NameCensus.

UK surname

Rutter

An occupational surname for a player of the rote, an early medieval stringed instrument similar to a lyre.

In the 1881 census there were 4,571 people recorded with the Rutter surname, ranking it #977 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,739, ranked #1,001, down from #977 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Warrington and Richmondshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rutter is 7,154 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.4%.

1881 census count

4,571

Ranked #977

Modern count

6,739

2016, ranked #1,001

Peak year

1999

7,154 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rutter had 4,571 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #977 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,739 in 2016, ranked #1,001.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,320 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rutter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rutter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rutter 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 2,791 #1,046
1861 historical 2,202 #1,335
1881 historical 4,571 #977
1891 historical 4,381 #1,081
1901 historical 5,846 #952
1911 historical 6,320 #810
1997 modern 6,740 #963
1998 modern 7,109 #953
1999 modern 7,154 #954
2000 modern 7,052 #960
2001 modern 6,916 #958
2002 modern 7,048 #958
2003 modern 6,800 #970
2004 modern 6,834 #968
2005 modern 6,788 #961
2006 modern 6,721 #972
2007 modern 6,768 #972
2008 modern 6,811 #972
2009 modern 6,939 #976
2010 modern 7,055 #983
2011 modern 6,993 #974
2012 modern 6,798 #980
2013 modern 6,914 #986
2014 modern 6,890 #997
2015 modern 6,828 #991
2016 modern 6,739 #1,001

Geography

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Where Rutters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Warrington, Richmondshire, Bromsgrove and Sunderland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 010 Wigan
2 Warrington 011 Warrington
3 Richmondshire 002 Richmondshire
4 Bromsgrove 002 Bromsgrove
5 Sunderland 009 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rutter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rutter

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Rutter 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

Rutter is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Rutter

The surname Rutter has its origins in England, where it first emerged as an occupational name during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "rotour," which means "a maker of wheels" or "wheelwright." This occupational name would have been given to someone who crafted wheels, likely for carts or wagons.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Rutter can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, where a Richard le Ruter is mentioned in 1279. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John le Rotour is listed.

In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are no direct references to the surname Rutter. However, there are several mentions of place names that may have contributed to the surname's development, such as Rotherham and Rotherhithe.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Rutter was John Rutter, a prominent English composer and musician who lived from 1945 to 2022. He was best known for his choral compositions and arrangements, particularly his works for Christmas and other sacred occasions.

Another notable figure was Sir Benjamin Rutter, an English industrialist and businessman who lived from 1796 to 1874. He played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in Yorkshire and was instrumental in the construction of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

In the realm of literature, the surname Rutter is associated with Henry Rutter, an English writer and playwright from the late 16th century. He is best known for his play "The Cruel Wars in the Netherlands," which was published in 1598.

The name Rutter has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Rutter's Green in Essex and Rutter's Hill in Kent. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or been derived from individuals bearing the name.

Finally, it is worth mentioning John Rutter, a 17th-century English clergyman and author who published several works on religious subjects, including "A Treatise of the Nature and Perpetuity of a Gospel Church" in 1654.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rutter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rutter 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. Durham leads with 696 Rutters recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.26x.

