UK surname
A locational surname derived from a place named Stapleton in England.
In the 1881 census there were 67 people recorded with the Stapelton surname, ranking it #24,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8, ranked #37,829, down from #24,104 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Wivenhoe, London parishes and Mearns. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stapelton is 151 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 88.1%.
1881 census count
67
Ranked #24,104
Modern count
8
2016, ranked #37,829
Peak year
1861
151 bearers
Map years
2
1851 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Stapelton surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Stapelton surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 130 | #14,314 |
| 1861 | historical | 151 | #15,209 |
| 1881 | historical | 67 | #24,104 |
| 1891 | historical | 59 | #29,325 |
| 1901 | historical | 66 | #26,794 |
| 1911 | historical | 21 | #31,179 |
| 1997 | modern | 13 | #36,672 |
| 1998 | modern | 16 | #36,361 |
| 1999 | modern | 17 | #36,261 |
| 2000 | modern | 15 | #36,425 |
| 2001 | modern | 13 | #36,483 |
| 2002 | modern | 14 | #36,484 |
| 2003 | modern | 17 | #36,198 |
| 2004 | modern | 16 | #36,439 |
| 2005 | modern | 13 | #36,833 |
| 2006 | modern | 9 | #37,345 |
| 2007 | modern | 8 | #37,572 |
| 2008 | modern | 9 | #37,473 |
| 2009 | modern | 10 | #37,446 |
| 2010 | modern | 11 | #37,411 |
| 2011 | modern | 11 | #37,397 |
| 2012 | modern | 11 | #37,394 |
| 2013 | modern | 10 | #37,539 |
| 2014 | modern | 9 | #37,679 |
| 2015 | modern | 8 | #37,797 |
| 2016 | modern | 8 | #37,829 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Wivenhoe, London parishes, Mearns, Ilkley and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wivenhoe | Essex |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | Mearns | Renfrew |
| 4 | Ilkley | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 5 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Stapelton surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Stapelton, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Stapelton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Stapelton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Stapelton is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Stapelton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Stapelton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Stapelton is of Anglo-Saxon origin and dates back to the 11th century. It is believed to have originated from the village of Stapleton in Shropshire, England. The name is derived from the Old English words "stapol" meaning post or pillar, and "tun" meaning enclosure or settlement.
Stapelton is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early record suggests that the name was already established in England during the Norman Conquest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Walter de Stapleton, who was born around 1261 in Stapleton, Shropshire. He served as a knight and held lands in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
In the 13th century, the Stapelton family played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence. Sir Miles Stapleton (c. 1285 - 1364) was a prominent military commander who fought alongside Edward I and Edward II against the Scots.
Another notable figure was Sir Brian Stapleton (c. 1366 - 1438), who served as treasurer to King Henry IV and was involved in suppressing the Lollard heresy.
During the 16th century, the Stapletons were established in County Durham, where they held the manor of Witton-le-Wear. Sir Robert Stapleton (1595 - 1669) was a Member of Parliament and a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, Thomas Stapleton (1696 - 1768) was a Catholic historian and controversialist who wrote extensively on the history of the Catholic Church in England.
The Stapelton surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Stapleton in Gloucestershire, Stapleton in Leicestershire, and Stapleton Hill in Bristol, which were likely named after early settlers with the surname.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stapelton surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 18 Stapeltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.78x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 18 | 2.78x |
| Middlesex | 12 | 1.84x |
| Norfolk | 11 | 10.95x |
| Surrey | 7 | 2.20x |
| Essex | 6 | 4.65x |
| Renfrewshire | 5 | 9.87x |
| Kent | 2 | 0.90x |
| Cornwall | 1 | 1.35x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 0.98x |
| Devon | 1 | 0.74x |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | 0.78x |
| Lancashire | 1 | 0.13x |
| Warwickshire | 1 | 0.61x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Langthorne in Yorkshire leads with 13 Stapeltons recorded in 1881 and an index of 43333.33x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Langthorne | 13 | 43333.33x |
| Burnham Thorpe | 10 | 12500.00x |
| Hackney London | 9 | 24.56x |
| Croydon | 7 | 39.59x |
| Woodford | 6 | 410.96x |
| Dewsbury | 5 | 75.30x |
| Mearns | 5 | 561.80x |
| Chatham | 2 | 32.63x |
| Kensington London | 2 | 5.51x |
| Aston | 1 | 2.20x |
| Bristol St Augustine | 1 | 48.31x |
| Budock | 1 | 178.57x |
| Burnham Sutton Cum Burnham | 1 | 1428.57x |
| Claylane | 1 | 70.42x |
| Heaton Norris | 1 | 22.68x |
| Northam | 1 | 101.01x |
| St Bartholomew Great | 1 | 169.49x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Stapelton surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Stapelton surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Stapelton households.
FAQ
In 1881, 67 people were recorded with the Stapelton surname. That placed it at #24,104 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 8 in 2016. That gives Stapelton a modern rank of #37,829.
A locational surname derived from a place named Stapleton in England.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Stapelton bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.