NameCensus.

UK surname

Anderton

Derived from a place name meaning "Andrew's town" or "farm belonging to Andrew" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 3,550 people recorded with the Anderton surname, ranking it #1,276 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,740, ranked #1,817, down from #1,276 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bingley, Manchester and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Doncaster and Wyre.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Anderton is 4,456 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.4%.

1881 census count

3,550

Ranked #1,276

Modern count

3,740

2016, ranked #1,817

Peak year

1911

4,456 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Anderton had 3,550 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,276 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,740 in 2016, ranked #1,817.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,456 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Anderton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Anderton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Anderton 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 2,411 #1,232
1861 historical 2,379 #1,235
1881 historical 3,550 #1,276
1891 historical 3,661 #1,310
1901 historical 4,236 #1,328
1911 historical 4,456 #1,160
1997 modern 4,031 #1,606
1998 modern 4,101 #1,646
1999 modern 4,095 #1,656
2000 modern 4,133 #1,641
2001 modern 4,042 #1,639
2002 modern 4,138 #1,635
2003 modern 4,017 #1,649
2004 modern 3,966 #1,669
2005 modern 3,848 #1,694
2006 modern 3,863 #1,688
2007 modern 3,858 #1,711
2008 modern 3,868 #1,719
2009 modern 3,904 #1,740
2010 modern 3,989 #1,743
2011 modern 3,872 #1,769
2012 modern 3,809 #1,763
2013 modern 3,873 #1,768
2014 modern 3,870 #1,777
2015 modern 3,810 #1,782
2016 modern 3,740 #1,817

Geography

Back to top

Where Andertons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bingley, Manchester, Preston, Keighley and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Doncaster and Wyre. 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 Bingley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 027 Wigan
2 Doncaster 004 Doncaster
3 Doncaster 006 Doncaster
4 Wyre 001 Wyre
5 Wyre 002 Wyre

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Anderton

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Anderton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Anderton, 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 Anderton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Anderton 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, Anderton 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

Anderton is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Anderton 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 Anderton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Anderton

The surname Anderton originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "anda" meaning duck and "tun" meaning enclosure or settlement, referring to a duck enclosure or a place where ducks were kept.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Anderton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Andetuna" in reference to a settlement in Lancashire. This indicates that the name was already established in the region at the time of the Norman Conquest.

The name Anderton is closely associated with the village of Anderton in Lancashire, which likely took its name from the surname. Historical records show that the Anderton family was prominent landowners in the area from the 13th century onwards.

In the late 13th century, a Robert de Anderton is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire, indicating the presence of the family in the region during that time. Another notable individual was Sir Francis Anderton (1548-1620), a Catholic recusant who was imprisoned for his religious beliefs.

John Anderton (1590-1675) was an English Benedictine monk who served as the President of the English Benedictine Congregation from 1635 to 1654. He played a significant role in the preservation of the Catholic faith during the turbulent times of the English Reformation.

The name Anderton also appears in various historical records from other parts of England, such as Yorkshire and Cheshire, suggesting that the surname spread beyond its original Lancashire roots.

In the late 18th century, James Anderton (1748-1827) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and the Blenheim Estate in Woodstock.

