NameCensus.

UK surname

Stuart

A royal house of Scotland and England, derived from the Old English term for "household guardian" or "steward."

In the 1881 census there were 7,168 people recorded with the Stuart surname, ranking it #591 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,931, ranked #501, up from #591 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Cromdale, Inverallan and Advie and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Speyside and the Cabrach, New Elgin West and Howe of Alford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stuart is 13,116 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.4%.

1881 census count

7,168

Ranked #591

Modern count

12,931

2016, ranked #501

Peak year

2014

13,116 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stuart had 7,168 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #591 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,931 in 2016, ranked #501.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,626 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Stuart surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stuart surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stuart 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 4,646 #597
1861 historical 4,740 #597
1881 historical 7,168 #591
1891 historical 7,137 #629
1901 historical 8,626 #612
1911 historical 5,857 #886
1997 modern 12,076 #511
1998 modern 12,628 #507
1999 modern 12,640 #511
2000 modern 12,722 #502
2001 modern 12,395 #505
2002 modern 12,810 #498
2003 modern 12,527 #497
2004 modern 12,523 #496
2005 modern 12,438 #491
2006 modern 12,332 #497
2007 modern 12,434 #498
2008 modern 12,490 #496
2009 modern 12,726 #503
2010 modern 13,090 #499
2011 modern 12,890 #498
2012 modern 12,769 #494
2013 modern 12,951 #496
2014 modern 13,116 #494
2015 modern 12,938 #497
2016 modern 12,931 #501

Geography

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Where Stuarts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Cromdale, Inverallan and Advie, Edinburgh and Inveravon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Speyside and the Cabrach, New Elgin West, Howe of Alford, Keith and Fife Keith and Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Cromdale, Inverallan and Advie Elgin
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Inveravon Banff

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Speyside and the Cabrach Moray
2 New Elgin West Moray
3 Howe of Alford Aberdeenshire
4 Keith and Fife Keith Moray
5 Heldon West, Fogwatt to Inchberry Moray

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stuart

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stuart

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Stuart 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

Stuart 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

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

Meaning and origin of Stuart

The surname Stuart has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the old Scottish word "stuard," which means steward or guardian. This word itself is rooted in the Old English "stig-weard," meaning a household guardian or keeper of the hall.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 12th century, when Walter Fitzalan, a Norman nobleman, was appointed as the High Steward of Scotland by King David I. This position later became a hereditary title, and Fitzalan's descendants adopted the surname "Stewart" or "Stuart" to reflect their role.

The Stuart family played a significant role in Scottish history, eventually ascending to the throne of Scotland in 1371 with the coronation of Robert II, the first Stuart monarch. The family's influence extended to England when James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne in 1603, becoming James I of England and establishing the House of Stuart as the ruling dynasty for much of the 17th century.

Notable figures bearing the Stuart surname include Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587), who ruled Scotland from 1542 to 1567 and was eventually executed by her cousin, Elizabeth I of England. Another prominent figure was Charles I (1600-1649), whose conflicts with Parliament led to the English Civil War and his eventual execution.

Other historical figures with the Stuart surname include John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (1713-1792), who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1762 to 1763, and James Stuart (1713-1788), a renowned Scottish architect and one of the leading proponents of the Neoclassical style in Britain.

The name also has connections to place names, such as Stuart Island in Washington State, named after Sir Moses Stuart, a British naval officer in the 18th century. Older spellings of the name include "Steuart," "Stewart," and "Stywart," reflecting the various regional pronunciations and interpretations of the original Scottish word.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stuart families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stuart 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 780 Stuarts recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.08x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 780 12.08x
Banffshire 744 51.45x
Middlesex 700 1.00x
Lancashire 659 0.80x
Lanarkshire 357 1.58x
Yorkshire 351 0.51x
Midlothian 308 3.30x
Surrey 294 0.87x
Morayshire 207 19.11x
Angus 190 2.94x
Northumberland 168 1.62x
Durham 166 0.80x
Kent 129 0.54x
Inverness-shire 124 5.96x
Devon 112 0.77x
Cumberland 110 1.83x
Staffordshire 98 0.42x
Hampshire 94 0.66x
Kincardineshire 91 10.72x
Fife 85 2.06x
Cheshire 79 0.51x
Essex 78 0.57x
Derbyshire 73 0.67x
Perthshire 67 2.14x
Renfrewshire 67 1.24x
Sussex 67 0.57x
Warwickshire 65 0.37x
Ayrshire 56 1.07x
Berwickshire 53 6.28x
Ross-shire 50 2.61x
Gloucestershire 49 0.36x
Somerset 48 0.43x
Lincolnshire 39 0.35x
Dunbartonshire 33 1.76x
Stirlingshire 31 1.21x
Buteshire 30 7.10x
Cornwall 27 0.34x
Roxburghshire 27 2.14x
Suffolk 25 0.29x
Argyllshire 24 1.24x
Bedfordshire 24 0.66x
Glamorgan 24 0.20x
Norfolk 20 0.19x
Northamptonshire 18 0.27x
Sutherland 18 3.36x
Buckinghamshire 17 0.40x
Worcestershire 16 0.18x
Hertfordshire 15 0.31x
Leicestershire 15 0.19x
Dumfriesshire 14 0.91x
Oxfordshire 13 0.30x
Carmarthenshire 12 0.41x
Channel Islands 12 0.58x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.13x
Orkney 12 1.56x
Berkshire 11 0.21x
Dorset 11 0.24x
East Lothian 11 1.19x
Royal Navy 11 1.32x
Cambridgeshire 10 0.23x
Kinross-shire 10 5.67x
Flintshire 8 0.43x
Peeblesshire 8 2.44x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.25x
Caithness 7 0.73x
Monmouthshire 6 0.12x
Nairnshire 6 2.82x
Westmorland 6 0.39x
Wiltshire 5 0.08x
Anglesey 4 0.32x
Clackmannanshire 4 0.69x
Isle of Man 4 0.31x
Shropshire 4 0.07x
Merionethshire 3 0.24x
Rutland 3 0.59x
Herefordshire 2 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.13x
Selkirkshire 2 0.32x
West Lothian 2 0.19x
Denbighshire 1 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.05x
Shetland 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Inveravon in Banffshire leads with 236 Stuarts recorded in 1881 and an index of 382.87x.

