NameCensus.

UK surname

Sutton

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places called Sutton in England.

In the 1881 census there were 19,057 people recorded with the Sutton surname, ranking it #198 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 25,562, ranked #223, down from #198 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lancashire, Pembrokeshire and Broadland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sutton is 27,355 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.1%.

1881 census count

19,057

Ranked #198

Modern count

25,562

2016, ranked #223

Peak year

1999

27,355 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sutton had 19,057 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #198 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 25,562 in 2016, ranked #223.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 26,108 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sutton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sutton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sutton 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 12,157 #205
1861 historical 12,596 #193
1881 historical 19,057 #198
1891 historical 19,853 #195
1901 historical 23,677 #196
1911 historical 26,108 #160
1997 modern 25,898 #208
1998 modern 27,207 #204
1999 modern 27,355 #204
2000 modern 27,261 #203
2001 modern 26,562 #204
2002 modern 26,899 #206
2003 modern 26,172 #209
2004 modern 26,051 #211
2005 modern 25,627 #211
2006 modern 25,465 #213
2007 modern 25,455 #216
2008 modern 25,548 #216
2009 modern 25,957 #217
2010 modern 26,369 #222
2011 modern 26,030 #219
2012 modern 25,426 #220
2013 modern 26,002 #220
2014 modern 26,124 #220
2015 modern 25,754 #222
2016 modern 25,562 #223

Geography

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Where Suttons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lancashire, Pembrokeshire, Broadland and Wealden. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lancashire 001 West Lancashire
2 West Lancashire 002 West Lancashire
3 Pembrokeshire 009 Pembrokeshire
4 Broadland 001 Broadland
5 Wealden 018 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sutton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sutton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sutton, 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 Sutton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sutton 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sutton 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

Sutton 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

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

Meaning and origin of Sutton

The surname Sutton originated in England and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is an English habitational name, derived from various places called Sutton, which comes from the Old English words 'sūth' meaning south and 'tūn' meaning settlement or farm. The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, referring to individuals and places with the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Helto de Sutton, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1166. The spelling variants of the name included Suttun, Sutton, and Suttone in medieval records. Several individuals with the surname Sutton were prominent in the 13th and 14th centuries, such as Richard Sutton (c. 1275-1345), who served as a judge and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in England.

The name was also associated with various places in England, such as Sutton Coldfield, Sutton-on-Sea, and Sutton Valence. These place names were derived from the same Old English words and often referred to settlements located to the south of other towns or landmarks.

Notable individuals with the surname Sutton throughout history include:

1. Sir Richard Sutton (c. 1480-1524), a courtier and diplomat during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. 2. Thomas Sutton (1532-1611), a wealthy merchant and founder of Charterhouse School in London. 3. Robert Sutton (1671-1746), an English clergyman and author known for his writings on religious topics. 4. Sir George Sutton (1698-1782), a British naval officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament. 5. Thomas Sutton (1819-1875), a British civil engineer who designed and constructed several notable bridges and railways in the mid-19th century.

