NameCensus.

UK surname

Sclater

A surname derived from a French term referring to a seller of gates or latches.

In the 1881 census there were 308 people recorded with the Sclater surname, ranking it #9,542 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 321, ranked #14,065, down from #9,542 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkwall and St.Ola, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Mainland, Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness and West Kirkwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sclater is 342 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.2%.

1881 census count

308

Ranked #9,542

Modern count

321

2016, ranked #14,065

Peak year

1891

342 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sclater had 308 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,542 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 321 in 2016, ranked #14,065.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 342 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Sclater surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sclater surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sclater 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 274 #8,176
1861 historical 307 #8,262
1881 historical 308 #9,542
1891 historical 342 #10,023
1901 historical 334 #10,818
1911 historical 146 #18,179
1997 modern 297 #13,623
1998 modern 299 #13,908
1999 modern 312 #13,615
2000 modern 325 #13,221
2001 modern 319 #13,168
2002 modern 330 #13,140
2003 modern 316 #13,355
2004 modern 322 #13,260
2005 modern 304 #13,724
2006 modern 300 #13,911
2007 modern 300 #14,048
2008 modern 296 #14,275
2009 modern 299 #14,445
2010 modern 309 #14,420
2011 modern 309 #14,322
2012 modern 301 #14,476
2013 modern 304 #14,614
2014 modern 308 #14,571
2015 modern 312 #14,347
2016 modern 321 #14,065

Geography

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Where Sclaters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkwall and St.Ola, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Edinburgh, Rathven and Lasswade. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Mainland, Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness, West Kirkwall, Lewes and South Cambridgeshire. 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 Kirkwall and St.Ola Orkney
2 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Rathven Banff
5 Lasswade Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Mainland Orkney Islands
2 Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness Orkney Islands
3 West Kirkwall Orkney Islands
4 Lewes 001 Lewes
5 South Cambridgeshire 019 South Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sclater

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sclater

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Sclater surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Sclater household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Sclater 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

Sclater 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

Sclater falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Sclater

The surname SCLATER is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "sclat," which means a flat piece of wood or slate used for roofing or flooring. This name likely originated as an occupational surname for a slater or someone who worked with slates.

The earliest recorded instances of the name SCLATER can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a John le Sclattere, and the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which lists a Thomas Sclater.

In medieval times, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Sclattere, Sclater, Sclatter, and Sklater, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname SCLATER was William Sclater, who was born around 1460 in Somersetshire, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.

Another notable figure was Sir Walter Sclater, who lived from 1505 to 1572. He was a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire and served as a justice of the peace during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Samuel Sclater (1628-1692) was a notable English clergyman and author, known for his work "A Threefold Preservative against Popery."

During the 18th century, William Sclater (1720-1786) was a respected English naturalist and ornithologist, best known for his work on the classification of birds.

In the 19th century, Philip Lutley Sclater (1829-1913) was a renowned zoologist and ornithologist who served as the Secretary of the Zoological Society of London for over 40 years. He made significant contributions to the study of birds and mammals.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname SCLATER who have left their mark in various fields throughout history, reflecting the long-standing presence and evolution of this surname in English society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sclater families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sclater 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. Midlothian leads with 70 Sclaters recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.45x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 70 17.45x
Devon 50 8.02x
Orkney 33 100.15x
Shetland 32 104.64x
Banffshire 30 48.29x
Lanarkshire 18 1.86x
Middlesex 14 0.47x
Kent 13 1.27x
Hampshire 10 1.63x
Surrey 10 0.69x
Sussex 6 1.19x
Renfrewshire 4 1.72x
Durham 2 0.22x
Norfolk 2 0.43x
Pembrokeshire 2 2.10x
Roxburghshire 2 3.69x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.36x
Berkshire 1 0.44x
Caithness 1 2.44x
Cheshire 1 0.15x
Essex 1 0.17x
Fife 1 0.56x
Oxfordshire 1 0.54x
Perthshire 1 0.74x
West Lothian 1 2.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lasswade in Midlothian leads with 30 Sclaters recorded in 1881 and an index of 327.15x.

Place Total Index
Lasswade 30 327.15x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 23 14.25x
Bressay Burra Quarff 22 1654.14x
Kirkwall St Ola 19 385.40x
Rathven 15 128.53x
Cullen 11 478.26x
Okehampton 10 425.53x
West Teignmouth 10 209.64x
Govan 9 3.76x
Bermondsey 8 8.97x
Exeter St Thomas The 8 125.98x
North Leith 8 43.08x
Bromley London 7 10.62x
Dover St Mary Virgin 7 70.78x
Southampton St Mary 7 18.13x
Exeter Heavitree 6 129.03x
Firth Stenness 5 354.61x
Newton Abbot St Nicholas 5 390.63x
Dover St James 4 89.29x
Gamrie 4 57.72x
Glasgow 4 2.33x
Kensington London 4 2.40x
Maryhill 4 21.10x
Edinburgh St Marys 3 38.46x
Hastings Holy Trinity 3 80.65x
Kilbarchan 3 42.55x
Lerwick Gulberwick 3 63.42x
Newick 3 270.27x
South Leith 3 6.64x
Tingwall 3 196.08x
Walls 3 202.70x
Ancrum 2 141.84x
Camberwell 2 1.05x
East Teignmouth 2 78.43x
Edinburgh Old 2 82.30x
Evie Rendall 2 143.88x
Exeter St David 2 37.52x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 14.01x
Houghton In Hole 2 1176.47x
Orphir 2 190.48x
St Petrox 2 1666.67x
Stromness 2 80.97x
Withycombe Rawleigh 2 61.54x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 1.93x
Barony 1 0.41x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.77x
Birkenhead 1 1.90x
Canterbury St Andrew 1 232.56x
Caputh 1 47.39x
Castle Eden 1 111.11x
Christchurch 1 7.51x
Cross Burness N 1 58.14x
Dartmouth Townstall 1 39.37x
Dawlish 1 21.51x
Dunfermline 1 3.67x
East Donyland 1 70.42x
Eastwood 1 7.00x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 9.79x
Holm 1 90.91x
Kirkliston 1 38.02x
Northfleet 1 11.11x
Paddington London 1 0.91x
S Stoke 1 114.94x
Sandhurst 1 22.99x
St Michael Winchester 1 80.00x
St Vedast Foster Lane 1 526.32x
Stronsay Eday 1 46.51x
Upton Grey 1 232.56x
Walls Sandness 1 169.49x
Westoe 1 1.98x
Wick 1 7.55x
Wolborough 1 12.69x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
Charles 7
Henry 5
Alfred 4
Edward 4
James 3
John 3
Thomas 3
Arthur 2
George 2
Hugh 2
Edwin 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Guy 1
Harry 1
J. 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Wm. 1
Wm.L. 1

FAQ

Sclater surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sclater surname in 1881?

In 1881, 308 people were recorded with the Sclater surname. That placed it at #9,542 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sclater surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 321 in 2016. That gives Sclater a modern rank of #14,065.

What does the Sclater surname mean?

A surname derived from a French term referring to a seller of gates or latches.

What does the Sclater map show?

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