NameCensus.

UK surname

Rutty

A surname derived from the Old English word "ruti" meaning reddish or ruddy.

In the 1881 census there were 144 people recorded with the Rutty surname, ranking it #15,891 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 251, ranked #16,744, down from #15,891 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Melksham, London parishes and Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Stafford and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rutty is 273 in 2004. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.3%.

1881 census count

144

Ranked #15,891

Modern count

251

2016, ranked #16,744

Peak year

2004

273 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rutty had 144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,891 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 251 in 2016, ranked #16,744.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 208 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rutty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rutty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rutty 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 109 #16,212
1861 historical 116 #18,751
1881 historical 144 #15,891
1891 historical 170 #16,816
1901 historical 199 #15,173
1911 historical 208 #14,594
1997 modern 225 #16,352
1998 modern 261 #15,241
1999 modern 261 #15,353
2000 modern 265 #15,143
2001 modern 266 #14,878
2002 modern 265 #15,197
2003 modern 272 #14,746
2004 modern 273 #14,804
2005 modern 258 #15,323
2006 modern 260 #15,329
2007 modern 258 #15,554
2008 modern 256 #15,817
2009 modern 259 #16,013
2010 modern 255 #16,563
2011 modern 251 #16,589
2012 modern 244 #16,793
2013 modern 250 #16,778
2014 modern 249 #16,954
2015 modern 254 #16,608
2016 modern 251 #16,744

Geography

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Where Ruttys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Melksham, London parishes, Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington and St Leonard Bromley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Stafford and Wiltshire. 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 Melksham Wiltshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Stafford St Mary and St Chad, Tillington Staffordshire
5 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 016 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Stafford 007 Stafford
3 Wiltshire 013 Wiltshire
4 Stafford 013 Stafford
5 Stafford 016 Stafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rutty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rutty

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

Rutty is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rutty falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Rutty

The surname "RUTTY" is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the Midlands region, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "rut," which referred to a cart track or a rough, uneven road. This suggests that the name was likely an occupational surname given to those who worked on or maintained such roads.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1275, where a person named Robertus le Rutti was listed. The prefix "le" was commonly used in Middle English to denote a person's occupation or place of origin, further supporting the connection between the name and the maintenance of cart tracks or roads.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Rutte," "Rutti," and "Rutty," in different records across the Midlands region. This variation in spelling was common during that time period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

Notable individuals with the surname "RUTTY" include:

1. John Rutty (1698-1775), an Irish physician and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of botany and mineralogy in Ireland. 2. William Loftus Rutty (1809-1891), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable projects, including the restoration of Arundel Castle in West Sussex. 3. Sarah Rutty (1760-1825), an English Quaker minister and writer known for her spiritual writings and her advocacy for women's rights within the Quaker community. 4. Thomas Rutty (1654-1730), an Irish Quaker merchant and philanthropist who was instrumental in the establishment of several educational institutions in Dublin. 5. William Rutty (1687-1744), an English Quaker writer and preacher who published several religious works during his lifetime.

While the name "RUTTY" does not appear in prominent historical records like the Domesday Book, its origins can be traced back to place names and occupations in the Midlands region of England during the medieval period, reflecting the role of those who worked on or maintained the rough cart tracks and roads of that era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rutty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rutty 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. Middlesex leads with 50 Ruttys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.56x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 50 3.56x
Wiltshire 39 31.40x
Staffordshire 20 4.22x
Hampshire 8 2.78x
Warwickshire 7 1.98x
Essex 4 1.44x
Gloucestershire 3 1.09x
Oxfordshire 3 3.46x
Devon 2 0.68x
Surrey 2 0.29x
Yorkshire 2 0.14x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.18x
Durham 1 0.24x
East Lothian 1 5.38x
Somerset 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bromley London in Middlesex leads with 15 Ruttys recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.54x.

Place Total Index
Bromley London 15 48.54x
Calne 13 507.81x
Islington London 10 7.35x
Marston 9 2812.50x
Melksham 9 416.67x
Trowbridge 9 163.93x
Bethnal Green London 8 13.11x
Stafford St Mary 8 119.23x
Birmingham 7 5.93x
Warminster 6 220.59x
Basingstoke 4 120.85x
Hammersmith London 4 11.56x
Mottisfont 4 1600.00x
Burton Upon Trent 3 27.05x
Hackney London 3 3.81x
Leyton Low 3 53.19x
Mile End Old Town 3 13.53x
Pyrton 3 1111.11x
Bishops Tawton 2 219.78x
Clifton 2 14.36x
Kensington London 2 2.56x
Nether Hallam 2 10.62x
Tottenham 2 8.94x
Battersea 1 1.94x
Chippenham 1 38.46x
Chiswick 1 13.02x
Devizes St James 1 60.61x
Enfield 1 10.85x
Great Marlow 1 43.67x
Lambeth 1 0.82x
Poulton 1 454.55x
St George Bloomsbury 1 12.41x
Stockton On Tees 1 4.97x
Tranent 1 39.84x
Walcot 1 8.31x
Woodford St Mary 1 322.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 6
Eliza 5
Sarah 5
Harriet 4
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Katharine 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Agatha 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Bennetta 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Jane 1
Leah 1
Louisa 1
Madoline 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Miriam 1
Naomi 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Sussusanna 1
Wineferd 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 9
Arthur 8
George 4
Henry 4
Herbert 4
James 4
Edward 3
Samuel 3
Frederick 2
Albt.Edwd. 1
Eaton 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Gilbert 1
Harrold 1
Hugh 1
Joseph 1
Marc 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Robt.E. 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1
Tom 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Rutty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rutty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 144 people were recorded with the Rutty surname. That placed it at #15,891 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rutty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 251 in 2016. That gives Rutty a modern rank of #16,744.

What does the Rutty surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "ruti" meaning reddish or ruddy.

What does the Rutty map show?

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