NameCensus.

UK surname

Stobart

An English surname derived from 'Stowbottom', referring to a place name in Cumbria, England.

In the 1881 census there were 564 people recorded with the Stobart surname, ranking it #6,143 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 618, ranked #8,511, down from #6,143 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Allendale and Darlington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Eden and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stobart is 772 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.6%.

1881 census count

564

Ranked #6,143

Modern count

618

2016, ranked #8,511

Peak year

1901

772 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stobart had 564 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,143 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 618 in 2016, ranked #8,511.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 772 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Stobart surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stobart surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stobart 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 382 #6,266
1861 historical 332 #7,673
1881 historical 564 #6,143
1891 historical 653 #5,944
1901 historical 772 #5,804
1911 historical 763 #5,670
1997 modern 597 #8,177
1998 modern 631 #8,095
1999 modern 609 #8,362
2000 modern 621 #8,225
2001 modern 630 #7,972
2002 modern 636 #8,107
2003 modern 631 #8,001
2004 modern 627 #8,061
2005 modern 636 #7,906
2006 modern 618 #8,102
2007 modern 622 #8,126
2008 modern 601 #8,406
2009 modern 628 #8,299
2010 modern 647 #8,273
2011 modern 646 #8,196
2012 modern 616 #8,423
2013 modern 623 #8,492
2014 modern 631 #8,442
2015 modern 622 #8,481
2016 modern 618 #8,511

Geography

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Where Stobarts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Allendale, Darlington, London parishes and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Eden, Carlisle and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Allendale Northumberland
3 Darlington Durham
4 London parishes London 3
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 002 Allerdale
2 Eden 002 Eden
3 Carlisle 013 Carlisle
4 Newcastle upon Tyne 014 Newcastle upon Tyne
5 Carlisle 007 Carlisle

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stobart

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stobart

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Stobart is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stobart is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Stobart

The surname Stobart has its origins in the northern counties of England, particularly in Northumberland and County Durham. It likely derives from the Old English words "stob" or "stubb," meaning a tree stump or a cleared area of land, and "ort," referring to a promontory or projecting ridge of land. This suggests that the name may have originally been applied to someone living near a cleared area on a ridge or promontory.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1195, where a Richard Stobbard is mentioned. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also list a John Stubbard in County Durham. These early spellings demonstrate the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

The Stobart surname appears to have been particularly prevalent in the village of Stobbart, located near the town of Warkworth in Northumberland. This place name, which shares a similar origin to the surname, is recorded as early as 1242 in the Testa de Nevill.

One notable bearer of the Stobart name was Sir Ralph Stobart (c. 1585-1659), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Northumberland. He served as the Sheriff of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1631 and was knighted by King Charles I in 1633.

Another prominent individual was William Stobart (1667-1737), an English clergyman and author who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from 1718 until his death.

In the 18th century, there was John Stobart (1744-1836), a noted portrait painter from Northumberland who achieved great success in London and became a member of the Royal Academy.

Moving into the 19th century, John Stobart (1830-1899) was a successful shipbuilder and industrialist from Sunderland. He established the Sunderland Shipbuilding Company, which became one of the largest shipyards on the River Wear.

Lastly, Edward Stobart (1856-1938) was a notable figure in the transportation industry. He founded the Stobart Group, a haulage and logistics company based in Cumbria, which grew to become one of the largest trucking firms in the United Kingdom.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stobart families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stobart 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. Northumberland leads with 206 Stobarts recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.12x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 206 25.12x
Durham 180 10.98x
Yorkshire 108 1.98x
Cumberland 13 2.74x
Surrey 13 0.48x
Kent 10 0.53x
Northamptonshire 10 1.93x
Essex 6 0.55x
Lancashire 5 0.08x
Hampshire 3 0.27x
Sussex 3 0.32x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.60x
Gloucestershire 2 0.19x
Derbyshire 1 0.12x
Middlesex 1 0.02x
Monmouthshire 1 0.25x
Royal Navy 1 1.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Haydon in Northumberland leads with 28 Stobarts recorded in 1881 and an index of 625.00x.