The surname Sutton continued to be widespread in England and has since been carried to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. Its origins, however, can be firmly traced back to the settlements and place names of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sutton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sutton 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. Lancashire leads with 2,855 Suttons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.29x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,855 1.29x
Middlesex 1,809 0.97x
Staffordshire 1,652 2.63x
Kent 1,356 2.14x
Surrey 989 1.09x
Cheshire 971 2.36x
Yorkshire 957 0.52x
Warwickshire 769 1.64x
Norfolk 652 2.28x
Lincolnshire 611 2.05x
Essex 595 1.62x
Leicestershire 553 2.68x
Hampshire 445 1.17x
Derbyshire 431 1.48x
Somerset 333 1.11x
Wiltshire 329 2.00x
Sussex 310 0.99x
Gloucestershire 304 0.83x
Worcestershire 296 1.22x
Durham 277 0.50x
Suffolk 263 1.16x
Cambridgeshire 261 2.22x
Devon 238 0.61x
Northamptonshire 196 1.12x
Glamorgan 163 0.50x
Nottinghamshire 161 0.64x
Shropshire 144 0.90x
Northumberland 133 0.48x
Berkshire 122 0.87x
Hertfordshire 102 0.80x
Pembrokeshire 96 1.62x
Cornwall 94 0.45x
Buckinghamshire 78 0.69x
Oxfordshire 77 0.67x
Cumberland 70 0.44x
Monmouthshire 64 0.48x
Bedfordshire 56 0.58x
Dorset 45 0.37x
Huntingdonshire 33 0.89x
Lanarkshire 25 0.04x
Royal Navy 19 0.86x
Westmorland 17 0.42x
Angus 14 0.08x
Midlothian 14 0.06x
Herefordshire 13 0.17x
Flintshire 9 0.18x
Anglesey 7 0.21x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.09x
Denbighshire 7 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.08x
Perthshire 6 0.07x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.02x
Channel Islands 4 0.07x
Ayrshire 3 0.02x
Stirlingshire 3 0.04x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.07x
Merionethshire 2 0.06x
Orkney 2 0.10x
Peeblesshire 2 0.23x
Roxburghshire 2 0.06x
Rutland 2 0.15x
Cardiganshire 1 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.02x
Inverness-shire 1 0.02x
Isle of Man 1 0.03x
Wigtownshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 244 Suttons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.56x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 244 1.56x
Lambeth 228 1.41x
North Meols 207 9.58x
Manchester 196 1.97x
Islington London 186 1.03x
Stoke Upon Trent 183 2.75x
Aston 177 1.37x
Liverpool 160 1.19x
St Pancras London 144 0.96x
West Ham 141 1.74x
Hackney London 120 1.15x
Camberwell 116 0.98x
Shoreditch London 115 1.43x
Great Yarmouth 112 4.73x
Bethnal Green London 109 1.35x
Leicester St Margaret 101 2.01x
West Bromwich 96 2.67x
Wolverhampton 93 1.93x
Ashton In Makerfield 91 14.48x
Macclesfield 89 4.88x
Ramsgate 89 8.59x
Hulme 85 1.84x
Portsea 85 1.14x
Walsall Foreign 85 2.62x
Kensington London 84 0.81x
Battersea 83 1.21x
Kingswinford 83 3.64x
Loughborough 80 8.55x
Salford 79 1.22x
St Marylebone London 79 0.80x
Wolstanton 78 4.09x
Nottingham St Mary 74 1.14x
West Derby 74 1.15x
Deptford St Paul 70 1.43x
Tottenham 69 2.33x
St George Hanover 67 2.76x
Brighton 64 1.01x
Bermondsey 62 1.12x
Mile End Old Town 62 2.11x
Burslem 61 3.39x
Newington 61 0.89x
Blackburn 59 1.00x
Everton 59 0.84x
Toxteth Park 59 0.79x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 58 1.69x
Ashton Under Lyne 57 1.18x
Kirkdale 57 1.54x
Preston 57 0.97x
Ringwould 56 103.11x
Stockport 55 2.60x
Leeds 54 0.52x
Nantwich 52 10.90x
Croydon 50 0.99x
Streatham 50 3.62x
Plymouth St Andrew 49 1.64x
Frome 48 6.70x
Over 48 68.60x
Clerkenwell London 47 1.07x
Gorton 47 2.27x
Horton 47 61.16x
Hurdsfield 46 18.21x
Kings Norton 46 2.11x
Paddington London 46 0.67x
Lewisham 45 1.33x
Thorne 45 19.68x
Oldham 43 0.60x
Warrington 43 1.64x
Bilston 42 3.45x
Birkenhead 42 1.28x
Cressing 41 119.05x
Ealing 41 2.47x
Peterborough 41 3.24x
Burton Upon Trent 40 2.72x
Enfield 40 3.28x
Chislehurst 39 11.46x
Dudley 39 1.32x
Louth 39 5.72x
Tarleton 39 32.14x
Great Cressingham 38 126.71x
Chorlton On Medlock 37 1.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,322
Elizabeth 729
Sarah 690
Ann 406
Jane 346
Eliza 343
Emma 302
Alice 290
Annie 280
Ellen 274
Emily 242
Hannah 198
Martha 192
Margaret 165
Harriet 149
Louisa 132
Fanny 120
Maria 120
Charlotte 116
Edith 110
Ada 106
Clara 100
Florence 99
Lucy 97
Caroline 93
Catherine 90
Kate 73
Susan 71
Frances 70
Anne 66
Rose 61
Harriett 55
Esther 54
Amelia 52
Amy 46
Minnie 45
Rebecca 45
Susannah 45
Agnes 44
Isabella 44
Julia 43
Matilda 43
Sophia 40
Elizth. 36
Jessie 34
Gertrude 32
Beatrice 28
Ethel 28
Lydia 28
Laura 27

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 1,229
John 1,085
George 676
Thomas 652
James 572
Henry 415
Charles 408
Joseph 308
Robert 238
Alfred 231
Edward 227
Richard 201
Samuel 195
Frederick 192
Arthur 190
Walter 144
Albert 121
Harry 118
Frank 94
Ernest 84
Herbert 76
David 72
Wm. 55
Edwin 49
Daniel 45
Thos. 45
Stephen 44
Peter 40
Francis 37
Benjamin 35
Fred 34
Isaac 30
Percy 29
Fredrick 26
Geo. 24
Mark 23
Matthew 22
Tom 22
Sidney 19
Chas. 18
Edmund 18
Hugh 18
Job 18
Alexander 17
Fredk. 17
Nathaniel 15
Jesse 14
Ralph 14
Edgar 12
Robt. 12

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 Sutton households.

FAQ

Sutton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sutton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 19,057 people were recorded with the Sutton surname. That placed it at #198 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sutton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 25,562 in 2016. That gives Sutton a modern rank of #223.

What does the Sutton surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places called Sutton in England.

What does the Sutton map show?

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