County Total Index
Durham 696 5.26x
Lancashire 634 1.20x
Cheshire 393 4.00x
Yorkshire 378 0.86x
Middlesex 349 0.78x
Staffordshire 302 2.01x
Northumberland 262 3.96x
Worcestershire 243 4.18x
Surrey 190 0.88x
Suffolk 163 3.01x
Warwickshire 103 0.92x
Shropshire 101 2.63x
Cornwall 85 1.69x
Cambridgeshire 80 2.84x
Hampshire 80 0.88x
Lincolnshire 72 1.01x
Kent 66 0.43x
Essex 46 0.52x
Norfolk 36 0.53x
Devon 35 0.38x
Glamorgan 35 0.45x
Wiltshire 28 0.71x
Derbyshire 25 0.36x
Somerset 20 0.28x
Sussex 18 0.24x
Flintshire 15 1.25x
Hertfordshire 14 0.46x
Herefordshire 12 0.66x
Buckinghamshire 9 0.33x
Gloucestershire 9 0.10x
Leicestershire 9 0.18x
Westmorland 8 0.82x
Berkshire 6 0.18x
Midlothian 6 0.10x
Oxfordshire 6 0.22x
Radnorshire 6 1.67x
Cumberland 5 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.45x
Royal Navy 3 0.57x
Bedfordshire 2 0.09x
Dorset 2 0.07x
Lanarkshire 2 0.01x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.05x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.10x
Northamptonshire 1 0.02x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 117 Rutters recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.30x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 117 10.30x
Stoke Upon Trent 79 4.96x
Bromsgrove 69 35.28x
Stockton On Tees 55 8.62x
Willenhall 44 15.64x
Melbecks 42 236.49x
Pemberton 42 19.95x
Battersea 40 2.44x
Belbroughton 40 132.67x
Salford 40 2.58x
Aston 39 1.26x
Birmingham 39 1.04x
Wolsingham 39 32.32x
Lambeth 37 0.95x
Blackrod 35 53.34x
Sheffield 34 2.42x
Stranton 33 7.40x
Warrington 33 5.27x
Wigan 32 4.34x
Little Budworth 31 376.67x
Chorley 29 9.79x
Everton 28 1.66x
Manchester 28 1.18x
Phillack 27 41.52x
Westoe 25 3.33x
Bridgnorth St Mary 24 64.00x
Cowpen 24 15.74x
Fulham London 24 3.72x
Leeds 24 0.96x
Camberwell 23 0.81x
Clotton Hoofield 23 441.46x
Liverpool 23 0.72x
Mile End Old Town 23 3.27x
Runcorn 23 10.16x
St Andrewthe Less 23 7.14x
Holy Trinity 22 2.07x
Middlesbrough 22 3.83x
St Pancras London 22 0.61x
North Sunderland 21 138.43x
Stourbridge 21 14.04x
Thornaby 21 12.74x
West Kirby 21 122.74x
Crumpsall 20 16.07x
Glemsford 20 52.53x
Heswall Cum Oldfield 20 147.71x
Drayton In Hales 19 23.97x
Portsea 19 1.06x
Witton Gilbert 19 36.35x
Hammersmith London 18 1.64x
Newburn 18 95.14x
Wolverhampton 18 1.56x
Burslem 17 3.95x
East Meon 17 71.40x
Kensington London 17 0.69x
Longbenton 17 6.06x
Wickhambrook 17 83.46x
Willington 17 22.22x
Bromley London 16 1.63x
Chollerton 16 86.02x
Hartlepool 16 8.50x
Ince In Makerfield 16 6.51x
Long Melford 16 31.76x
Measham 16 62.48x
Monkwearmouth 16 12.63x
Shoreditch London 16 0.83x
Beswick 15 11.11x
Preston In Tynemouth 15 57.63x
Skelmersdale 15 17.05x
Tottenham 15 2.12x
Brightside Bierlow 14 1.62x
Darlington 14 2.74x
Lower Bebington 14 23.99x
Paddington London 14 0.86x
St George Hanover 14 2.41x
St Marylebone London 14 0.59x
Toxteth Park 14 0.78x
Blackley 13 14.04x
Claines 13 8.15x
Hart 13 40.31x
Harton 13 24.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 330
Elizabeth 207
Sarah 164
Jane 96
Ann 90
Margaret 80
Ellen 77
Emma 64
Alice 62
Eliza 62
Annie 57
Hannah 50
Emily 47
Isabella 32
Martha 32
Harriet 28
Edith 27
Lucy 27
Fanny 24
Clara 23
Caroline 22
Charlotte 21
Maria 20
Susan 20
Ada 17
Catherine 17
Florence 17
Frances 17
Kate 17
Agnes 14
Esther 14
Rose 14
Amy 13
Julia 13
Louisa 13
Anne 11
Sophia 10
Eleanor 9
Harriett 9
Maud 9
Betsy 8
Dorothy 8
Amelia 7
Elizth. 7
Henrietta 7
Margt. 7
Phoebe 7
Rebecca 7
Susannah 7
Laura 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 335
William 285
Thomas 209
George 162
James 125
Robert 82
Joseph 80
Henry 76
Charles 70
Edward 56
Samuel 44
Alfred 39
Arthur 35
Richard 35
Frederick 34
Walter 28
Albert 24
Harry 23
Fred 16
Ernest 15
Matthew 15
David 14
Christopher 12
Frank 12
Herbert 11
Thos. 11
Wm. 11
Francis 10
Mark 10
Isaac 9
Peter 9
Daniel 8
Edwin 8
Geo. 8
Jonathan 8
Stephen 8
Joshua 7
Ralph 7
Benjamin 6
Job 6
Andrew 5
Alexander 4
Enoch 4
Evan 4
Fredk. 4
Fredrick 4
Harold 4
Hugh 4
Marshall 4
Solomon 4

FAQ

Rutter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rutter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,571 people were recorded with the Rutter surname. That placed it at #977 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rutter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,739 in 2016. That gives Rutter a modern rank of #1,001.

What does the Rutter surname mean?

An occupational surname for a player of the rote, an early medieval stringed instrument similar to a lyre.

What does the Rutter map show?

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