NameCensus.

UK surname

Shorten

A surname derived from the occupational name for a cutter or cropper of cloth.

In the 1881 census there were 334 people recorded with the Shorten surname, ranking it #9,025 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 624, ranked #8,450, up from #9,025 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju and Docking. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broadland, County Durham and Norwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shorten is 686 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.8%.

1881 census count

334

Ranked #9,025

Modern count

624

2016, ranked #8,450

Peak year

2002

686 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shorten had 334 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,025 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 624 in 2016, ranked #8,450.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 566 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Shorten surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shorten surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shorten 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 221 #9,630
1861 historical 201 #11,949
1881 historical 334 #9,025
1891 historical 361 #9,589
1901 historical 492 #8,149
1911 historical 566 #7,137
1997 modern 652 #7,641
1998 modern 661 #7,806
1999 modern 676 #7,718
2000 modern 663 #7,816
2001 modern 651 #7,785
2002 modern 686 #7,633
2003 modern 659 #7,749
2004 modern 653 #7,807
2005 modern 634 #7,932
2006 modern 629 #8,005
2007 modern 637 #7,998
2008 modern 655 #7,869
2009 modern 672 #7,886
2010 modern 679 #7,965
2011 modern 666 #8,003
2012 modern 638 #8,175
2013 modern 661 #8,105
2014 modern 655 #8,203
2015 modern 638 #8,317
2016 modern 624 #8,450

Geography

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Where Shortens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju, Docking, Middleton and Sprowston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broadland, County Durham and Norwich. 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 St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju Norfolk
3 Docking Norfolk
4 Middleton Suffolk
5 Sprowston Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broadland 008 Broadland
2 County Durham 014 County Durham
3 Broadland 003 Broadland
4 Broadland 013 Broadland
5 Norwich 007 Norwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shorten

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shorten

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

Shorten is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Shorten

The surname Shorten originated in Ireland in the medieval period, derived from the Gaelic word "gearr" meaning "short" or "small." It was likely an occupational surname given to someone of small stature or a nickname for a short person. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Irish annals and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries, often appearing as "Shorten," "Shortn," or "Shortyn."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Dermot Shorten, a prominent landowner in County Kilkenny, mentioned in records from the late 1300s. The name also appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, referring to several individuals with the surname in the 15th and 16th centuries.

In the 16th century, the Shorten family was well-established in County Tipperary, particularly in the area around the town of Cahir. Records from this period show members of the family holding positions of importance, such as John Shorten, who served as a magistrate in Cahir in the mid-1500s.

The surname Shorten can also be traced to County Cork, where it was associated with the place name "Shortlands," a small village near the town of Kinsale. The Shortlands were a prominent Anglo-Irish family in the region, with records indicating their presence as early as the 17th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Shorten throughout history include Sir John Shorten (1770-1847), an Irish-born soldier and politician who served as a member of the British Parliament for the constituency of Richmond in Yorkshire. Another noteworthy figure was Robert Shorten (1818-1899), an Irish-born Australian politician and businessman who played a significant role in the development of the city of Melbourne.

In more recent times, the name has been borne by individuals such as Patricia Shorten (born 1954), an Australian politician and former member of the Australian Senate, and Bill Shorten (born 1967), an Australian politician who served as the Leader of the Opposition and the Labor Party from 2013 to 2019.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shorten families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shorten 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. Norfolk leads with 168 Shortens recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.74x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 168 33.74x
Essex 32 5.01x
Durham 31 3.22x
Middlesex 24 0.74x
Kent 11 1.00x
Yorkshire 11 0.34x
Suffolk 10 2.54x
Surrey 9 0.57x
Sussex 9 1.65x
Lancashire 6 0.16x
Lincolnshire 5 0.97x
Cheshire 3 0.42x
Herefordshire 3 2.26x
Staffordshire 3 0.27x
Cumberland 1 0.36x
Devon 1 0.15x
Hertfordshire 1 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.23x
Rutland 1 4.21x
Somerset 1 0.19x
Warwickshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sprowston in Norfolk leads with 39 Shortens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1772.73x.

