NameCensus.

UK surname

Spratling

A surname derived from the Old English word "spratling," meaning a small or insignificant person.

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Spratling surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 178, ranked #21,160, down from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hacconby (incl. Stainfield), London parishes and St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Kingston upon Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Spratling is 200 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 71.2%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

178

2016, ranked #21,160

Peak year

2002

200 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Spratling had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 178 in 2016, ranked #21,160.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 187 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Spratling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Spratling surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Spratling 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 59 #26,466
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 120 #21,292
1901 historical 138 #18,955
1911 historical 187 #15,600
1997 modern 190 #18,199
1998 modern 188 #18,796
1999 modern 190 #18,797
2000 modern 198 #18,330
2001 modern 194 #18,287
2002 modern 200 #18,294
2003 modern 191 #18,628
2004 modern 194 #18,566
2005 modern 189 #18,807
2006 modern 181 #19,466
2007 modern 178 #19,887
2008 modern 181 #19,875
2009 modern 178 #20,486
2010 modern 187 #20,309
2011 modern 189 #19,997
2012 modern 180 #20,606
2013 modern 184 #20,643
2014 modern 184 #20,809
2015 modern 182 #20,856
2016 modern 178 #21,160

Geography

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Where Spratlings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hacconby (incl. Stainfield), London parishes, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford, Ramsgate and Faversham, Ospring Liberty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and South Somerset. 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 Hacconby (incl. Stainfield) Lincolnshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)
4 Ramsgate Kent
5 Faversham, Ospring Liberty Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 008 Herefordshire, County of
2 Kingston upon Hull 004 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Kingston upon Hull 012 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 029 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 South Somerset 001 South Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Spratling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Spratling

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Spratling surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Spratling household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Spratling is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Spratling is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Spratling falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Spratling

The surname Spratling is believed to have originated in England, likely in the late medieval period or earlier. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "sprot" and "ling," which together formed "sprottling," meaning a small fish or herring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Spratling name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from 1292, where a Richard Spratling is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use in the late 13th century, potentially originating from a place name or occupation related to fishing or dealing in herring.

In the 14th century, the Spratling name can be found in several historical records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Worcestershire, which list a Walter Spratling. This indicates that the name had spread to various parts of England by this time.

The Spratling surname may also have connections to certain place names, such as Spratton in Northamptonshire, which could have influenced the name's development. However, the exact origins of the name remain somewhat uncertain.

Notable individuals with the Spratling surname throughout history include:

1. John Spratling (c. 1570-1640), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire in the early 17th century. 2. Thomas Spratling (1691-1768), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Hawridge in Buckinghamshire. 3. William Spratling (1809-1873), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London during the Victorian era. 4. Charles Spratling (1849-1927), an American entrepreneur and businessman who founded the Spratling Silver Company in Taxco, Mexico, known for its handcrafted silver jewelry. 5. William Buller Fagg Spratling (1900-1967), an American silversmith and designer who worked for his uncle Charles Spratling's silver company and later established his own successful business in Mexico.

While the Spratling name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and exploration in more recent centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Spratling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Spratling 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. Kent leads with 57 Spratlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.47x.

County Total Index
Kent 57 16.47x
Somerset 23 14.09x
Middlesex 9 0.89x
Lincolnshire 5 3.08x
Gloucestershire 3 1.51x
Surrey 3 0.61x
Yorkshire 2 0.20x
Norfolk 1 0.64x
Sussex 1 0.58x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bruton in Somerset leads with 15 Spratlings recorded in 1881 and an index of 2343.75x.

Place Total Index
Bruton 15 2343.75x
Faversham 13 393.94x
Buckland In Dover 9 782.61x
Ramsgate 9 159.29x
Deptford St Paul 7 26.23x
Pitcombe 5 3333.33x
Deal 4 135.59x
Kensington London 4 7.09x
Sandwich St Clement 3 1034.48x
Skidbrook 3 2142.86x
Boston 2 40.65x
Bristol St George 2 21.74x
Erith 2 58.65x
Harrow On The Hill 2 98.52x
Minster In Sheppey 2 34.90x
North Brewham 2 2500.00x
Brighton 1 2.90x
Bristol St Paul In 1 18.87x
Bromley London 1 4.48x
Canterbury St George 1 238.10x
Charlton 1 43.48x
Chartham 1 116.28x
Croydon 1 3.65x
Great Yarmouth 1 7.74x
Hipperholme Cum 1 22.62x
Horton In Bradford 1 6.37x
Maidstone 1 9.70x
Margate St John Baptist 1 15.77x
Paddington London 1 2.68x
Putney 1 21.65x
Reigate Foreign 1 18.69x
Sandwich St Peter 1 277.78x
South Brewham 1 833.33x
St Pancras London 1 1.22x
Tenterden 1 81.97x
Tonbridge 1 8.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Sarah 5
Emily 4
Emma 4
Jane 4
Elizabeth 3
Ada 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Harriett 2
Louisa 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Arthur 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Dorcas 1
Elizth. 1
Fannie 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Jessey 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Mable 1
Manest 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Spratling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Spratling surname in 1881?

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

How common is the Spratling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 178 in 2016. That gives Spratling a modern rank of #21,160.

What does the Spratling surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "spratling," meaning a small or insignificant person.

What does the Spratling map show?

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