NameCensus.

UK surname

Slater

An occupational surname referring to someone who splits slate, a fine-grained metamorphic rock, for use in construction.

In the 1881 census there were 18,151 people recorded with the Slater surname, ranking it #206 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 23,707, ranked #249, down from #206 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty, Drybridge and Berryhillock, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Slater is 24,811 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.6%.

1881 census count

18,151

Ranked #206

Modern count

23,707

2016, ranked #249

Peak year

1999

24,811 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Slater had 18,151 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #206 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 23,707 in 2016, ranked #249.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 22,883 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Slater surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Slater surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Slater 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 11,436 #216
1861 historical 10,143 #255
1881 historical 18,151 #206
1891 historical 18,480 #211
1901 historical 22,538 #210
1911 historical 22,883 #189
1997 modern 23,829 #232
1998 modern 24,629 #234
1999 modern 24,811 #234
2000 modern 24,522 #238
2001 modern 23,895 #238
2002 modern 24,438 #237
2003 modern 23,804 #237
2004 modern 23,882 #235
2005 modern 23,375 #238
2006 modern 23,182 #240
2007 modern 23,288 #242
2008 modern 23,371 #244
2009 modern 23,913 #245
2010 modern 24,275 #247
2011 modern 23,879 #247
2012 modern 23,417 #249
2013 modern 23,999 #247
2014 modern 24,128 #249
2015 modern 23,885 #247
2016 modern 23,707 #249

Geography

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Where Slaters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Preston, Sheffield and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty, Drybridge and Berryhillock, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Blackburn with Darwen and Preston. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty, Drybridge and Berryhillock Moray
2 Hyndburn 001 Hyndburn
3 Ribble Valley 004 Ribble Valley
4 Blackburn with Darwen 009 Blackburn with Darwen
5 Preston 001 Preston

Forenames

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First names often paired with Slater

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Slater

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

Slater 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

Slater falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Slater

The surname Slater has its origins in England, emerging in the late 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "slat," which referred to a flat piece of wood or slate used for roofing. Slaters were skilled tradespeople responsible for installing and repairing slate roofs.

The earliest known record of the surname Slater dates back to 1199 in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. In these ancient tax records, a person named William le Slater is mentioned, indicating the presence of the occupation and surname at that time. The prefix "le" was commonly used in medieval times to denote a person's profession or occupation.

As the name spread across England, various spellings emerged, including Slatter, Sclater, and Sklater. These variations can be found in historical documents and records from different regions. One notable example is the mention of a John Slater in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

The name Slater is also associated with certain place names, such as Slaterfield in Cumbria and Slater's Bridge in Gloucestershire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Slater who lived or worked in those areas.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Slater:

1. John Slater (c. 1776-1837), an English industrialist and inventor known for his contributions to the textile industry. 2. Samuel Slater (1768-1835), an English-born entrepreneur often referred to as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution" for his role in establishing the cotton industry in the United States. 3. John Fox Slater (1815-1884), an American philanthropist and industrialist who established the Slater Fund to support education for freedmen and their descendants. 4. Henry Hohn Slater (c. 1766-1845), an English engraver and illustrator known for his work on natural history publications. 5. William Slater (c. 1611-1646), an English soldier and parliamentarian during the English Civil War, known for his involvement in the siege of Gloucester in 1643.

