NameCensus.

UK surname

Trotman

An English occupational surname for a messenger or courier, derived from the Old French word "trotier" meaning "runner."

In the 1881 census there were 1,253 people recorded with the Trotman surname, ranking it #3,248 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,824, ranked #3,477, down from #3,248 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Neath Port Talbot and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Trotman is 1,985 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.6%.

1881 census count

1,253

Ranked #3,248

Modern count

1,824

2016, ranked #3,477

Peak year

2000

1,985 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Trotman had 1,253 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,248 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,824 in 2016, ranked #3,477.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,771 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Trotman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Trotman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Trotman 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 845 #3,218
1861 historical 630 #4,254
1881 historical 1,253 #3,248
1891 historical 1,237 #3,490
1901 historical 1,547 #3,331
1911 historical 1,771 #2,771
1997 modern 1,872 #3,218
1998 modern 1,952 #3,217
1999 modern 1,958 #3,227
2000 modern 1,985 #3,184
2001 modern 1,926 #3,203
2002 modern 1,973 #3,207
2003 modern 1,921 #3,215
2004 modern 1,902 #3,233
2005 modern 1,878 #3,243
2006 modern 1,872 #3,273
2007 modern 1,853 #3,318
2008 modern 1,841 #3,366
2009 modern 1,882 #3,377
2010 modern 1,942 #3,354
2011 modern 1,917 #3,352
2012 modern 1,874 #3,364
2013 modern 1,918 #3,351
2014 modern 1,926 #3,357
2015 modern 1,877 #3,397
2016 modern 1,824 #3,477

Geography

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Where Trotmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Philip and Jacob. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Neath Port Talbot, Caerphilly, Cornwall and Stroud. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 022 Herefordshire, County of
2 Neath Port Talbot 020 Neath Port Talbot
3 Caerphilly 002 Caerphilly
4 Cornwall 015 Cornwall
5 Stroud 012 Stroud

Forenames

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First names often paired with Trotman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Trotman

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Trotman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Trotman is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Trotman falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Trotman

The surname Trotman is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "trot" meaning to walk or tread, and "man" referring to a person. The name likely referred to someone who travelled frequently on foot or was a messenger.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a William Troteman is listed. This suggests the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various records such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1317, which mentions a Robert Trotteman. The name also appears in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where a Johannes Trotman is recorded.

The Trotman surname is believed to have originated in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset in the south of England. It was particularly prevalent in the village of Nettleton in Wiltshire, where the name can be traced back to the 16th century.

One notable individual with the surname was Thomas Trotman (c.1635-1703), an English Quaker who was imprisoned several times for his beliefs during the 17th century. Another was John Trotman (1711-1782), a Welsh Anglican priest and author.

Other historical figures include William Trotman (1766-1835), an English surgeon and medical writer, and George Trotman (1786-1861), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

The surname has also been recorded with various spellings over the centuries, such as Trottman, Trautman, and Troutman, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

