NameCensus.

UK surname

Spotswood

A locational surname referring to someone from a wooded or forested place called Spotswood.

In the 1881 census there were 96 people recorded with the Spotswood surname, ranking it #20,248 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 134, ranked #25,636, down from #20,248 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ryton, Manchester and Alston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, Doncaster and Chesterfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spotswood is 159 in 2005. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.6%.

1881 census count

96

Ranked #20,248

Modern count

134

2016, ranked #25,636

Peak year

2005

159 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spotswood had 96 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,248 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016, ranked #25,636.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 155 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Spotswood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spotswood surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spotswood 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 62 #22,232
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 96 #20,248
1891 historical 155 #17,920
1901 historical 140 #18,795
1911 historical 149 #17,937
1997 modern 152 #20,948
1998 modern 152 #21,481
1999 modern 152 #21,636
2000 modern 153 #21,520
2001 modern 153 #21,197
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 156 #21,115
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 159 #20,983
2006 modern 150 #21,915
2007 modern 149 #22,318
2008 modern 146 #22,822
2009 modern 147 #23,248
2010 modern 151 #23,377
2011 modern 143 #24,056
2012 modern 144 #23,902
2013 modern 149 #23,765
2014 modern 142 #24,734
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 134 #25,636

Geography

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Where Spotswoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ryton, Manchester, Alston, Dalton-in-Furness and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield, Doncaster and Chesterfield. 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 Ryton Durham
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Alston Cumberland
4 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 048 Sheffield
2 Doncaster 039 Doncaster
3 Sheffield 062 Sheffield
4 Chesterfield 011 Chesterfield
5 Sheffield 075 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spotswood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spotswood

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Spotswood surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Spotswood household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Spotswood 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

Spotswood 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

Spotswood 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 Spotswood 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 Spotswood, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Spotswood

The surname Spotswood has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from a place name, likely a combination of the Old English words "spott," meaning "spot" or "place," and "wudu," meaning "wood." This suggests that the name may have referred to a specific spot or location within a forested area.

Early records of the name can be found in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Spotteswode." Other similar spellings from that time period include "Spotteswood" and "Spottiswode."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Robert Spotswood, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the 14th century. He is mentioned in several Scottish chronicles from the late 1300s and is believed to have played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Another notable figure was John Spotswood, who was born in 1565 and served as the Archbishop of St. Andrews and Lord Chancellor of Scotland in the early 17th century. He was a prominent figure during the reign of King James VI of Scotland and was involved in the Scottish Reformation.

In the late 16th century, the Spotswood family established themselves in Virginia, where they became prominent landowners and planters. One of the most famous members of this branch was Alexander Spotswood, who was born in 1676 and served as the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1710 to 1722. He is credited with leading an expedition across the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1716, which opened up new territories for settlement.

Another notable individual was John Spotswood, born in 1753, who was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and a delegate to the Continental Congress during the American Revolutionary War.

The name Spotswood has also been associated with several place names, including Spotswood, New Jersey, which was named after Alexander Spotswood, the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Additionally, there is a Spotswood Trail in Virginia, which follows part of the route taken by Alexander Spotswood's expedition in 1716.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spotswood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spotswood 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. Yorkshire leads with 59 Spotswoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.29x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 59 6.29x
Lancashire 12 1.07x
Durham 8 2.84x
Glamorgan 4 2.43x
Middlesex 4 0.42x
Midlothian 3 2.37x
Northumberland 3 2.13x
Dumfriesshire 2 9.57x
Cumberland 1 1.23x
Royal Navy 1 8.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 44 Spotswoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 147.45x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 44 147.45x
Catcliffe 8 6153.85x
Winlaton 7 259.26x
Barrow In Furness 6 39.29x
Grimston In Helmsley 6 30000.00x
Merthyr Tydfil 4 25.27x
Poplar London 4 22.41x
Harpurhey 3 192.31x
Lasswade 3 103.45x
Toxteth Park 3 7.89x
Langholm 2 133.33x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 5.24x
Elswick 1 8.90x
Haltwhistle 1 147.06x
Lambley 1 434.78x
Royal Navy 1 10.37x
Thursby 1 588.24x
Whickham 1 38.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 5
Jane 4
Annie 3
Ann 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Harriet 2
Margaret 2
Rose 2
Sarah 2
Amelia 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Hannah 1
Kate 1
Letitia 1
Lucy 1
Martha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 7
John 7
George 5
Thomas 5
Robert 4
Arthur 2
William 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jonathan 1
Joseph 1
Maurice 1
Peter 1
Sam. 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Spotswood households.

FAQ

Spotswood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spotswood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 96 people were recorded with the Spotswood surname. That placed it at #20,248 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Spotswood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 134 in 2016. That gives Spotswood a modern rank of #25,636.

What does the Spotswood surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a wooded or forested place called Spotswood.

What does the Spotswood map show?

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