By Welland 2 625.00x
Wisbech St Peter 2 14.67x
Caldecott 1 227.27x
Camberwell 1 0.36x
Conington 1 232.56x
Leyton Low 1 5.81x
New Bolingbroke 1 322.58x
Preston 1 250.00x
Springfield 1 26.95x
Stamford St Michael 1 51.28x
Tottenham 1 1.46x
Whittlesey St Mary St 1 10.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Sarah 22
Elizabeth 15
Ann 10
Eliza 9
Louisa 9
Alice 7
Emma 7
Hannah 7
Jane 7
Martha 7
Annie 5
Fanny 5
Esther 4
Harriett 4
Clara 3
Emily 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Isabella 3
Maud 3
Ada 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Kate 2
Lizzie 2
Mabel 2
Maria 2
Nellie 2
Rose 2
Ruth 2
Selina 2
Sophia 2
Anne 1
Betty 1
Bridget 1
Catherin 1
Cecile 1
Ellen 1
Emmeline 1
Ester 1
Fannie 1
Jennett 1
Julia 1
Kitty 1
Leah 1
Lillian 1
Lois 1
Tryphenes 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 39
William 29
Thomas 15
George 13
Charles 12
Samuel 10
Joseph 9
Alfred 8
Edward 7
Albert 5
Arthur 5
James 5
Frank 4
Henry 4
Robert 4
Fisher 3
Frederick 3
Richard 3
Tom 3
Walter 3
Christopher 2
Joe 2
Thos. 2
W.T. 2
Wm. 2
Chas. 1
Earnie 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
H. 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Jeremiah 1
Joh 1
Levi 1
Rowland 1
Shadrack 1
W. 1
William.G. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Rowlett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rowlett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 443 people were recorded with the Rowlett surname. That placed it at #7,395 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rowlett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 407 in 2016. That gives Rowlett a modern rank of #11,735.

What does the Rowlett surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "rough wood" or "rye hill" in Old English.

What does the Rowlett map show?

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