NameCensus.

UK surname

Shorthouse

A surname derived from someone who lived in a small or short house.

In the 1881 census there were 598 people recorded with the Shorthouse surname, ranking it #5,850 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,022, ranked #5,700, up from #5,850 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Sedgley and Tipton otherwise Tibington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, East Staffordshire and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shorthouse is 1,105 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.9%.

1881 census count

598

Ranked #5,850

Modern count

1,022

2016, ranked #5,700

Peak year

1999

1,105 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shorthouse had 598 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,850 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,022 in 2016, ranked #5,700.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 891 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Shorthouse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shorthouse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shorthouse 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 365 #6,492
1861 historical 354 #7,224
1881 historical 598 #5,850
1891 historical 742 #5,363
1901 historical 891 #5,183
1911 historical 853 #5,199
1997 modern 1,034 #5,336
1998 modern 1,093 #5,291
1999 modern 1,105 #5,268
2000 modern 1,095 #5,287
2001 modern 1,056 #5,345
2002 modern 1,079 #5,358
2003 modern 1,028 #5,477
2004 modern 1,029 #5,482
2005 modern 1,032 #5,404
2006 modern 1,026 #5,444
2007 modern 1,037 #5,449
2008 modern 1,031 #5,513
2009 modern 1,049 #5,554
2010 modern 1,056 #5,627
2011 modern 1,055 #5,564
2012 modern 1,004 #5,716
2013 modern 1,008 #5,779
2014 modern 1,010 #5,813
2015 modern 1,016 #5,735
2016 modern 1,022 #5,700

Geography

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Where Shorthouses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Sedgley, Tipton otherwise Tibington, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, East Staffordshire, Doncaster, North West Leicestershire and South Derbyshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Sedgley Staffordshire
3 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 004 Blaenau Gwent
2 East Staffordshire 014 East Staffordshire
3 Doncaster 018 Doncaster
4 North West Leicestershire 003 North West Leicestershire
5 South Derbyshire 008 South Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shorthouse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shorthouse

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Shorthouse is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shorthouse 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

Shorthouse falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Shorthouse

The surname SHORTHOUSE is an English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "short house" or "small house." It originates from the Middle English words "short" and "hous," referring to a small or humble dwelling or cottage.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname SHORTHOUSE dates back to the late 13th century in Yorkshire, England. It is believed to have originated in this region, as many early bearers of the name can be traced to various villages and parishes within Yorkshire.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John de Shorthous, mentioned in the Yorkshire Inquisitions of 1301. Another early record is from the Wakefield Court Rolls of 1316, which mentions a Thomas de Shorthous.

In the 16th century, the surname SHORTHOUSE appeared in various spellings, including Shorthoose, Shortowse, and Shorthowse, reflecting the evolution of the English language and the inconsistencies in spelling during that time.

Notable individuals with the surname SHORTHOUSE include:

1. Joseph Henry Shorthouse (1834-1903), an English novelist best known for his work "John Inglesant." 2. William Shorthouse (1779-1848), an English Quaker minister and writer from Worcestershire. 3. Thomas Shorthouse (1801-1876), an English Quaker and businessman who co-founded the Bristol Wagon Works Company. 4. George Shorthouse (1819-1888), an English Quaker and philanthropist from Birmingham. 5. John Shorthouse (1753-1836), an English Quaker minister and writer from Warwickshire.

The surname SHORTHOUSE is also associated with various place names in England, such as Shorthouse Lane in Sheffield and Shorthouse Farm in Lancashire. These place names further reinforce the locational origin of the surname and its connection to small or modest dwellings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shorthouse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shorthouse 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. Staffordshire leads with 249 Shorthouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.62x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 249 12.62x
Warwickshire 100 6.79x
Derbyshire 46 5.03x
Lanarkshire 29 1.53x
Surrey 26 0.91x
Leicestershire 24 3.70x
Kinross-shire 22 148.95x
Lancashire 19 0.27x
Fife 11 3.18x
Worcestershire 11 1.44x
Durham 10 0.58x
Monmouthshire 8 1.89x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.89x
Lincolnshire 5 0.54x
Midlothian 5 0.64x
Yorkshire 5 0.09x
Hampshire 4 0.33x
Herefordshire 4 1.67x
Middlesex 4 0.07x
Bedfordshire 2 0.66x
Shropshire 2 0.40x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.41x
Clackmannanshire 1 2.07x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.64x
Essex 1 0.09x
Kent 1 0.05x
Norfolk 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedgley in Staffordshire leads with 56 Shorthouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 76.44x.

