NameCensus.

UK surname

Tranter

A surname derived from the Middle English "tranter", meaning a seller or peddler.

In the 1881 census there were 2,213 people recorded with the Tranter surname, ranking it #2,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,821, ranked #1,771, up from #2,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Dawley, Magna and Madeley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tranter is 4,096 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.7%.

1881 census count

2,213

Ranked #2,009

Modern count

3,821

2016, ranked #1,771

Peak year

1998

4,096 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tranter had 2,213 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,821 in 2016, ranked #1,771.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,273 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Tranter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tranter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tranter 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 1,304 #2,199
1861 historical 920 #3,017
1881 historical 2,213 #2,009
1891 historical 2,143 #2,171
1901 historical 2,975 #1,883
1911 historical 3,273 #1,597
1997 modern 3,925 #1,659
1998 modern 4,096 #1,648
1999 modern 4,066 #1,669
2000 modern 4,075 #1,658
2001 modern 4,010 #1,649
2002 modern 4,039 #1,672
2003 modern 3,904 #1,693
2004 modern 3,870 #1,715
2005 modern 3,762 #1,742
2006 modern 3,769 #1,739
2007 modern 3,794 #1,737
2008 modern 3,826 #1,735
2009 modern 3,904 #1,740
2010 modern 3,978 #1,750
2011 modern 3,960 #1,723
2012 modern 3,875 #1,737
2013 modern 3,909 #1,749
2014 modern 3,919 #1,754
2015 modern 3,847 #1,764
2016 modern 3,821 #1,771

Geography

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Where Tranters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Dawley, Magna, Madeley, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Dawley, Magna Shropshire
3 Madeley Shropshire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Telford and Wrekin 019 Telford and Wrekin
2 Telford and Wrekin 014 Telford and Wrekin
3 Telford and Wrekin 016 Telford and Wrekin
4 Shropshire 029 Shropshire
5 Shropshire 035 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tranter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tranter

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Tranter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Tranter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tranter 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

Tranter is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tranter 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 Tranter is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Tranter

The surname Tranter is of English origin, derived from the occupational term for a maker or seller of trenchers, which were plates or platters made of wood or bread. The name is believed to have emerged in the late 13th century, with the earliest known record dating back to 1296 in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex.

The surname is thought to have originated in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire in the Southwest of England. It is closely related to the old French word "trenchier," meaning to cut or slice, which hints at the profession's ties to the preparation and serving of food.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Trencher, Trenchour, and Trencheour, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tranter can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1332, where a John Tranter is mentioned.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Tranter, as it predates the widespread adoption of hereditary surnames. However, it does mention several places with names that may have influenced the formation of the surname, such as Trent in Somerset and Trentham in Staffordshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Tranter include:

1. Richard Tranter (c. 1584-1669), an English Puritan minister and author known for his work "A Treatise of Repentance." 2. William Tranter (1572-1666), an English clergyman and author of theological works. 3. Benjamin Tranter (1816-1890), a British engineer and inventor who patented improvements to the manufacture of steel. 4. John Tranter (born 1943), an Australian poet and editor who has published numerous collections of poetry. 5. John Tranter (c. 1570-1633), an English clergyman and author of religious texts.

While the surname Tranter is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages, reflecting the occupational roots of many English surnames and their evolution over centuries of use.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tranter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tranter 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. Staffordshire leads with 635 Tranters recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.75x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 635 8.75x
Warwickshire 290 5.35x
Shropshire 195 10.50x
Worcestershire 160 5.70x
Lancashire 139 0.54x
Gloucestershire 138 3.27x
Middlesex 136 0.63x
Derbyshire 66 1.96x
Yorkshire 65 0.31x
Oxfordshire 64 4.82x
Surrey 48 0.46x
Kent 37 0.50x
Herefordshire 34 3.86x
Monmouthshire 21 1.35x
Brecknockshire 14 3.26x
Buckinghamshire 13 1.00x
Hampshire 13 0.30x
Wiltshire 13 0.68x
Berkshire 12 0.74x
Dorset 10 0.71x
Norfolk 10 0.30x
Hertfordshire 8 0.54x
Bedfordshire 7 0.63x
Essex 7 0.16x
Glamorgan 7 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.24x
Denbighshire 6 0.74x
Devon 6 0.13x
Leicestershire 6 0.25x
Lincolnshire 6 0.17x
Northamptonshire 6 0.30x
Cheshire 5 0.11x
Sussex 5 0.14x
Lanarkshire 4 0.06x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.22x
Durham 3 0.05x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.22x
Somerset 2 0.06x
Banffshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 107 Tranters recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.17x.

