NameCensus.

UK surname

Soutter

A surname likely of English origin referring to someone who kept the town's animals.

In the 1881 census there were 297 people recorded with the Soutter surname, ranking it #9,792 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 296, ranked #14,882, down from #9,792 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Arran, West Berkshire and Cotswold.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Soutter is 325 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.3%.

1881 census count

297

Ranked #9,792

Modern count

296

2016, ranked #14,882

Peak year

1891

325 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Soutter had 297 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,792 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 296 in 2016, ranked #14,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 325 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Soutter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Soutter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Soutter 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 199 #10,441
1861 historical 277 #9,025
1881 historical 297 #9,792
1891 historical 325 #10,426
1901 historical 277 #12,281
1911 historical 156 #17,421
1997 modern 280 #14,136
1998 modern 284 #14,402
1999 modern 312 #13,615
2000 modern 291 #14,200
2001 modern 283 #14,247
2002 modern 287 #14,402
2003 modern 278 #14,540
2004 modern 292 #14,109
2005 modern 301 #13,812
2006 modern 304 #13,797
2007 modern 303 #13,965
2008 modern 296 #14,275
2009 modern 309 #14,135
2010 modern 307 #14,485
2011 modern 298 #14,666
2012 modern 282 #15,158
2013 modern 285 #15,313
2014 modern 295 #15,020
2015 modern 292 #15,046
2016 modern 296 #14,882

Geography

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Where Soutters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Heydon or Hedon and Brechin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Arran, West Berkshire, Cotswold, Southwark and Enfield. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Heydon or Hedon Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Brechin Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Arran North Ayrshire
2 West Berkshire 022 West Berkshire
3 Cotswold 006 Cotswold
4 Southwark 008 Southwark
5 Enfield 021 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Soutter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Soutter

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Soutter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Soutter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Soutter 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

Soutter 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

Soutter 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 Soutter 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Soutter

The surname Soutter has its origins in France, tracing back to the early 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "soutere," which means shoemaker or cobbler. In those times, surnames were often derived from occupations, and it is likely that the name Soutter was initially given to someone who practiced the trade of shoemaking.

The name Soutter first appeared in the historical records of the Normandy region of France. It is documented in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, which recorded the names of landowners and tenants in England at the time of the Norman conquest. This suggests that individuals with the surname Soutter had migrated from Normandy to England during that period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Soutter can be found in the rolls of the Battell Abbey in Sussex, England, where a certain John Soutter is mentioned as a tenant in 1187. In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Soutere, Soutier, and Souter, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that era.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Soutter. One such figure was Sir John Soutter (1610-1677), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for East Grinstead in the 17th century. Another was James Soutter (1754-1822), a Scottish inventor and engineer who is credited with developing an early form of the spinning mule, a machine used in the textile industry.

In the 19th century, the name Soutter gained prominence with the birth of George Soutter (1855-1934), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who founded the Soutter Charitable Trust, which supported various educational and charitable initiatives in Scotland. Another notable individual was Robert Soutter (1847-1917), a British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Manchester Royal Infirmary.

A more recent figure was Edouard Soutter (1899-1976), a Swiss businessman and industrialist who founded the Soutter Company, a manufacturer of air compressors and pneumatic tools. His contributions to the development of industrial equipment have left a lasting impact on the manufacturing sector.

While the surname Soutter originated in France and gained prominence in England and Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from politics and business to engineering and architecture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Soutter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Soutter 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 54 Soutters recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.13x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 54 20.13x
Midlothian 39 10.05x
Angus 35 13.04x
Middlesex 27 0.93x
Surrey 24 1.70x
Lanarkshire 14 1.49x
Yorkshire 13 0.45x
Sussex 12 2.46x
East Lothian 10 26.06x
Fife 10 5.83x
Lancashire 10 0.29x
Staffordshire 8 0.82x
Durham 6 0.70x
Kincardineshire 6 17.01x
Nairnshire 6 67.87x
Kent 5 0.51x
Lincolnshire 3 0.65x
Perthshire 3 2.31x
Banffshire 2 3.33x
Derbyshire 2 0.44x
Dumfriesshire 2 3.13x
Devon 1 0.17x
Hertfordshire 1 0.50x
Norfolk 1 0.22x
Northamptonshire 1 0.37x
Selkirkshire 1 3.82x
Stirlingshire 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brechin in Angus leads with 32 Soutters recorded in 1881 and an index of 303.32x.

Place Total Index
Brechin 32 303.32x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 29 18.57x
Aberdeen Old Machar 22 39.27x
Peterhead 16 112.76x
Brighton 10 10.15x
Everton 10 9.13x
Great Barr 8 714.29x
Hornsey 7 19.10x
Barony 6 2.53x
Camberwell 6 3.24x
Cawdor 6 555.56x
Haddington 6 106.01x
Old Deer 6 118.11x
Wemyss 6 82.64x
Bervie 5 239.23x
Hackney London 5 3.08x
Lambeth 5 1.98x
Rotherhithe 5 13.97x
Bow London 4 10.85x
Edinburgh St Georges 4 49.69x
Hamilton 4 15.31x
Kirkcaldy 4 47.00x
Tranent 4 77.22x
Weybridge 4 132.01x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 3 5.98x
Drumoak 3 326.09x
Dundee 3 2.99x
Echt 3 232.56x
Edinburgh High Church 3 122.95x
Hedon 3 312.50x
Humbleton Flinton 3 750.00x
Malden 3 810.81x
Pollards Land 3 491.80x
St Marylebone London 3 1.94x
St Pancras London 3 1.29x
Tonbridge 3 8.42x
Aiskew 2 243.90x
Beverley St Mary 2 47.73x
Dryfesdale 2 67.80x
Edinburgh Tolbooth 2 88.50x
Glasgow 2 1.20x
Great Grimsby 2 6.80x
Islington London 2 0.71x
Lewisham 2 3.79x
Sculcoates 2 4.39x
Shardlow 2 232.56x
St Fergus 2 131.58x
Thakeham 2 370.37x
Ashby Puerorum 1 666.67x
Ashford 1 43.67x
Aynho 1 178.57x
Bradbury 1 526.32x
Chelsea London 1 1.15x
Chipping Barnet 1 28.65x
Colinton 1 23.09x
Croydon 1 1.28x
Egglescliffe 1 153.85x
Falkirk 1 4.00x
Fetteresso 1 18.08x
Fraserburgh 1 13.25x
Galashiels 1 10.32x
Gorbals 1 17.99x
Govan 1 0.43x
Kensington London 1 0.62x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 43.48x
Logie 1 21.46x
Muckhart 1 166.67x
Perth East Church 1 8.16x
Stockton On Tees 1 2.41x
Tiverton 1 9.62x
West Lynn 1 175.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 5
Annie 4
Mary 4
Isabella 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Charrotte 2
Elizabeth 2
Isabelle 2
Margaret 2
Ann 1
Arabella 1
Beatrice 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Christina 1
Daisy 1
Edith 1
Eleanoir 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Isobel 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Selina 1
Sylvia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 9
John 9
William 7
George 3
Alexander 2
Ernest 2
Howard 2
Maresfield 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Benjaman 1
Charles 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Giffon 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Mansfield 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Soutter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Soutter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 297 people were recorded with the Soutter surname. That placed it at #9,792 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Soutter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 296 in 2016. That gives Soutter a modern rank of #14,882.

What does the Soutter surname mean?

A surname likely of English origin referring to someone who kept the town's animals.

What does the Soutter map show?

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