NameCensus.

UK surname

Appleyard

A locational surname referring to someone living near an apple orchard.

In the 1881 census there were 2,738 people recorded with the Appleyard surname, ranking it #1,632 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,924, ranked #2,307, down from #1,632 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Clee and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Wakefield and West Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Appleyard is 3,651 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.8%.

1881 census count

2,738

Ranked #1,632

Modern count

2,924

2016, ranked #2,307

Peak year

1911

3,651 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Appleyard had 2,738 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,632 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,924 in 2016, ranked #2,307.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,651 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Appleyard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Appleyard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Appleyard 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 1,778 #1,622
1861 historical 1,987 #1,463
1881 historical 2,738 #1,632
1891 historical 2,983 #1,576
1901 historical 3,349 #1,666
1911 historical 3,651 #1,431
1997 modern 2,995 #2,156
1998 modern 3,051 #2,207
1999 modern 3,086 #2,195
2000 modern 3,028 #2,226
2001 modern 2,963 #2,223
2002 modern 3,031 #2,222
2003 modern 2,930 #2,240
2004 modern 2,909 #2,259
2005 modern 2,873 #2,257
2006 modern 2,856 #2,274
2007 modern 2,864 #2,290
2008 modern 2,874 #2,304
2009 modern 2,924 #2,313
2010 modern 2,997 #2,306
2011 modern 2,968 #2,299
2012 modern 2,936 #2,280
2013 modern 2,941 #2,312
2014 modern 2,970 #2,305
2015 modern 2,935 #2,308
2016 modern 2,924 #2,307

Geography

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Where Appleyards are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Wakefield and West Lindsey. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Clee Lincolnshire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 106 Leeds
2 Wakefield 018 Wakefield
3 West Lindsey 003 West Lindsey
4 Leeds 101 Leeds
5 Wakefield 015 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Appleyard

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Appleyard

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Appleyard is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Appleyard 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

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

Meaning and origin of Appleyard

The surname Appleyard is of English origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "æppel" meaning apple and "geard" meaning enclosed yard or garden. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near an apple orchard or a homestead with an apple garden.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Appleyard can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties of England, such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners in England, there are references to individuals with the surname Appleyard or variations like Appelyard or Appilyerd.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert de Appelyard, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301. The name also appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1332, with a reference to William de Appulyerd.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Appleyard was particularly prevalent in the North of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include William Appleyard (1551-1611), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Bangor and Barnabas Appleyard (1585-1647), a wealthy merchant and benefactor from York.

In the 18th century, the name Appleyard was associated with several prominent figures, such as James Appleyard (1713-1780), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War, and John Appleyard (1766-1836), an English portrait painter and engraver.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir Albert Appleyard (1842-1924), a British civil engineer and contractor who was involved in the construction of several major railway projects, including the Forth Bridge in Scotland.

