NameCensus.

UK surname

Trewhitt

An English surname originating from a place named Trewhitt in Northumberland.

In the 1881 census there were 88 people recorded with the Trewhitt surname, ranking it #21,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 207, ranked #19,118, up from #21,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Gateshead and Ainderby Steeple. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hambleton, County Durham and Darlington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Trewhitt is 235 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 135.2%.

1881 census count

88

Ranked #21,211

Modern count

207

2016, ranked #19,118

Peak year

1999

235 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Trewhitt had 88 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016, ranked #19,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 185 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Trewhitt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Trewhitt surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Trewhitt 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 58 #22,928
1861 historical 61 #26,170
1881 historical 88 #21,211
1891 historical 100 #24,045
1901 historical 122 #20,344
1911 historical 185 #15,686
1997 modern 198 #17,729
1998 modern 225 #16,846
1999 modern 235 #16,458
2000 modern 223 #16,978
2001 modern 221 #16,848
2002 modern 214 #17,545
2003 modern 204 #17,909
2004 modern 207 #17,821
2005 modern 206 #17,786
2006 modern 205 #18,005
2007 modern 213 #17,744
2008 modern 207 #18,243
2009 modern 215 #18,179
2010 modern 230 #17,750
2011 modern 231 #17,530
2012 modern 212 #18,481
2013 modern 219 #18,385
2014 modern 214 #18,825
2015 modern 209 #19,018
2016 modern 207 #19,118

Geography

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Where Trewhitts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Gateshead, Ainderby Steeple, Smeeton, Great and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hambleton, County Durham and Darlington. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Ainderby Steeple Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Smeeton, Great Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hambleton 003 Hambleton
2 County Durham 034 County Durham
3 Hambleton 006 Hambleton
4 Hambleton 007 Hambleton
5 Darlington 015 Darlington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Trewhitt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Trewhitt

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

Trewhitt 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

Trewhitt falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Trewhitt 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 Trewhitt, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Trewhitt

The surname Trewhitt has its origins in England, specifically in the county of Cornwall. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Cornish words "tre" meaning a homestead or farm, and "whitt" which is thought to be a personal name or a reference to a particular location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from the year 1284, where a certain Richard de Trewhytt is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and had likely evolved from an even earlier form.

In the 16th century, the Trewhitt surname appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Subsidy Rolls of Cornwall from 1524-1525, where several individuals with the surname are listed. During this period, the name was often spelled in different ways, such as Trewhytt, Trewhytte, and Trewhytte.

The name Trewhitt is also connected to several place names in Cornwall, such as Trewhitt Manor near the village of Launceston. This manor was once owned by a family bearing the Trewhitt surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the local geography.

Notable individuals with the surname Trewhitt include:

1. Sir John Trewhitt (c. 1580-1644), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Launceston in the early 17th century. 2. William Trewhitt (1601-1677), a prominent merchant and ship owner from Cornwall who was involved in the English Civil War. 3. Elizabeth Trewhitt (1670-1738), an English author and poet who published several works in the early 18th century. 4. Samuel Trewhitt (1718-1792), a clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1783 to 1787. 5. Henry Trewhitt (1794-1866), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a renowned maritime author.

While the name Trewhitt is relatively uncommon today, its origins and historical significance can be traced back to the ancient landscape and communities of Cornwall, where it first emerged as a distinctive surname many centuries ago.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Trewhitt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Trewhitt 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. Durham leads with 57 Trewhitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.32x.

County Total Index
Durham 57 22.32x
Yorkshire 31 3.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 28 Trewhitts recorded in 1881 and an index of 127.74x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 28 127.74x
Darlington 16 162.27x
Appleton Wiske 12 12000.00x
West Rounton 9 15000.00x
Stranton 6 69.77x
Bedale 4 1290.32x
Tudhoe 4 179.37x
Easington 3 810.81x
Gatenby 2 20000.00x
Northallerton 2 183.49x
Stapleton 1 2500.00x
Welbury 1 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Frances 4
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Isabella 3
Ada 2
Annie 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Margaret 2
Ann 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Cicely 1
Dorothy 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Isabel 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
Margret 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Trewhitt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Trewhitt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 88 people were recorded with the Trewhitt surname. That placed it at #21,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Trewhitt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 207 in 2016. That gives Trewhitt a modern rank of #19,118.

What does the Trewhitt surname mean?

An English surname originating from a place named Trewhitt in Northumberland.

What does the Trewhitt map show?

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