Place Total Index
Inveravon 236 382.87x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 164 4.36x
Aberdeen Old Machar 106 7.86x
Kirkmichael 103 401.56x
Barony 102 1.79x
Rathven 99 36.44x
Cromdale 98 112.45x
Govan 94 1.69x
Aberlour 91 198.39x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 87 7.20x
Glasgow 81 2.02x
Mortlach 75 106.20x
St Marylebone London 75 2.01x
St Pancras London 72 1.28x
Wigan 68 5.88x
Dundee 64 2.65x
Liverpool 60 1.19x
Lambeth 59 0.97x
Islington London 56 0.83x
Kensington London 54 1.39x
Abernethy Kincardine 50 136.13x
Strathdon 50 159.34x
St George Hanover 44 4.84x
New Deer 43 36.79x
Banff 42 33.44x
Camberwell 42 0.94x
Glenmuick Tullich 38 81.65x
West Ham 35 1.15x
Paddington London 31 1.21x
South Leith 31 2.95x
Elgin 30 14.24x
Elswick 29 3.50x
Fraserburgh 29 15.96x
Edinburgh St Georges 28 14.45x
Turriff 28 26.87x
Marnoch 27 34.77x
Portsea 27 0.96x
Brechin 26 10.24x
Leeds 26 0.67x
Newington 26 1.01x
West Derby 26 1.07x
Liff Benvie 25 2.55x
Brightside Bierlow 24 1.77x
Crathie Braemar 24 62.16x
Peterhead 24 7.03x
Aston 23 0.48x
Birmingham 23 0.39x
Everton 23 0.87x
Fetteresso 23 17.29x
Fulham London 23 2.27x
Hamilton 23 3.66x
Tyrie 23 28.38x
Bromley London 22 1.43x
Old Deer 22 17.98x
Willesden 22 3.35x
Wolverhampton 22 1.22x
Chelsea London 21 1.00x
Croy Dalcross 21 50.98x
Croydon 21 1.11x
Gateshead 21 1.35x
Hampstead London 21 1.93x
Battersea 20 0.78x
Manchester 20 0.54x
Preston 20 0.90x
Aberdour 19 37.34x
Derby St Werburgh 19 3.01x
Dunfermline 19 2.99x
Gartly 19 89.37x
Keith 19 12.32x
Kemnay 19 48.54x
Killearnan 19 75.19x
Urquhart Glenmoriston 19 32.27x
Bootle Cum Linacre 18 2.74x
Crosscanonby 18 9.07x
Holy Trinity 18 1.08x
Hulme 18 1.04x
Inskip With Sowerby 18 138.14x
Lumphanan 18 66.35x
Sculcoates 18 1.64x
Threlkeld 18 180.00x
Woolwich 18 2.05x
Banchory Devenick 17 21.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 272
Elizabeth 145
Jane 81
Sarah 77
Annie 65
Ellen 61
Margaret 61
Alice 58
Ann 53
Eliza 51
Emma 41
Emily 38
Catherine 36
Louisa 34
Edith 25
Charlotte 24
Frances 24
Kate 23
Ada 22
Hannah 22
Harriet 22
Maria 22
Martha 21
Agnes 19
Isabella 18
Caroline 17
Fanny 17
Florence 17
Jessie 15
Janet 13
Clara 12
Susan 12
Amy 10
Lucy 10
Minnie 10
Anne 9
Bessie 9
Ethel 9
Grace 9
Helen 9
Mabel 9
Esther 8
Georgina 8
Gertrude 8
Harriett 8
Julia 8
Sophia 8
Amelia 7
Elizth. 7
Henrietta 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 207
John 206
Charles 147
James 137
George 99
Robert 81
Thomas 81
Henry 71
Joseph 45
Alexander 34
Arthur 31
Walter 31
Alfred 28
Frederick 26
Edward 24
David 22
Richard 18
Andrew 16
Francis 15
Harry 15
Samuel 15
Albert 12
Donald 12
Frank 12
Ernest 10
Herbert 10
Wm. 10
Edwin 9
Peter 9
Chas. 8
Archibald 7
Robt. 7
Thos. 7
Benjamin 5
Daniel 5
Percy 5
Stephen 5
Dudley 4
Earnest 4
Edmund 4
Fred 4
Jas. 4
Michael 4
Patrick 4
Ralph 4
Willm. 4
Alex 3
Harold 3
Isaac 3
Randolph 3

FAQ

Stuart surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stuart surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,168 people were recorded with the Stuart surname. That placed it at #591 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stuart surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,931 in 2016. That gives Stuart a modern rank of #501.

What does the Stuart surname mean?

A royal house of Scotland and England, derived from the Old English term for "household guardian" or "steward."

What does the Stuart map show?

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