NameCensus.

UK surname

Shipton

A surname derived from a place name in England, likely referring to someone from the village of Shipton.

In the 1881 census there were 1,235 people recorded with the Shipton surname, ranking it #3,279 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,299, ranked #4,610, down from #3,279 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Horsley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, Purbeck and Stafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shipton is 1,571 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.2%.

1881 census count

1,235

Ranked #3,279

Modern count

1,299

2016, ranked #4,610

Peak year

1911

1,571 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shipton had 1,235 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,279 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,299 in 2016, ranked #4,610.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,571 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Shipton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shipton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shipton 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 840 #3,231
1861 historical 831 #3,317
1881 historical 1,235 #3,279
1891 historical 1,244 #3,470
1901 historical 1,461 #3,493
1911 historical 1,571 #3,090
1997 modern 1,424 #4,083
1998 modern 1,470 #4,119
1999 modern 1,482 #4,130
2000 modern 1,461 #4,148
2001 modern 1,420 #4,172
2002 modern 1,419 #4,248
2003 modern 1,384 #4,261
2004 modern 1,395 #4,236
2005 modern 1,332 #4,351
2006 modern 1,298 #4,449
2007 modern 1,306 #4,467
2008 modern 1,300 #4,510
2009 modern 1,310 #4,573
2010 modern 1,330 #4,600
2011 modern 1,324 #4,564
2012 modern 1,293 #4,594
2013 modern 1,324 #4,573
2014 modern 1,328 #4,592
2015 modern 1,302 #4,622
2016 modern 1,299 #4,610

Geography

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Where Shiptons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Horsley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, Purbeck, Stafford and East Hertfordshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Horsley Gloucestershire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 009 Stroud
2 Stroud 015 Stroud
3 Purbeck 003 Purbeck
4 Stafford 014 Stafford
5 East Hertfordshire 015 East Hertfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shipton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shipton

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shipton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shipton is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Shipton

The surname Shipton is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name "Shipton," which means "sheep farm" or "sheep town." The name is composed of the Old English words "scip" (sheep) and "tun" (enclosure or farm).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shipton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Sciptone" and refers to several villages with sheep farming communities.

In the 13th century, the surname Shipton began to appear in various historical records, such as tax rolls, parish registers, and court documents. Some of the earliest recorded bearers of the name include William de Shipton, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1292, and John de Shipton, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1327.

One famous bearer of the Shipton surname was Mother Shipton, a legendary English prophetess also known as Ursula Southeil, who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. She was renowned for her alleged prophecies and is said to have predicted many significant events, including the Spanish Armada and the Great Fire of London.

Another notable figure with the Shipton surname was Ralph Shipton, an English Puritan minister who lived in the early 17th century. He was a prominent figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and served as the first pastor of the church in Hingham, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, William Shipton (1670-1743) was a successful English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the church of St. Benet Fink and the Mercers' Hall.

Another individual of note was Mary Shipton (1777-1849), an English author and poet who wrote under the pen name "Mary Russell Mitford." She was known for her works depicting country life, such as "Our Village," which was widely popular in the 19th century.

