NameCensus.

UK surname

Souter

A surname derived from a Scottish dialect word for a shoemaker or cobbler.

In the 1881 census there were 1,649 people recorded with the Souter surname, ranking it #2,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,283, ranked #2,843, down from #2,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Arbroath and St. Vigeans and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lossiemouth East and Seatown, Lossiemouth West and Eden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Souter is 2,349 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.4%.

1881 census count

1,649

Ranked #2,602

Modern count

2,283

2016, ranked #2,843

Peak year

2010

2,349 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Souter had 1,649 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,283 in 2016, ranked #2,843.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,849 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Souter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Souter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Souter 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 1,122 #2,511
1861 historical 1,206 #2,352
1881 historical 1,649 #2,602
1891 historical 1,604 #2,777
1901 historical 1,849 #2,842
1911 historical 944 #4,767
1997 modern 2,210 #2,807
1998 modern 2,269 #2,842
1999 modern 2,307 #2,820
2000 modern 2,274 #2,841
2001 modern 2,225 #2,843
2002 modern 2,270 #2,842
2003 modern 2,225 #2,835
2004 modern 2,254 #2,798
2005 modern 2,244 #2,780
2006 modern 2,224 #2,807
2007 modern 2,253 #2,789
2008 modern 2,245 #2,830
2009 modern 2,295 #2,842
2010 modern 2,349 #2,841
2011 modern 2,311 #2,847
2012 modern 2,241 #2,877
2013 modern 2,314 #2,840
2014 modern 2,324 #2,843
2015 modern 2,289 #2,848
2016 modern 2,283 #2,843

Geography

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Where Souters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lossiemouth East and Seatown, Lossiemouth West, Eden, Adur and Tendring. 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 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lossiemouth East and Seatown Moray
2 Lossiemouth West Moray
3 Eden 007 Eden
4 Adur 008 Adur
5 Tendring 011 Tendring

Forenames

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First names often paired with Souter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Souter

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Souter, 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 Souter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Souter 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Souter is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Souter is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Souter falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Souter

The surname Souter is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "sutere," meaning a shoemaker or cobbler. It first appeared in the 12th century during the Norman period in England.

The name is believed to have originated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where the shoemaking trade was prominent. The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1170, where it appears as "Sutor."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William le Souter, who was documented in the Assize Rolls of Warwickshire in 1221. Another early record is of John Souter, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

In the 14th century, the name was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Soutar" or "Souttar." A notable bearer of the name from this period was John Soutar, a burgess of Perth, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1369.

During the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Suter," "Sootter," and "Sowter." One of the most notable figures with this surname was John Souter, a Scottish Protestant reformer and writer, who lived from around 1515 to 1572.

In the 17th century, the name was recorded in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire, where a family bearing the Souter surname held land in the village of Somerby. Another notable figure was William Souter, a Scottish minister and author, who lived from 1658 to 1719.

In the 18th century, the name continued to be found in both England and Scotland. One of the most prominent individuals with this surname was Sir Thomas Souter, a Scottish merchant and Lord Provost of Edinburgh, who lived from 1701 to 1766.

Throughout history, the Souter surname has been borne by several notable individuals, including Sir George Souter, a British army officer and colonial administrator in India, who lived from 1834 to 1920, and David Souter, an American lawyer and former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, born in 1939.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Souter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Souter 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 228 Souters recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.51x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 228 15.51x
Angus 175 11.90x
Morayshire 165 66.91x
Middlesex 128 0.81x
Durham 111 2.35x
Lanarkshire 82 1.60x
Surrey 69 0.89x
Midlothian 64 3.01x
Sussex 62 2.32x
Lancashire 61 0.32x
Yorkshire 59 0.38x
Cheshire 55 1.57x
Hampshire 40 1.23x
Ross-shire 39 8.95x
Kincardineshire 32 16.56x
Leicestershire 26 1.48x
Suffolk 23 1.19x
Derbyshire 22 0.89x
Fife 22 2.34x
Banffshire 21 6.38x
Kent 17 0.31x
Perthshire 16 2.25x
Staffordshire 14 0.26x
Cambridgeshire 12 1.19x
Essex 12 0.38x
East Lothian 10 4.76x
Norfolk 10 0.41x
Sutherland 8 6.56x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.33x
Inverness-shire 5 1.05x
Northumberland 4 0.17x
Renfrewshire 4 0.33x
Lincolnshire 3 0.12x
Nairnshire 3 6.19x
Royal Navy 3 1.59x
Berkshire 2 0.17x
Devon 2 0.06x
West Lothian 2 0.84x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.76x
Cumberland 1 0.07x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.29x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.23x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.09x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.32x
Kinross-shire 1 2.49x
Stirlingshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Drainie in Morayshire leads with 89 Souters recorded in 1881 and an index of 407.32x.

