NameCensus.

UK surname

Totten

Derived from a place name meaning "Tota's homestead" in Old English, likely referring to an ancestor's dwelling.

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Totten surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 457, ranked #10,690, up from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Denny - Nethermains, Airdrie North and Renfrew East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Totten is 457 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 335.2%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

457

2016, ranked #10,690

Peak year

2016

457 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Totten had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 457 in 2016, ranked #10,690.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 217 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Totten surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Totten surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Totten 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 36 #26,838
1861 historical 70 #24,911
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 177 #16,330
1901 historical 217 #14,381
1911 historical 92 #23,580
1997 modern 440 #10,247
1998 modern 437 #10,637
1999 modern 438 #10,695
2000 modern 428 #10,850
2001 modern 429 #10,634
2002 modern 436 #10,712
2003 modern 433 #10,614
2004 modern 432 #10,658
2005 modern 424 #10,691
2006 modern 426 #10,712
2007 modern 434 #10,639
2008 modern 437 #10,694
2009 modern 443 #10,821
2010 modern 455 #10,802
2011 modern 455 #10,691
2012 modern 441 #10,828
2013 modern 444 #10,946
2014 modern 445 #11,002
2015 modern 450 #10,819
2016 modern 457 #10,690

Geography

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Where Tottens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, London parishes, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Denny - Nethermains, Airdrie North, Renfrew East, Fankerton, Stoneywood and Denny Town and West Calder and Polbeth. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Denny - Nethermains Falkirk
2 Airdrie North North Lanarkshire
3 Renfrew East Renfrewshire
4 Fankerton, Stoneywood and Denny Town Falkirk
5 West Calder and Polbeth West Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Totten

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Totten

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Totten surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Totten household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Totten 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

Totten 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

Totten falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Totten 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 - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Totten, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Totten

The surname Totten is of English and Dutch origin, originating in the 14th century. It is derived from the Old English word "tot," meaning a clump or tuft, and the word "henn," meaning a shed or shelter. The name was likely given to someone who lived in a hut or small dwelling.

In England, the name was initially found in the county of Essex, particularly in the areas around Colchester and Maldon. Early records show variations in spelling, including Toten, Totten, and Tottyn. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Essex Feet of Fines from 1327, which mentions a John Toten.

The surname also has Dutch origins, with the earliest known record being in the town of Leiden in Holland, where a Johannes van Totten was mentioned in a document from 1396. It is believed that the Dutch version of the name may have derived from a place name or a descriptive term related to a physical feature or location.

In the United States, the Totten surname has its roots in the early colonial period. One of the first documented individuals with this name was Robert Totten, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1638 and later settled in Rhode Island. Another early Totten immigrant was Thomas Totten, who arrived in Virginia in 1666.

Several notable individuals have borne the Totten surname throughout history. Joseph Gilbert Totten (1788-1864) was a prominent American military engineer and Chief of the Corps of Engineers for the United States Army. He oversaw the construction of numerous forts and coastal defenses during his career.

Benjamin J. Totten (1808-1877) was an American politician and judge who served as a U.S. Representative from Arkansas. He was also a delegate to the Arkansas Constitutional Convention in 1836.

Charles Adelle Lewis Totten (1851-1908) was a renowned American military instructor, author, and inventor. He taught at Yale and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and wrote extensively on topics related to military science and biblical prophecy.

James Totten (1818-1871) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and the Canadian House of Commons.

William Totten (1782-1858) was a prominent American lawyer and politician from New York who served as a U.S. Representative and as a judge on the New York Supreme Court.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Totten families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Totten 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. Lanarkshire leads with 46 Tottens recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.89x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 46 13.89x
Lancashire 20 1.65x
Staffordshire 8 2.31x
Northumberland 7 4.59x
Suffolk 7 5.61x
Devon 6 2.81x
Glamorgan 2 1.12x
Renfrewshire 2 2.52x
Somerset 2 1.21x
Warwickshire 2 0.77x
Cheshire 1 0.44x
Kent 1 0.29x
Wigtownshire 1 7.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. New Monkland in Lanarkshire leads with 15 Tottens recorded in 1881 and an index of 153.22x.

Place Total Index
New Monkland 15 153.22x
Govan 13 15.87x
Newton 10 106.72x
Stretford 8 119.58x
Walsall Foreign 8 44.79x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 7 76.92x
Sudbury St Gregory 7 700.00x
Cambusnethan 6 81.52x
Stoke Damerel 6 40.21x
Hamilton 5 54.11x
Shettleston 3 101.01x
Barony 2 2.39x
Cadder 2 81.63x
Coventry Holy Trinity 2 25.94x
Llanwonno 2 31.20x
Renfrew 2 76.34x
Barrow In Furness 1 6.05x
Bramhall 1 106.38x
Brislington 1 322.58x
Hulme 1 3.94x
Kirkinner 1 178.57x
Taunton St James 1 41.67x
Woolwich 1 7.75x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 4
Henry 3
William 3
James 2
John 2
Joseph 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Henrey 1
Matthew 1
Raymond 1
Robert 1
Roland 1
Rowland 1
Vincent 1
Witham 1

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 Totten households.

FAQ

Totten surname: questions and answers

How common was the Totten surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Totten surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Totten surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 457 in 2016. That gives Totten a modern rank of #10,690.

What does the Totten surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Tota's homestead" in Old English, likely referring to an ancestor's dwelling.

What does the Totten map show?

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