The Shipton surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Shipton-on-Stour, Shipton-under-Wychwood, and Shipton Moyne, reflecting the historical presence of sheep farming communities in these areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shipton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shipton 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. Gloucestershire leads with 148 Shiptons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.24x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 148 6.24x
Middlesex 129 1.07x
Staffordshire 129 3.16x
Essex 126 5.28x
Warwickshire 75 2.46x
Yorkshire 58 0.48x
Surrey 54 0.92x
Wiltshire 53 4.96x
Derbyshire 46 2.43x
Hampshire 45 1.82x
Lancashire 43 0.30x
Worcestershire 37 2.34x
Hertfordshire 25 3.00x
Berkshire 24 2.65x
Glamorgan 24 1.14x
Kent 24 0.58x
Somerset 24 1.23x
Cheshire 23 0.86x
Lincolnshire 23 1.19x
Herefordshire 19 3.83x
Sussex 16 0.79x
Durham 15 0.42x
Buckinghamshire 9 1.23x
Lanarkshire 9 0.23x
Leicestershire 8 0.60x
Monmouthshire 7 0.80x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.43x
Dorset 5 0.63x
Oxfordshire 5 0.67x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.52x
Channel Islands 4 1.12x
Cornwall 4 0.29x
Devon 4 0.16x
Midlothian 3 0.19x
Northamptonshire 3 0.26x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.62x
Northumberland 2 0.11x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.20x
Perthshire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 43 Shiptons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.23x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 43 4.23x
Sheering 30 1333.33x
Aston 26 3.10x
Fulham London 24 13.69x
Church Gresley 19 63.10x
Kensington London 19 2.83x
Andover 17 72.65x
Hammersmith London 17 5.71x
Tipton 17 13.61x
Horsley 16 152.38x
Islington London 16 1.37x
Yoxall 15 278.81x
Dagenham 14 98.59x
Hawkesbury 14 173.48x
Wolverhampton 14 4.46x
Bristol St George 13 11.86x
Handsworth 13 12.93x
Sawbridgeworth 13 103.09x
Kings Norton 12 8.48x
Malmesbury St Paul 12 130.58x
Romford 12 31.82x
Cam 11 151.31x
Cheltenham 11 6.01x
Lambeth 11 1.04x
Camberwell 10 1.30x
Llanwonno 10 13.22x
St Marylebone London 10 1.55x
Barony 9 0.91x
Battersea 9 2.02x
Bootle Cum Linacre 9 7.90x
Brentwood 9 61.86x
Horton In Bradford 9 4.81x
Kemble 9 452.26x
Luckington 9 647.48x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 3.58x
Foston Scropton 8 366.97x
Gorton 8 5.93x
Great Marlow 8 40.57x
Hackney London 8 1.18x
Helpringham 8 205.66x
High Ongar 8 181.82x
Linthorpe 8 11.19x
Stapleton 8 17.79x
Stockport 8 5.83x
Wallingford St Mary Le 8 155.95x
Walsall Foreign 8 3.80x
Watford 8 12.39x
Widford 8 640.00x
Wolstanton 8 6.46x
Woolwich 8 5.25x
Bromley London 7 2.63x
Dunstall 7 619.47x
Dyrham Hinton 7 421.69x
Eldersfield 7 282.26x
Harlow 7 68.09x
Oulton Cum Woodlesford 7 72.02x
St George Hanover 7 4.44x
Stapenhill 7 24.85x
Tatenhill 7 253.62x
Walcot 7 6.76x
West Bromwich 7 285.71x
West Derby 7 1.67x
Winterbourne 7 53.44x
Bedminster 6 3.28x
Darlington 6 4.32x
Deptford St Nicholas 6 18.33x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 3.85x
Lichfield St Chad 6 65.36x
Much Dewchurch 6 255.32x
Pontefract 6 23.26x
Randwick 6 128.48x
Rotherhithe 6 4.02x
Sheffield 6 1.57x
Sopworth 6 740.74x
South Weald 6 29.37x
Uckfield 6 67.57x
Walberton 6 236.22x
Warrington 6 3.53x
Cardiff St John 5 7.27x
Thornbury 5 30.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 82
John 71
Thomas 51
George 46
Henry 36
James 29
Joseph 25
Charles 21
Frederick 15
Alfred 14
Arthur 14
Edward 14
Albert 12
Richard 11
Robert 10
Harry 9
Samuel 9
Walter 8
Wm. 7
Ernest 5
Isaac 5
Benjamin 4
Edwin 4
Herbert 4
Abraham 3
Frank 3
Leonard 3
Amos 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Fred 2
Geo. 2
Henery 2
Maurice 2
Michael 2
Percy 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Alexander 1
Alfd.C. 1
Barnard 1
Bertie 1
C. 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Jos. 1
Wm.E. 1

FAQ

Shipton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shipton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,235 people were recorded with the Shipton surname. That placed it at #3,279 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shipton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,299 in 2016. That gives Shipton a modern rank of #4,610.

What does the Shipton surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name in England, likely referring to someone from the village of Shipton.

What does the Shipton map show?

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