Place Total Index
Drainie 89 407.32x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 33 12.00x
Bishopwearmouth 32 7.90x
Dundee 31 5.65x
Barony 30 2.31x
Govan 28 2.21x
Auchindoir Kearn 27 327.27x
Kildrummy 27 752.09x
Benholm 26 313.25x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 26 3.04x
St Vigeans 26 32.76x
Premnay 23 455.45x
Aberdeen Old Machar 22 7.17x
Battersea 21 3.60x
Liff Benvie 21 9.41x
Kiltearn 19 295.95x
St Pancras London 19 1.49x
Alves 17 277.78x
Forfar 17 21.35x
St Marylebone London 17 2.01x
Syston 17 103.22x
Duffus 16 73.63x
Glasgow 16 1.76x
Montrose 16 17.96x
Elgin 15 31.27x
Forres 15 57.87x
Cockfield 14 276.13x
Islington London 14 0.91x
Levenshulme 14 72.24x
Bramhall 13 89.59x
Camberwell 13 1.28x
Avoch 12 130.43x
South Leith 12 5.02x
St Andrewthe Great 12 92.31x
Cabrach 11 296.50x
Hyde 11 10.64x
Monymusk 11 174.60x
Pownall Fee 11 70.20x
Barry 10 56.66x
Brighton 10 1.85x
Bromley London 10 2.86x
Gateshead 10 2.83x
Great Bolton 10 4.01x
Kirkden 10 108.70x
Lambeth 10 0.72x
New Deer 10 37.58x
Thornaby 10 17.02x
Berwick North 9 61.14x
Brandon 9 68.65x
Cortachy 9 491.80x
Glass 9 160.43x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 9 4.40x
Perth East Church 9 13.40x
Rayne 9 128.94x
Tottenham 9 3.56x
Arbroath 8 16.42x
Castleton 8 4.25x
Hammersmith London 8 2.05x
Mains 8 64.00x
Sale 8 18.61x
Ballingry 7 120.69x
Brading 7 16.19x
Deptford St Paul 7 1.68x
Dover St Mary Virgin 7 13.36x
Easington In Guisbrough 7 200.00x
Holbrook 7 125.45x
Hove 7 5.96x
Hutton Rudby 7 148.94x
Leicester St Margaret 7 1.63x
Paddington London 7 1.20x
Shoreditch London 7 1.02x
South Shields 7 16.64x
Southampton St Mary 7 3.42x
Syleham 7 460.53x
Westoe 7 2.62x
Kennethmont 6 109.89x
Kensington London 6 0.68x
Stockton On Tees 6 2.64x
Tyrie 6 32.52x
Whittington 6 17.45x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 57
John 42
James 26
George 24
Charles 20
Thomas 19
Robert 12
Edward 9
Joseph 9
Alfred 8
Henry 8
Arthur 7
Frederick 7
Harry 6
Albert 5
David 5
Samuel 5
Andrew 4
Edwin 4
Ernest 4
Herbert 4
Peter 4
Richard 4
Walter 4
Frank 3
Geo. 3
Jonathan 3
Percy 3
Alexander 2
Benjamin 2
Francis 2
Gabriel 2
Gervis 2
Leonard 2
Arth. 1
Chas. 1
Chas.A. 1
Christopher 1
Clement 1
Elliott 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Geo.W. 1
Hy. 1
Ira 1
Isaac 1
Jessie 1
Lawrence 1
Martin 1

FAQ

Souter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Souter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,649 people were recorded with the Souter surname. That placed it at #2,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Souter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,283 in 2016. That gives Souter a modern rank of #2,843.

What does the Souter surname mean?

A surname derived from a Scottish dialect word for a shoemaker or cobbler.

What does the Souter map show?

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