NameCensus.

UK surname

Ackroyd

From the oak tree, referring to someone who lived near an oak tree or in an oak forest.

In the 1881 census there were 2,802 people recorded with the Ackroyd surname, ranking it #1,592 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,393, ranked #2,744, down from #1,592 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Bradford and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Bradford and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ackroyd is 3,199 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.6%.

1881 census count

2,802

Ranked #1,592

Modern count

2,393

2016, ranked #2,744

Peak year

1901

3,199 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ackroyd had 2,802 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,592 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,393 in 2016, ranked #2,744.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,199 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Ackroyd surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ackroyd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ackroyd 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 1,700 #1,698
1861 historical 1,984 #1,467
1881 historical 2,802 #1,592
1891 historical 2,892 #1,634
1901 historical 3,199 #1,751
1911 historical 3,148 #1,652
1997 modern 2,448 #2,569
1998 modern 2,551 #2,559
1999 modern 2,550 #2,581
2000 modern 2,562 #2,556
2001 modern 2,469 #2,592
2002 modern 2,494 #2,623
2003 modern 2,431 #2,626
2004 modern 2,374 #2,685
2005 modern 2,319 #2,704
2006 modern 2,343 #2,689
2007 modern 2,362 #2,690
2008 modern 2,356 #2,718
2009 modern 2,423 #2,711
2010 modern 2,464 #2,729
2011 modern 2,433 #2,730
2012 modern 2,384 #2,727
2013 modern 2,415 #2,745
2014 modern 2,429 #2,743
2015 modern 2,404 #2,745
2016 modern 2,393 #2,744

Geography

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Where Ackroyds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Bradford and Halifax. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale and Leeds. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 030 Barnsley
2 Bradford 022 Bradford
3 Calderdale 018 Calderdale
4 Bradford 004 Bradford
5 Leeds 033 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ackroyd

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ackroyd

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Ackroyd surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ackroyd household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Ackroyd 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

Ackroyd is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Ackroyd

The surname Ackroyd is of English origin, derived from a place name. It is believed to have originated in the Yorkshire region of England, specifically in the areas around Leeds and Bradford, during the medieval period.

The name Ackroyd is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ac" (oak) and "rod" (clearing), suggesting it was initially given to someone who lived near an oak clearing or oak-lined rode. This name's earliest recorded spelling dates back to the 13th century, with variations such as Acrode, Acrod, and Ackerode.

One of the earliest known references to the name Ackroyd can be found in the Wakefield Court Rolls of 1275, which mentions a William de Acrode. Additionally, the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, includes several place names that may have given rise to the surname, such as Acreworth and Acreham.

Notable individuals with the surname Ackroyd throughout history include:

1. Roger Ackroyd (c.1350-1419), a wealthy English merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. 2. William Ackroyd (1617-1680), an English Puritan minister and author. 3. Edward Ackroyd (1782-1868), a Yorkshire industrialist and inventor of the spinning mule. 4. Peter Ackroyd (born 1949), a renowned English biographer, novelist, and critic. 5. Dan Ackroyd (born 1952), the Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker best known for his work on "Saturday Night Live" and the "Ghostbusters" movies.

The name Ackroyd has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Ackroyd Hall in Yorkshire, Ackroyd Farm in Cheshire, and the village of Acrod in Derbyshire, further reinforcing its connection to the region's geography and history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ackroyd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ackroyd 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,451 Ackroyds recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.06x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,451 9.06x
Lancashire 192 0.59x
Nottinghamshire 42 1.14x
Kent 20 0.21x
Durham 18 0.22x
Middlesex 17 0.06x
Leicestershire 13 0.43x
Midlothian 9 0.25x
Derbyshire 6 0.14x
Glamorgan 4 0.08x
Northamptonshire 4 0.16x
Surrey 4 0.03x
Cheshire 3 0.05x
Sussex 3 0.07x
Berkshire 2 0.10x
Lincolnshire 2 0.05x
Bedfordshire 1 0.07x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.06x
Cumberland 1 0.04x
Devon 1 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.17x
Essex 1 0.02x
Hampshire 1 0.02x
Westmorland 1 0.17x
Worcestershire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manningham in Yorkshire leads with 227 Ackroyds recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.10x.