While not as common today, the Trotman surname has left its mark on history, with notable individuals bearing the name across various fields, reflecting its origins as a descriptive occupational surname from medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Trotman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Trotman 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. Gloucestershire leads with 398 Trotmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.54x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 398 16.54x
Middlesex 214 1.74x
Surrey 102 1.71x
Wiltshire 70 6.45x
Warwickshire 67 2.16x
Glamorgan 51 2.39x
Somerset 49 2.48x
Staffordshire 39 0.94x
Kent 37 0.88x
Berkshire 25 2.71x
Oxfordshire 22 2.90x
Dorset 20 2.48x
Monmouthshire 20 2.25x
Hampshire 18 0.72x
Buckinghamshire 17 2.29x
Cornwall 15 1.08x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.67x
Lancashire 10 0.07x
Yorkshire 9 0.07x
Durham 8 0.22x
Essex 8 0.33x
Norfolk 7 0.37x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.64x
Devon 5 0.20x
Northamptonshire 5 0.43x
Herefordshire 4 0.79x
Hertfordshire 3 0.35x
Isle of Man 3 1.32x
Suffolk 3 0.20x
Worcestershire 3 0.19x
Leicestershire 2 0.15x
Shropshire 2 0.19x
Bedfordshire 1 0.16x
Cheshire 1 0.04x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.26x
Royal Navy 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St Philip Jacob in Gloucestershire leads with 44 Trotmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.42x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St Philip Jacob 44 19.42x
Islington London 24 2.02x
Fulham London 23 12.92x
Dursley 22 222.22x
Bisley 19 87.12x
Corsham 19 119.95x
St Pancras London 19 1.92x
North Nibley 18 523.26x
St Marylebone London 18 2.75x
Berkeley 17 126.96x
Bristol St George 17 15.27x
Tonbridge 17 11.26x
Wimborne Minster 17 130.47x
Camberwell 16 2.04x
Croydon 16 4.82x
Minchinhampton 16 83.42x
Chelsea London 15 4.06x
Hackney London 15 2.18x
Southwark St John 15 39.97x
Antony 14 104.32x
Wotton Under Edge 13 91.61x
St Brides Major 12 419.58x
Cam 11 149.05x
Chipping Sodbury 11 244.99x
Harborne 11 8.29x
Walcot 11 10.46x
Welford 11 378.01x
West Bromwich 11 4.64x
Birmingham 10 0.97x
Frome 10 21.17x
Lambeth 10 0.93x
Battersea 9 1.99x
Charlbury 9 105.76x
Cheltenham 9 4.85x
Clifton 9 7.40x
Paddington London 9 1.99x
Stinchcombe 9 638.30x
Westbury On Trym 9 11.04x
Ystradyfodwg 9 4.80x
Aylburton 8 291.97x
Bermondsey 8 2.19x
Charlton Next Woolwich 8 18.32x
Daglingworth 8 567.38x
Ealing 8 7.29x
Eton 8 47.56x
Hurst 8 66.34x
Monkwearmouth 8 22.90x
Roath 8 8.24x
Stoke Newington London 8 8.37x
Stoke Under Hambdon 8 123.46x
Temple Grafton 8 459.77x
Turton 8 33.56x
Bedwellty 7 4.47x
Berkeley Alkington 7 384.62x
Broad Hinton 7 303.03x
Cirencester 7 21.49x
Edgbaston 7 7.30x
Hillingdon 7 17.89x
Newington 7 1.54x
Old Stratford 7 39.95x
Poplar London 7 3.02x
Rendcombe 7 786.52x
Ripon 7 24.81x
St George Hanover 7 4.37x
Swindon 7 8.32x
Thornbury 7 42.55x
Tipton 7 5.52x
Bedminster 6 3.23x
Bristol St James St Paul 6 7.48x
Calne 6 26.86x
Chedworth 6 172.91x
Chepstow 6 39.71x
Clewer 6 15.90x
Cliffe Pypard 6 184.05x
Coyty Lower 6 43.26x
Purton 6 62.11x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 2.43x
Stonehouse 6 43.86x
West Dean 6 15.35x
Yate 6 113.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 77
John 50
George 49
Thomas 33
Charles 32
Henry 31
James 26
Edward 25
Albert 19
Arthur 19
Alfred 17
Samuel 14
Frederick 13
Frank 11
Walter 11
Ernest 10
Francis 10
Robert 9
Joseph 8
Thos. 7
Harry 6
Daniel 5
Herbert 5
Richard 5
Andrew 4
Percy 4
Tom 4
Edwin 3
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Isaac 3
Wm. 3
Aaron 2
Charlie 2
Chas. 2
Cornelius 2
Edgar 2
Fiennes 2
Fred 2
Jerome 2
Jesse 2
Jno. 2
Job 2
Lucien 2
Mark 2
Morgan 2
Saml. 2
Sanders 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2

FAQ

Trotman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Trotman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,253 people were recorded with the Trotman surname. That placed it at #3,248 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Trotman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,824 in 2016. That gives Trotman a modern rank of #3,477.

What does the Trotman surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a messenger or courier, derived from the Old French word "trotier" meaning "runner."

What does the Trotman map show?

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