Place Total Index
Sedgley 56 76.44x
Birmingham 49 9.98x
Aston 47 11.58x
Tipton 22 36.42x
Burntwood Edial 20 158.73x
Harborne 20 31.64x
West Bromwich 19 16.83x
Kinross 17 335.97x
Cadder 15 107.45x
Blackfordby 14 676.33x
Bilston 13 34.01x
Newton Solney 12 1276.60x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 4.78x
Walsall Foreign 10 9.82x
Dudley 9 9.70x
Wednesbury 9 18.26x
Whitworth 9 70.70x
Wolverhampton 9 5.93x
Aberystruth 8 21.49x
Norton Canes 8 111.27x
Ripley 8 70.73x
Aberdour 7 201.15x
Ashby De La Zouch 7 46.60x
Burslem 7 12.39x
Church Gresley 7 48.11x
Croydon 7 4.43x
Glasgow 7 2.09x
Handsworth 7 14.40x
Newington 7 3.24x
Swinfen Packington 7 864.20x
Winshill 7 120.07x
Hamilton 6 11.39x
Burton Upon Trent 5 10.84x
Cleish 5 500.00x
Gainsborough 5 22.70x
Habergham Eaves 5 7.89x
Ince In Makerfield 5 15.50x
Lambeth 5 0.98x
Little Bolton 5 5.61x
Wales 5 109.41x
Willenhall 5 13.54x
Alverstoke 4 9.23x
Bermondsey 4 2.30x
Bulwell 4 23.36x
Edgbaston 4 8.75x
Hereford All Sts 4 36.43x
Inverkeithing 4 76.78x
Linton 4 165.98x
Wolstanton 4 6.68x
Camberwell 3 0.80x
Essington 3 115.38x
Liberton 3 24.83x
Penkridge 3 58.94x
Snenton 3 9.70x
Thringstone 3 120.97x
Alfreton 2 7.20x
Castle Gresley 2 127.39x
Condover 2 56.34x
Derby St Alkmund 2 7.29x
Dunstable 2 21.51x
Fulham London 2 2.36x
Great Barr 2 88.50x
Kingswinford 2 2.79x
Salford 2 0.98x
Shipston On Stour 2 57.64x
St George Bloomsbury 2 5.97x
Stow 2 49.75x
Wednesfield 2 6.89x
Colne 1 4.84x
Curborough Elmhurst 1 250.00x
Dollar 1 20.00x
Kinver 1 17.57x
Levenshulme 1 14.01x
Llanelly 1 1.80x
New Kilpatrick 1 6.69x
Plumstead 1 1.50x
Radbourne 1 200.00x
Rowley Regis 1 1.82x
South Lynn 1 9.86x
Willington 1 97.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 38
Sarah 28
Elizabeth 24
Ann 13
Eliza 12
Emma 10
Hannah 7
Jane 6
Ada 5
Annie 5
Emily 5
Fanny 5
Alice 4
Catherine 4
Charlotte 4
Louisa 4
Lucy 4
Betsy 3
Elizth. 3
Harriet 3
Harriett 3
Lydia 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Rose 3
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Marian 2
Phoebe 2
Susannah 2
Amy 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Crestina 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Evelyn 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Leah 1
Levina 1
Lillah 1
Lillian 1
Lois 1
Lynna 1
Susanne 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 36
William 29
Thomas 27
Joseph 18
Henry 14
Charles 13
Arthur 12
Samuel 11
George 10
David 9
Harry 9
Robert 9
Alfred 8
Walter 8
Frederick 5
Geo. 4
Albert 3
Benjamin 3
Edward 3
Herbert 3
James 3
Thos. 3
Willm. 3
Tom 2
Ben 1
Benjm. 1
Benjn. 1
Carey 1
Chas. 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Isaiah 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Job 1
Jordon 1
Jos. 1
Moses 1
Neville 1
Reggie 1
Ronald 1
Sam 1
Wilfred 1
Willie 1
Willis 1
Willm.Hy. 1
Wilm. 1

FAQ

Shorthouse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shorthouse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 598 people were recorded with the Shorthouse surname. That placed it at #5,850 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shorthouse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,022 in 2016. That gives Shorthouse a modern rank of #5,700.

What does the Shorthouse surname mean?

A surname derived from someone who lived in a small or short house.

What does the Shorthouse map show?

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