Place Total Index
Sprowston 39 1772.73x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 18 594.06x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 13 31.15x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 13 915.49x
Lamesley 11 211.95x
Middleton 11 6111.11x
Heigham 10 37.41x
Rockland St Mary 10 2040.82x
Belchamp Walter 9 1323.53x
Great Yarmouth 9 21.82x
Docking 8 509.55x
Ipswich St Mathew 8 72.40x
Brighton 7 6.35x
Norwich St Michael At 7 242.21x
Whickham 7 78.92x
Attleborough 6 238.10x
Bulmer 6 779.22x
St Andrew Holborn 6 54.64x
Lewisham 5 8.49x
Sutton St Mary 5 102.04x
Chelmsford 4 36.46x
Fakenham 4 163.27x
Holkham 4 666.67x
Poringland 4 769.23x
St Giles In Fields 4 35.81x
Woking 4 42.06x
Wymondham 4 78.59x
Birkenhead 3 5.26x
Doncaster 3 12.79x
Folkestone 3 14.00x
Handsworth 3 11.14x
Hereford All Sts 3 49.34x
Islington London 3 0.96x
Lakenham 3 42.37x
Moulton St Mary 3 1111.11x
Nether Hallam 3 6.91x
Preston 3 2.92x
Ratcliffe London 3 16.77x
Ruswarp 3 84.03x
Salford 3 2.65x
Bramerton 2 714.29x
Broadwater 2 15.97x
Catton 2 240.96x
Felthorpe 2 384.62x
Henstead 2 333.33x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 2 61.92x
Orlestone 2 434.78x
St George In East 2 9.08x
St Pancras London 2 0.77x
Sutton 2 17.51x
Trowse Cum Newton 2 162.60x
Wells Next Sea 2 68.97x
Aston 1 0.44x
Blakeney 1 112.36x
Bridgewater 1 7.07x
Bures St Mary 1 166.67x
Camberwell 1 0.48x
Chipping Barnet 1 25.64x
Crimplesham 1 303.03x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 1.53x
Edith Weston 1 256.41x
Hanworth 1 400.00x
Hempnall 1 102.04x
Kensington London 1 0.56x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 6.69x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.64x
Manningham 1 2.53x
Markshall 1 1666.67x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 1 40.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 1.93x
Sall 1 454.55x
Sculthorpe 1 153.85x
Shadwell London 1 11.04x
St George Hanover 1 2.37x
Tilney Cum Islington 1 312.50x
Westminster St 1 8.38x
Whitehaven 1 6.73x
Wimbledon 1 5.64x
Wood Dalling 1 185.19x
Woodton 1 188.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 17
Mary 16
Ellen 10
Alice 9
Emily 7
Emma 7
Charlotte 5
Eliza 5
Rebecca 5
Ann 4
Harriet 4
Jane 4
Louisa 4
Catherine 3
Eleanor 3
Hannah 3
Margaret 3
Martha 3
Susan 3
Annie 2
Edith 2
Esther 2
Harriett 2
Julia 2
Lilly 2
Maria 2
Rachel 2
Beatrice 1
Chas. 1
Clara 1
E. 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizth 1
Emmeline 1
Everline 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Frerness 1
Isabella 1
James 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lovice 1
Margt 1
Millicent 1
Minnie 1
Nelly 1
Tremenia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 25
John 15
George 12
Robert 11
Charles 8
Henry 8
Alfred 7
James 7
Arthur 4
Daniel 4
Walter 4
Richard 3
Stephen 3
Thomas 3
Albert 2
Allen 2
Benjamin 2
Earnest 2
Frederick 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Chas. 1
E.H. 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Esau 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Isiah 1
Jas. 1
Jerimy 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Mark 1
Matthew 1
Reginald 1
Saml. 1
Washington 1

FAQ

Shorten surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shorten surname in 1881?

In 1881, 334 people were recorded with the Shorten surname. That placed it at #9,025 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shorten surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 624 in 2016. That gives Shorten a modern rank of #8,450.

What does the Shorten surname mean?

A surname derived from the occupational name for a cutter or cropper of cloth.

What does the Shorten map show?

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