These examples demonstrate the historical significance and prevalence of the surname Slater, which can be traced back to its occupational roots in medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Slater families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Slater 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. Lancashire leads with 4,768 Slaters recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.27x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 4,768 2.27x
Yorkshire 2,891 1.65x
Staffordshire 1,481 2.48x
Middlesex 1,268 0.72x
Derbyshire 1,236 4.46x
Cheshire 749 1.92x
Durham 508 0.97x
Surrey 479 0.56x
Warwickshire 426 0.96x
Nottinghamshire 342 1.43x
Northumberland 320 1.22x
Worcestershire 293 1.27x
Kent 290 0.48x
Sussex 249 0.84x
Lincolnshire 203 0.72x
Leicestershire 164 0.84x
Midlothian 163 0.69x
Lanarkshire 160 0.28x
Northamptonshire 160 0.96x
Banffshire 154 4.20x
Orkney 153 7.86x
Hampshire 112 0.31x
Cumberland 99 0.65x
Essex 97 0.28x
Hertfordshire 78 0.64x
Renfrewshire 76 0.55x
Norfolk 73 0.27x
Morayshire 68 2.47x
Suffolk 67 0.31x
Bedfordshire 59 0.64x
Buckinghamshire 59 0.55x
Somerset 57 0.20x
Devon 53 0.14x
Shropshire 53 0.35x
Gloucestershire 52 0.15x
Shetland 52 2.88x
Oxfordshire 48 0.44x
Westmorland 45 1.16x
Cambridgeshire 43 0.38x
Berkshire 42 0.32x
Aberdeenshire 38 0.23x
Perthshire 35 0.44x
Kirkcudbrightshire 31 1.21x
Huntingdonshire 23 0.65x
Glamorgan 22 0.07x
Ayrshire 21 0.16x
Berwickshire 21 0.98x
Fife 21 0.20x
Angus 20 0.12x
Roxburghshire 20 0.62x
Caithness 14 0.58x
Rutland 14 1.08x
Wiltshire 14 0.09x
Selkirkshire 13 0.81x
Inverness-shire 10 0.19x
Ross-shire 10 0.21x
Caernarfonshire 9 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.12x
Dunbartonshire 9 0.19x
Herefordshire 9 0.12x
Dorset 8 0.07x
Sutherland 8 0.59x
Peeblesshire 7 0.84x
Royal Navy 7 0.33x
Stirlingshire 7 0.11x
East Lothian 6 0.26x
Flintshire 6 0.13x
Anglesey 4 0.13x
Isle of Man 4 0.12x
Channel Islands 3 0.06x
Denbighshire 3 0.04x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.08x
Argyllshire 2 0.04x
Monmouthshire 2 0.02x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.04x
Brecknockshire 1 0.03x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.07x
Kincardineshire 1 0.05x
Radnorshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 469 Slaters recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.40x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 469 8.40x
Preston 260 4.63x
Ashton Under Lyne 259 5.65x
Oldham 252 3.72x
Stoke Upon Trent 200 3.16x
Leeds 167 1.69x
Bethnal Green London 154 2.00x
Birmingham 151 1.02x
Aston 148 1.21x
Manchester 144 1.53x
Sedgley 130 5.86x
Hackney London 118 1.19x
St Pancras London 114 0.80x
Accrington 106 5.56x
Sheffield 103 1.85x
Burnley 100 5.66x
Islington London 100 0.58x
Lambeth 98 0.64x
Liverpool 95 0.75x
Nottingham St Mary 95 1.54x
Rathven 94 13.64x
Wednesbury 94 6.30x
Rowley Regis 92 5.53x
Yeadon 92 23.25x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 90 0.94x
Hyde 90 7.81x
Salford 89 1.44x
Westoe 89 2.98x
Keighley 88 4.71x
Barrow In Furness 81 2.84x
Toxteth Park 79 1.11x
Burton Upon Trent 78 5.58x
Bradford 73 1.72x
Pendleton In Salford 72 2.88x
Barnoldswick 69 28.20x
Newington 68 1.04x
Brighton 66 1.10x
Alfreton 65 7.73x
Brightside Bierlow 65 1.89x
Dalton In Furness 65 8.02x
Govan 65 0.46x
Harborne 64 3.34x
Ecclesall Bierlow 63 1.77x
West Bromwich 63 1.84x
Chorley 62 5.26x
Over Darwen 62 3.70x
Rishton 62 25.19x
Habergham Eaves 61 3.18x
Hulme 61 1.39x
Matlock 61 16.41x
Walton Le Dale 61 10.82x
Great Bolton 60 2.16x
Litchurch 59 5.29x
West Derby 59 0.96x
Dudley 58 2.07x
Shoreditch London 57 0.74x
Walsall Foreign 57 1.85x
Macclesfield 53 3.05x
Wolverhampton 53 1.15x
Derby St Werburgh 52 3.25x
Kensington London 52 0.53x
Derby St Peter 51 5.78x
Gateshead 51 1.29x
Great Harwood 51 13.44x
Great Little Marsden 51 5.30x
Saddleworth 51 3.77x
Kingswinford 50 2.31x
Everton 49 0.73x
Chorlton On Medlock 47 1.41x
Congleton 47 6.97x
Lady 47 81.54x
Little Bolton 47 1.74x
Bingley 46 4.12x
Mile End Old Town 46 1.65x
Stockport 46 2.29x
Burslem 44 2.57x
Deptford St Paul 44 0.95x
Lewisham 44 1.37x
Manningham 44 2.04x
Hunslet 43 1.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,305
Elizabeth 691
Sarah 648
Ann 400
Jane 378
Hannah 297
Alice 296
Ellen 290
Emma 253
Eliza 236
Margaret 231
Annie 215
Martha 200
Emily 143
Maria 111
Harriet 108
Fanny 96
Edith 93
Catherine 80
Ada 79
Clara 75
Isabella 74
Charlotte 71
Florence 66
Louisa 61
Agnes 60
Caroline 58
Lucy 57
Esther 55
Frances 54
Anne 53
Kate 49
Harriett 47
Susan 45
Rebecca 42
Minnie 39
Nancy 38
Amelia 37
Elizth. 36
Julia 34
Susannah 32
Rose 30
Betsy 29
Amy 28
Gertrude 28
Matilda 28
Betty 27
Grace 26
Ruth 26
Lydia 24

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,110
William 1,059
Thomas 661
James 576
George 525
Joseph 394
Henry 306
Charles 240
Robert 194
Samuel 192
Edward 178
Alfred 152
Richard 141
Arthur 137
Frederick 104
Albert 103
Walter 97
Harry 88
Herbert 75
Frank 62
Ernest 56
Wm. 55
David 53
Francis 53
Benjamin 52
Edwin 49
Daniel 43
Fred 43
Thos. 42
Isaac 39
Tom 33
Ralph 30
Abraham 29
Peter 29
Matthew 28
Andrew 27
Christopher 24
Stephen 24
Joshua 20
Geo. 18
Jonathan 18
Michael 18
Percy 18
Josiah 16
Leonard 16
Philip 16
Jno. 15
Job 15
Mark 15
Alexander 13

FAQ

Slater surname: questions and answers

How common was the Slater surname in 1881?

In 1881, 18,151 people were recorded with the Slater surname. That placed it at #206 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Slater surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 23,707 in 2016. That gives Slater a modern rank of #249.

What does the Slater surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who splits slate, a fine-grained metamorphic rock, for use in construction.

What does the Slater map show?

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