NameCensus.

UK surname

Rulton

In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Rulton surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 162, ranked #22,512, up from #24,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hedingham, Sible, Hedingham, Castle and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braintree, Welwyn Hatfield and Tendring.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rulton is 171 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 141.8%.

1881 census count

67

Ranked #24,104

Modern count

162

2016, ranked #22,512

Peak year

2014

171 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rulton had 67 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016, ranked #22,512.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 113 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Rulton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rulton surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rulton 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 44 #25,328
1861 historical 112 #19,279
1881 historical 67 #24,104
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 111 #21,492
1911 historical 113 #21,168
1997 modern 152 #20,948
1998 modern 156 #21,144
1999 modern 166 #20,458
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 163 #20,372
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 138 #22,997
2005 modern 146 #22,146
2006 modern 151 #21,818
2007 modern 148 #22,406
2008 modern 148 #22,627
2009 modern 154 #22,536
2010 modern 167 #21,835
2011 modern 159 #22,382
2012 modern 155 #22,762
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 165 #22,241
2016 modern 162 #22,512

Geography

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Where Rultons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hedingham, Sible, Hedingham, Castle, London parishes and Yeldham, Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Braintree, Welwyn Hatfield, Tendring and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Hedingham, Sible Essex
2 Hedingham, Castle Essex
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Yeldham, Great Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braintree 004 Braintree
2 Braintree 003 Braintree
3 Welwyn Hatfield 003 Welwyn Hatfield
4 Tendring 011 Tendring
5 North East Lincolnshire 017 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rulton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rulton

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Rulton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Rulton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Rulton is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rulton 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

Rulton falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Rulton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rulton 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 56 Rultons recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.41x.

County Total Index
Essex 56 43.41x
Middlesex 4 0.61x
Gloucestershire 2 1.56x
Hertfordshire 1 2.22x
Kent 1 0.45x
Lancashire 1 0.13x
Leicestershire 1 1.38x
Yorkshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sible Hedingham in Essex leads with 19 Rultons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4418.60x.

Place Total Index
Sible Hedingham 19 4418.60x
Little Yeldham 9 15000.00x
Barking 7 185.68x
Great Yeldham 7 5384.62x
Toppesfield 6 3157.89x
Stambourne 4 4000.00x
Cheltenham 2 20.22x
East Ham 2 83.68x
Hendon 2 85.11x
Braintree 1 86.21x
Buckland In Dover 1 135.14x
Great Bowden 1 151.52x
Halstead 1 66.67x
Sculcoates 1 9.74x
St George Hanover 1 11.72x
Stoke Newington London 1 19.65x
Toxteth Park 1 3.81x
Watford 1 28.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 4
Emma 3
Mary 3
Ann 2
Elizabeth 2
Kate 2
A.M. 1
Ada 1
Alice 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
E. 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Martha 1
Maryann 1
Rosanna 1
Roseanna 1
Susannah 1
Zephamin 1
Zephanie 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Rulton households.

FAQ

Rulton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rulton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Rulton surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rulton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016. That gives Rulton a modern rank of #22,512.

What does the Rulton map show?

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