Another notable figure was Sir David Anderton (1923-2008), a British police officer who served as the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police from 1976 to 1991. He was known for his controversial stance on police tactics and his outspoken views on various social issues.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Anderton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Anderton 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. Lancashire leads with 2,187 Andertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.32x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2,187 5.32x
Yorkshire 408 1.19x
Warwickshire 283 3.24x
Middlesex 111 0.32x
Cheshire 105 1.37x
Surrey 61 0.36x
Staffordshire 56 0.48x
Worcestershire 54 1.19x
Northamptonshire 41 1.26x
Lincolnshire 39 0.70x
Hampshire 33 0.46x
Gloucestershire 18 0.26x
Northumberland 18 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.34x
Norfolk 12 0.23x
Kent 10 0.08x
Suffolk 10 0.24x
Leicestershire 9 0.23x
Shropshire 9 0.30x
Cornwall 8 0.20x
Derbyshire 8 0.15x
Devon 8 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.33x
Dunbartonshire 7 0.75x
Isle of Man 7 1.09x
Oxfordshire 7 0.33x
Flintshire 3 0.32x
Sussex 3 0.05x
Denbighshire 2 0.15x
Durham 2 0.02x
Radnorshire 2 0.72x
Somerset 2 0.04x
Westmorland 2 0.26x
Angus 1 0.03x
Berkshire 1 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.07x
Cumberland 1 0.03x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Essex 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 157 Andertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.34x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 157 14.34x
Preston 144 13.08x
Padiham 73 73.45x
Bingley 69 31.54x
Pemberton 63 38.41x
Aston 54 2.24x
Birmingham 54 1.85x
Ince In Makerfield 52 27.17x
Keighley 52 14.20x
West Derby 50 4.15x
Little Bolton 47 8.89x
Salford 45 3.72x
Hindley 44 25.09x
Manchester 42 2.27x
Chorley 40 17.33x
Everton 38 2.90x
Hulme 38 4.42x
Meriden 37 372.61x
Northowram 37 15.36x
Windle 37 15.98x
Great Bolton 35 6.42x
Accrington 34 9.09x
Walton Le Dale 34 30.76x
Melling 31 325.63x
Billinge Chapel End 29 125.65x
Broughton In Salford 29 7.71x
Over Darwen 29 8.83x
Northampton St Sepulchre 28 16.88x
Wigan 27 4.70x
Adlington 25 64.90x
Kings Norton 25 6.16x
Oldham 25 1.88x
Eccleston In Prescot 24 11.62x
Chorlton On Medlock 23 3.52x
North Meols 23 5.71x
St Marylebone London 22 1.19x
Liverpool 21 0.84x
Golborne 20 37.30x
Macclesfield 20 5.88x
Skelmersdale 20 29.17x
Tottington Lower End 20 10.23x
Bury 19 4.04x
Spotland 19 4.15x
Billinge Higher End 18 108.04x
Fishwick 18 70.75x
Lathom 18 36.23x
Skipton 18 16.65x
Stretford 18 7.95x
Thornton In Fylde 18 20.00x
Ashton Under Lyne 17 1.89x
Barton Upon Irwell 17 5.49x
Bickerstaffe 17 63.13x
Mawdesley 17 153.85x
Ormskirk 17 21.60x
Sutton Coldfield 17 18.50x
Lancaster 16 6.54x
Manningham 16 3.78x
Orrell 16 31.28x
Runcorn 16 9.07x
Castleton 15 3.65x
Handsworth 15 5.20x
Morton In Keighley 15 55.58x
St Pancras London 15 0.54x
Baildon 14 21.64x
Hackney London 14 0.72x
Layton With Warbreck 14 9.27x
Shipley 14 7.85x
Dukinfield 13 3.68x
Kenilworth 13 26.38x
Oswaldtwistle 13 8.94x
West Bromwich 13 1.94x
Elswick 12 2.91x
Halifax 12 2.38x
Newchurch 12 3.57x
Pendlebury 12 13.82x
Read 12 109.09x
Toxteth Park 12 0.86x
Yardley 12 10.36x
Kirkham 11 20.22x
Westhoughton 11 10.02x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 290
Elizabeth 171
Sarah 137
Jane 99
Ann 97
Margaret 88
Alice 82
Ellen 81
Annie 50
Emma 46
Hannah 45
Martha 39
Eliza 35
Emily 25
Catherine 21
Ada 18
Harriet 18
Isabella 18
Anne 16
Edith 16
Maria 16
Frances 15
Agnes 14
Caroline 13
Clara 12
Louisa 12
Kate 11
Amelia 10
Florence 9
Lucy 9
Susannah 9
Betsy 8
Eleanor 8
Margret 8
Nancy 8
Elizth. 7
Fanny 7
Gertrude 7
Grace 7
Harriett 7
Helen 7
Jessie 7
Lydia 7
Betty 6
Dorothy 6
Esther 6
Matilda 6
Rebecca 6
Bertha 5
Helena 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 245
William 210
Thomas 164
James 146
Joseph 81
George 79
Henry 61
Richard 49
Robert 46
Edward 37
Alfred 33
Charles 31
Arthur 24
Samuel 24
Walter 17
Albert 16
Harry 16
Francis 14
Peter 14
Wm. 14
Edwin 10
Fred 10
Frederick 10
Herbert 10
Benjamin 9
Thos. 9
Daniel 7
David 7
Isaac 7
Abraham 6
Ernest 6
Frank 6
Joshua 6
Richd. 6
Chas. 5
Fredk. 5
Hugh 5
Ralph 5
Roger 5
Christopher 4
Fredrick 4
Stephen 4
Tom 4
Willie 4
Wilson 4
Andrew 3
Jas. 3
Jno. 3
Jonas 3
Saml. 3

FAQ

Anderton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Anderton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,550 people were recorded with the Anderton surname. That placed it at #1,276 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Anderton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,740 in 2016. That gives Anderton a modern rank of #1,817.

What does the Anderton surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Andrew's town" or "farm belonging to Andrew" in Old English.

What does the Anderton map show?

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