Place Total Index
Manningham 227 68.10x
Bradford 190 29.01x
Thornton In Bradford 146 162.10x
Halifax 119 29.96x
Bowling 110 41.05x
Northowram 104 54.82x
Leeds 101 6.61x
Horton In Bradford 94 22.25x
Keighley 71 24.62x
Clayton 69 104.20x
Pudsey 67 46.33x
Warley 66 84.40x
Heptonstall 65 171.23x
Sowerby In Halifax 49 55.39x
North Bierley 41 28.07x
Shipley 40 28.49x
Oldham 39 3.73x
Hunslet 32 7.58x
Stainland Cum Old 32 69.11x
Skircoat 31 29.05x
Bingley 29 16.83x
Elland Cum Greetland 29 23.79x
Wyke In Bradford 29 59.93x
Castleton 27 8.34x
Liversedge 27 22.42x
Allerton 26 75.38x
Batley 26 10.11x
Heckmondwike 25 28.73x
Midgley 25 86.72x
Eccleshill 24 36.45x
Wilsden 24 86.36x
Dewsbury 23 8.29x
Ovenden 23 19.10x
Radford 21 11.23x
Gomersal 19 15.04x
Manchester 18 1.24x
Langfield 17 35.91x
Stansfield 17 17.07x
Haworth 16 24.88x
Idle 16 12.75x
Calverley Cum Farsley 15 19.52x
Lockwood 15 15.41x
Huddersfield 14 3.55x
Stranton 14 5.12x
Tong 14 26.79x
Cleckheaton 13 13.04x
Holbeck 13 7.25x
Nottingham St Mary 13 1.37x
Bradford Girlington 11 90.98x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 2.14x
Woolwich 11 3.20x
Edlington 10 833.33x
Heaton 10 34.40x
Morley 10 7.11x
Southowram 10 12.11x
Longwood 9 20.64x
North Meols 9 2.84x
Pontefract 9 15.44x
Saddleworth 9 4.31x
Soothill 9 9.21x
Drighlington 8 20.30x
Great Ayton 8 48.28x
Hoyland Nether 8 12.06x
Leicester St Margaret 8 1.08x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 7 7.12x
Conisbrough 7 27.58x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 0.48x
Gorton 7 2.30x
Moorsholme 7 190.74x
Salford 7 0.73x
Armley 6 5.03x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 6 6.48x
Bramley In Bramley 6 5.79x
Colne 6 6.22x
Erringden 6 34.32x
Kirkleatham 6 16.42x
Middlesbrough 6 1.70x
Newchurch 6 2.26x
Royton 6 6.05x
Scarborough 6 2.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 252
Sarah 157
Elizabeth 87
Hannah 73
Martha 55
Ann 52
Emma 45
Annie 43
Eliza 33
Emily 33
Alice 32
Harriet 24
Jane 21
Ellen 20
Clara 19
Edith 19
Grace 17
Maria 17
Louisa 16
Susannah 16
Margaret 14
Fanny 13
Ada 12
Betty 12
Florence 12
Lucy 11
Ruth 11
Susan 10
Rachel 9
Rebecca 9
Harriett 8
Matilda 8
Anne 7
Catherine 6
Rose 6
Agnes 5
Bertha 5
Caroline 5
Charlotte 5
Eleanor 5
Frances 5
Isabella 5
Lilly 5
Margret 5
Minnie 5
Nancy 5
Priscilla 5
Amelia 4
Annis 4
Ethel 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 176
William 126
Joseph 80
Thomas 79
James 77
George 50
Albert 30
Arthur 29
Herbert 28
Walter 28
Samuel 27
Henry 25
Fred 22
Alfred 21
Abraham 19
Benjamin 19
Harry 19
Frank 17
Edward 15
Isaac 13
Jonathan 13
Charles 12
David 12
Robert 12
Ernest 10
Frederick 10
Richard 10
Wm. 10
Sam 9
Jonas 8
Joe 7
Matthew 7
Tom 7
Daniel 6
Eli 6
Francis 6
Lewis 6
Thos. 6
Joshua 5
Robinson 5
Willie 5
Jeremiah 4
Mathew 4
Simeon 4
Wilson 4
Benjm. 3
Jesse 3
Seth 3
Smith 3
Squire 3

FAQ

Ackroyd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ackroyd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,802 people were recorded with the Ackroyd surname. That placed it at #1,592 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ackroyd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,393 in 2016. That gives Ackroyd a modern rank of #2,744.

What does the Ackroyd surname mean?

From the oak tree, referring to someone who lived near an oak tree or in an oak forest.

What does the Ackroyd map show?

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