Place Total Index
Aston 107 7.17x
Birmingham 97 5.37x
Stoke Upon Trent 74 9.62x
Wolverhampton 58 10.39x
Madeley 57 83.70x
Walsall Foreign 55 14.67x
Dawley 52 76.93x
Kingswinford 52 19.73x
Sedgley 50 18.55x
Rowley Regis 41 20.27x
Cirencester 40 70.06x
Tipton 36 16.20x
West Bromwich 36 8.66x
Bromsgrove 33 34.92x
Darlaston 29 28.91x
Bethnal Green London 26 2.78x
Harborne 25 10.75x
Stokenchurch 24 202.02x
Oldbury 22 15.93x
Wrockwardine 22 53.86x
Bristol St George 21 10.77x
Lilleshall 21 73.97x
Barrow In Furness 20 5.76x
Belper 20 30.65x
Bilston 20 14.22x
Eccleston In Prescot 18 14.05x
Wednesbury 18 9.92x
Wombourn 18 133.63x
Handsworth 17 9.50x
Kidderminster Borough 17 10.35x
Fulham London 15 4.81x
Belbroughton 14 96.15x
Standish With Langtree 14 44.56x
Warrington 14 4.63x
Wombridge 14 61.06x
Cannock 13 10.27x
Coventry St Michael 13 7.46x
Kensington London 13 1.09x
Linton In Newent 13 190.62x
Litchurch 13 9.60x
Mile End Old Town 13 3.83x
Clapham 12 4.46x
Dudley 12 3.52x
Lewisham 12 3.07x
Stone 12 12.93x
Henley On Thames 11 40.44x
Kings Norton 11 4.37x
Liverpool 11 0.71x
Willenhall 11 8.09x
Ashborne 10 43.69x
Edgbaston 10 5.95x
Essington 10 104.49x
Llanelly 10 19.44x
Manchester 10 0.87x
Sheffield 10 1.47x
Wolverley 10 40.57x
Abergavenny 9 15.46x
Bwlch Trewyn 9 1607.14x
Church Stretton 9 72.23x
Hereford St Owen 9 30.92x
Pendleton In Salford 9 2.96x
Setchey 9 1034.48x
Stafford St Mary 9 8.76x
Wellington 9 8.62x
Wycombe 9 9.29x
Burntwood Edial 8 17.26x
Foleshill 8 14.03x
Greenwich 8 2.34x
Hammersmith London 8 1.51x
Newington 8 1.01x
Poplar London 8 1.97x
St Marylebone London 8 0.70x
Wappenbury 8 473.37x
Berkswell 7 65.30x
Cheltenham 7 2.15x
Chertsey 7 10.34x
Clerkenwell London 7 1.38x
Hackney London 7 0.58x
Lichfield St Mary 7 33.44x
Toxteth Park 7 0.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 152
John 131
Thomas 86
James 82
George 63
Joseph 52
Henry 51
Charles 39
Richard 30
Edward 26
Benjamin 24
Samuel 21
Alfred 19
Arthur 17
Albert 16
Frederick 16
Edwin 13
Harry 12
David 10
Enoch 9
Thos. 9
Walter 9
Daniel 6
Ernest 6
Frank 6
Robert 6
Isaac 5
Mark 5
Wm. 5
Alexander 4
Fredk. 4
Levi 4
Noah 4
Abraham 3
Christopher 3
Clement 3
Francis 3
Fred 3
Herbert 3
Percy 3
Reuben 3
Augustus 2
Danial 2
Jabez 2
Jno. 2
Job 2
Jonah 2
Moses 2
Philip 2
Raymond 2

FAQ

Tranter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tranter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,213 people were recorded with the Tranter surname. That placed it at #2,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tranter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,821 in 2016. That gives Tranter a modern rank of #1,771.

What does the Tranter surname mean?

A surname derived from the Middle English "tranter", meaning a seller or peddler.

What does the Tranter map show?

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