Place Total Index
Haydon 28 625.00x
Bowling 22 40.67x
Mickley 21 810.81x
Gateshead 20 16.29x
North Bierley 14 47.47x
Darlington 13 20.53x
Heddon On Wall 13 1300.00x
Hexham 13 102.44x
Horton In Bradford 13 15.24x
Ponteland 13 1547.62x
Elswick 11 16.81x
Brandon Byshottles 10 48.69x
Evenwood Barony 10 179.53x
Great Whittington 10 2439.02x
Heaton 10 367.65x
Southwark St John 10 59.31x
Staveley 10 1612.90x
Warkton 10 2040.82x
Wyke In Bradford 10 102.35x
Monkwearmouth Shore 9 28.12x
Newburn Hall 9 580.65x
Allendale 8 105.26x
Byker 8 19.73x
Keighley 8 13.74x
Whickham 8 53.02x
Winlaton 8 50.86x
Chirton 7 37.72x
Crook Billy Row 7 33.33x
Monkwearmouth 7 44.61x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 14.29x
Shildon 7 53.11x
Westgate 7 13.79x
Westoe 7 7.53x
Bishopwearmouth 6 4.26x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 8.45x
Orton 6 697.67x
Thornton In Bradford 6 33.00x
Tynemouth 6 13.66x
West Ham 6 2.50x
Whitfield 6 1071.43x
Clifton In York 5 43.78x
Dawdon 5 24.79x
East Denton 5 268.82x
Jesmond 5 43.33x
Lambley 5 367.65x
Tonbridge 5 7.37x
Tudhoe 5 34.84x
Washington 5 72.78x
Bridekirk 4 105.54x
Broomley 4 547.95x
Corbridge 4 133.33x
East Hartburn 4 588.24x
Edmondsley 4 228.57x
Eston 4 33.61x
Pittington 4 86.77x
Wath In Ripon Norton 4 606.06x
West Auckland 4 66.67x
Bishop Auckland 3 13.64x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 2.89x
Dearham 3 47.92x
Escomb 3 39.79x
Framwellgate 3 30.90x
Harton 3 46.30x
Leeds 3 0.97x
Lewisham 3 2.99x
Lynesack Softley 3 67.72x
Marske In Guisbrough 3 30.93x
Newbottle 3 33.52x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 3 27.83x
St Giles 3 29.33x
Camberwell 2 0.57x
Dowdeswell 2 212.77x
Elvet 2 16.89x
Eversley 2 153.85x
Manchester 2 0.68x
Middlesbrough 2 2.81x
Middlestone 2 60.79x
Newbrough 2 137.93x
Sittingbourne 2 13.47x
York St Martin Mklgt W 1 81.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Elizabeth 29
Jane 26
Margaret 17
Isabella 14
Hannah 11
Sarah 11
Ann 9
Ellen 9
Annie 7
Emily 7
Dorothy 6
Eleanor 6
Emma 6
Alice 5
Catherine 5
Eliza 4
Frances 3
Jessie 3
Katherine 3
Lucy 3
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Barbara 2
Edith 2
Eliz. 2
Ethel 2
Grace 2
Margret 2
Maria 2
Minnie 2
Nancy 2
Betsy 1
Bridget 1
Charlotte 1
Cicely 1
Elisth. 1
Eliz.Jane 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.F. 1
Ernestine 1
Esther 1
H.L. 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Hellen 1
Isabel 1
Josephine 1
Kate 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 51
William 38
Thomas 34
George 21
James 16
Robert 10
Henry 9
Joseph 9
Jacob 6
Ralph 6
Matthew 5
Charles 4
Edward 4
Albert 3
Herbert 3
Wm. 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Ernest 2
Forster 2
Fred 2
Harry 2
Job 2
Mathew 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Wilm. 2
Ambrose 1
Cornelius 1
Douglas 1
Foster 1
Freddy 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Harrison 1
Hy. 1
Jane 1
Josiah 1
Kellett 1
Lister 1
Louise 1
Margaret 1
Martin 1
Mitchell 1
Parmley 1
Robt. 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Stobart surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stobart surname in 1881?

In 1881, 564 people were recorded with the Stobart surname. That placed it at #6,143 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stobart surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 618 in 2016. That gives Stobart a modern rank of #8,511.

What does the Stobart surname mean?

An English surname derived from 'Stowbottom', referring to a place name in Cumbria, England.

What does the Stobart map show?

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