The name Appleyard has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Appleyard Cottage in Kirkham, Lancashire, and Appleyard Lane in Beverley, Yorkshire, further reinforcing its connection to the geographical origins of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Appleyard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Appleyard 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 1,931 Appleyards recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.30x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,931 7.30x
Lancashire 188 0.59x
Lincolnshire 164 3.84x
Middlesex 92 0.34x
Surrey 88 0.68x
Derbyshire 43 1.03x
Durham 33 0.42x
Cheshire 26 0.44x
Worcestershire 19 0.54x
Kent 17 0.19x
Essex 14 0.27x
Glamorgan 14 0.30x
Warwickshire 13 0.19x
Hampshire 12 0.22x
Lanarkshire 12 0.14x
Herefordshire 7 0.64x
Staffordshire 7 0.08x
Wiltshire 6 0.25x
Berkshire 5 0.25x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.30x
Devon 5 0.09x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.85x
Westmorland 4 0.68x
Brecknockshire 3 0.56x
Gloucestershire 3 0.06x
Northumberland 3 0.08x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.12x
Flintshire 2 0.28x
Leicestershire 2 0.07x
Norfolk 2 0.05x
Renfrewshire 2 0.10x
Somerset 2 0.05x
Ayrshire 1 0.05x
Bedfordshire 1 0.07x
Channel Islands 1 0.13x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.12x
Sussex 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 165 Appleyards recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.04x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 165 11.04x
Holbeck 80 45.62x
Cleethorpes 77 306.53x
Morley 72 52.32x
Horton In Bradford 69 16.69x
Castleford 63 65.37x
Halifax 57 14.67x
Hunslet 57 13.81x
Wortley In Bramley 47 22.42x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 44 35.78x
Armley 38 32.55x
Southowram 35 43.33x
Selby 33 59.66x
Keighley 32 11.34x
Bramley In Bramley 30 29.61x
Brightside Bierlow 30 5.78x
Ovenden 30 25.47x
Clayton 28 43.22x
Lambeth 27 1.16x
Manningham 27 8.28x
Pudsey 27 19.09x
Sheffield 27 3.20x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 26 27.05x
Skelmanthorpe 26 91.00x
Mirfield 25 17.20x
Northowram 25 13.47x
Middlesbrough 23 6.67x
Conisbrough 22 88.60x
Batley 21 8.35x
Bradford 21 3.28x
Hook 21 36.07x
Huddersfield 21 5.45x
Wakefield 20 9.84x
Wistow 19 270.27x
Dewsbury 18 6.63x
Ecclesall Bierlow 18 3.34x
Holy Trinity 18 2.83x
Camberwell 17 1.00x
Horsforth 17 29.30x
Scarborough 17 7.07x
Sculcoates 17 4.05x
Headingley Cum Burley 16 9.39x
Manchester 16 1.12x
Normanton 16 20.12x
Barnsley 15 5.49x
Bridlington 14 23.10x
Little Bolton 14 3.44x
Great Grimsby 13 4.80x
Haworth 13 20.66x
Swansea Town 13 3.41x
Thornton In Bradford 13 14.75x
Liverpool 12 0.62x
Maryhill 12 7.10x
Wandsworth 12 4.67x
Whitwood 12 31.92x
Bethnal Green London 11 0.95x
Clayton Cum Frickley 11 375.43x
Hulme 11 1.66x
Kensington London 11 0.74x
Calverley Cum Farsley 10 13.31x
Chorlton On Medlock 10 1.99x
Hartlepool 10 8.86x
Potter Newton 10 21.42x
Redditch 10 14.14x
Shoreditch London 10 0.86x
St Pancras London 10 0.47x
Tonge With Haulgh 10 16.21x
West Ham 10 0.86x
Birmingham 9 0.40x
Clerkenwell London 9 1.43x
Dukinfield 9 3.30x
Ecclesfield 9 4.64x
Goole 9 20.29x
Gorton 9 3.02x
Islington London 9 0.35x
Kippax 9 38.66x
Normanby In 9 12.72x
North Bierley 9 6.30x
Stranton 9 3.36x
Whiston 9 70.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 203
Sarah 121
Elizabeth 101
Ann 60
Annie 55
Jane 53
Eliza 45
Ellen 42
Martha 41
Alice 40
Hannah 37
Emma 36
Emily 33
Clara 23
Ada 21
Margaret 19
Edith 17
Fanny 17
Harriet 16
Frances 15
Louisa 15
Lucy 13
Caroline 12
Kate 12
Florence 11
Charlotte 10
Anne 9
Gertrude 9
Harriett 9
Maria 9
Rebecca 9
Ruth 9
Rose 8
Susan 8
Grace 7
Catherine 6
Isabella 6
Susannah 6
Amelia 5
Betsy 5
Elizth. 5
Jessie 5
Laura 5
Lydia 5
Eva 4
Julia 4
Lilly 4
Rosa 4
Selina 4
Sophia 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 168
William 127
George 93
Thomas 79
Joseph 76
James 72
Charles 50
Henry 41
Walter 31
Edward 29
Arthur 28
Samuel 26
Robert 23
Alfred 21
Albert 18
Frank 16
Harry 15
Fred 14
Frederick 14
Tom 14
Wm. 14
Herbert 13
Edwin 12
Richard 12
Geo. 10
Sam 10
Ernest 9
Willie 9
Benjamin 8
David 8
Thos. 8
Isaac 7
Francis 6
Joe 6
Oliver 6
Chas. 5
Edmund 5
Joshua 5
Mark 5
Percy 5
Abraham 4
Amos 4
Fredk. 4
Jno. 4
Moses 4
Earnest 3
Godfrey 3
Robt. 3
Tobit 3
Wilson 3

FAQ

Appleyard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Appleyard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,738 people were recorded with the Appleyard surname. That placed it at #1,632 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Appleyard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,924 in 2016. That gives Appleyard a modern rank of #2,307.

What does the Appleyard surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone living near an apple orchard.

What does the Appleyard map show?

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