NameCensus.

UK surname

Shortt

An occupational surname referring to a person of short stature or one who cuts or trims.

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Shortt surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 736, ranked #7,409, up from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Woodhorn, London parishes and St James Clerkenwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, Northumberland and Northampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shortt is 751 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 607.7%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

736

2016, ranked #7,409

Peak year

2014

751 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shortt had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 736 in 2016, ranked #7,409.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 220 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Shortt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shortt surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Shortt 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 151 #18,242
1901 historical 174 #16,520
1911 historical 220 #14,088
1997 modern 664 #7,545
1998 modern 665 #7,777
1999 modern 683 #7,659
2000 modern 685 #7,618
2001 modern 674 #7,579
2002 modern 700 #7,511
2003 modern 675 #7,615
2004 modern 646 #7,875
2005 modern 641 #7,851
2006 modern 634 #7,958
2007 modern 657 #7,798
2008 modern 658 #7,843
2009 modern 703 #7,617
2010 modern 735 #7,487
2011 modern 745 #7,351
2012 modern 724 #7,427
2013 modern 732 #7,479
2014 modern 751 #7,369
2015 modern 747 #7,327
2016 modern 736 #7,409

Geography

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Where Shortts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Woodhorn, London parishes, St James Clerkenwell, Gainsborough, Paddocks and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, Northumberland, Northampton, Helensburgh East and Stockport. 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 Woodhorn Northumberland
2 London parishes London 3
3 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
4 Gainsborough, Paddocks Lincolnshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 041 Manchester
2 Northumberland 012 Northumberland
3 Northampton 018 Northampton
4 Helensburgh East Argyll and Bute
5 Stockport 008 Stockport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Shortt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Shortt

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Shortt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Shortt household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shortt 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

Shortt 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

Shortt 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 Shortt is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Shortt, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Shortt

The surname Shortt originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English word "scort," meaning short or small in stature. This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was short in height.

The earliest known record of the name Shortt dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Scortus" in Oxfordshire. During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various forms, such as Shorte, Schort, and Shurte, due to the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

In the 13th century, the name Shortt was found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record of landowners and their properties. Several Shortt families were documented in this record, indicating their presence in the region.

One notable individual with the surname Shortt was Sir John Shortt, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived in the 15th century. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1471 and was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.

In the 16th century, the name Shortt appeared in the records of the Parish of Wokingham in Berkshire, where several families with this surname were documented. One significant figure from this time was Thomas Shortt, a renowned scholar and theologian who studied at Oxford University and later became the rector of Wokingham.

During the 17th century, the Shortt family had a strong presence in the county of Somerset, where they owned lands and properties. One notable member was William Shortt, born in 1632, who served as a justice of the peace and was a prominent figure in the local community.

In the 18th century, the name Shortt spread to other parts of England and even to Scotland. One notable individual was Robert Shortt, born in 1712 in Edinburgh, who was a renowned mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

Another notable figure from this period was Sir John Shortt, born in 1768 in Lincolnshire. He was a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded several honors for his bravery and leadership.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Shortt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shortt 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. Northumberland leads with 14 Shortts recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.54x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 14 8.54x
Lancashire 12 0.92x
Sussex 12 6.46x
Lanarkshire 11 3.09x
Middlesex 11 1.00x
Dumfriesshire 9 36.96x
Channel Islands 7 21.43x
Worcestershire 6 4.17x
Kent 5 1.33x
Surrey 5 0.93x
Cornwall 3 2.40x
Cheshire 2 0.82x
Derbyshire 2 1.16x
Devon 2 0.87x
Essex 2 0.92x
Inverness-shire 2 6.08x
Renfrewshire 2 2.34x
Bedfordshire 1 1.75x
Gloucestershire 1 0.46x
Isle of Man 1 4.89x
Midlothian 1 0.68x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.67x
Royal Navy 1 7.62x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Washington in Sussex leads with 12 Shortts recorded in 1881 and an index of 3750.00x.

Place Total Index
Washington 12 3750.00x
Bothwell 9 93.07x
Woodhorn Hirst 9 10000.00x
Dumfries 8 333.33x
Rusholme 7 200.57x
Kidderminster Borough 6 71.26x
St Peter Port 6 99.34x
Clapham 5 36.28x
Elswick 5 38.20x
Bethnal Green London 4 8.35x
Chatham 3 28.99x
Madron Penzance 3 66.08x
Chelsea London 2 6.02x
Chester St Oswald 2 45.35x
Derby St Peter 2 36.36x
Great Warley 2 408.16x
Hoghton 2 606.06x
Inverness 2 24.15x
Paisley High Church 2 29.41x
Plymouth Charles The 2 19.78x
Salford 2 5.20x
Bedford St Paul 1 25.58x
Carluke 1 30.86x
Hamilton 1 10.06x
Holywood 1 243.90x
Islington London 1 0.94x
Middle Temple London 1 2500.00x
Minster In Sheppey 1 16.05x
Newark Upon Trent 1 18.73x
Onchan 1 16.95x
Prestbury 1 185.19x
Royal Navy 1 8.90x
South Leith 1 6.02x
St George Hanover 1 6.95x
St Helen Bishopsgate 1 909.09x
St Martin In Fields 1 15.15x
St Michaelinthe Vale 1 85.47x
Walmer 1 61.35x
West Derby 1 2.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charles 5
John 5
George 4
Thomas 4
Edward 3
William 3
Francis 2
Henry 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Allen 1
Arthur 1
Frances 1
Geo.H. 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Jonathan 1
Peter 1
Raymond 1
Rushton 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1

FAQ

Shortt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shortt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Shortt surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shortt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 736 in 2016. That gives Shortt a modern rank of #7,409.

What does the Shortt surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a person of short stature or one who cuts or trims.

What does the Shortt map show?

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