NameCensus.

UK surname

Arkwright

An English surname derived from the words "ark" and "wright", referring to a maker of chests or arks.

In the 1881 census there were 705 people recorded with the Arkwright surname, ranking it #5,155 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 651, ranked #8,175, down from #5,155 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, Preston and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lancaster, Burnley and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Arkwright is 885 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.7%.

1881 census count

705

Ranked #5,155

Modern count

651

2016, ranked #8,175

Peak year

1911

885 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Arkwright had 705 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,155 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 651 in 2016, ranked #8,175.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 885 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Arkwright surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Arkwright surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Arkwright 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 379 #6,300
1861 historical 462 #5,621
1881 historical 705 #5,155
1891 historical 763 #5,228
1901 historical 816 #5,532
1911 historical 885 #5,032
1997 modern 637 #7,788
1998 modern 641 #7,986
1999 modern 647 #7,979
2000 modern 661 #7,833
2001 modern 647 #7,824
2002 modern 676 #7,722
2003 modern 666 #7,685
2004 modern 649 #7,852
2005 modern 636 #7,906
2006 modern 647 #7,829
2007 modern 661 #7,764
2008 modern 655 #7,869
2009 modern 676 #7,848
2010 modern 672 #8,041
2011 modern 652 #8,138
2012 modern 637 #8,192
2013 modern 669 #8,021
2014 modern 664 #8,115
2015 modern 656 #8,136
2016 modern 651 #8,175

Geography

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Where Arkwrights are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, Preston, Wigan and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lancaster, Burnley and Wigan. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lancaster 020 Lancaster
2 Lancaster 016 Lancaster
3 Burnley 004 Burnley
4 Lancaster 014 Lancaster
5 Wigan 034 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Arkwright

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Arkwright

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Arkwright is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Arkwright 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

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

Meaning and origin of Arkwright

The surname Arkwright is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "arke" meaning ark or chest, and "wyrhta" meaning worker or maker, denoting someone who made or repaired chests, boxes, or arks.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Arkwright appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, referring to an individual named Geoffrey Arkwright. The name was also mentioned in various other historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301 and the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327.

Variations of the name existed in the Middle Ages, such as Arcwright, Arkewright, and Arkeright, reflecting the different pronunciations and spellings of the time. The name was also associated with certain place names, like Arkwright Town in Derbyshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Archevrde."

One of the most notable individuals with the surname Arkwright was Sir Richard Arkwright (1732-1792), an English inventor and industrialist credited with pioneering the modern factory system. He patented a spinning frame that revolutionized the cotton industry and established the first successful water-powered cotton mills in Cromford, Derbyshire.

Another prominent figure was John Arkwright (1655-1700), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire. His son, Sir Richard Arkwright (1682-1759), was also a respected landowner and served as High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.

In the realm of literature, John Arkwright (1721-1792) was a notable English poet and clergyman, known for his poems and hymns. William Arkwright (1793-1861), a descendant of Sir Richard Arkwright, was a prominent industrialist and philanthropist who established the Arkwright Societies to promote education and social welfare.

The name Arkwright has also been associated with several places, such as Arkwright Town in Derbyshire, Arkwright Village in Nottinghamshire, and Arkwright Meadows, a nature reserve in Derbyshire named after Sir Richard Arkwright's cotton mills.

Throughout history, the surname Arkwright has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including inventors, industrialists, landowners, poets, and clergymen, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Arkwright families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Arkwright 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 523 Arkwrights recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.42x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 523 6.42x
Middlesex 36 0.52x
Yorkshire 20 0.29x
Westmorland 19 12.59x
Surrey 16 0.48x
Derbyshire 12 1.12x
Essex 10 0.74x
Leicestershire 10 1.31x
Buckinghamshire 8 1.93x
Herefordshire 7 2.49x
Hampshire 6 0.43x
Northamptonshire 6 0.93x
Shropshire 6 1.01x
Caernarfonshire 5 1.80x
Durham 3 0.15x
Sussex 3 0.26x
Warwickshire 3 0.17x
Berkshire 2 0.39x
Hertfordshire 2 0.42x
Cheshire 1 0.07x
Devon 1 0.07x
Flintshire 1 0.54x
Kent 1 0.04x
Northumberland 1 0.10x
Worcestershire 1 0.11x

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 66 Arkwrights recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.44x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 66 30.44x
Pemberton 58 178.52x
Wigan 56 49.18x
Preston 55 25.23x
Toxteth Park 21 7.61x
Lancaster 20 41.25x
Over Darwen 18 27.65x
Westleigh 18 97.30x
Ince In Makerfield 15 39.56x
Scotforth 14 264.15x
Ashton In Makerfield 13 56.03x
Heversham With Milnthorpe 13 358.13x
Salford 13 5.42x
Kensington London 12 3.14x
Manchester 12 3.27x
Openshaw 12 31.45x
Walton Le Dale 12 54.79x
Lambeth 11 1.84x
Ashton Under Lyne 8 4.49x
Cockerham 8 384.62x
Aspull 7 36.52x
Chelsea London 7 3.38x
St George Hanover Square 7 5.79x
Tickhill 7 161.29x
Billinge Chapel End 6 131.29x
Bodenham 6 289.86x
Irchester 6 149.63x
Ormskirk 6 38.49x
Pendleton In Salford 6 6.18x
Scarisbrick 6 63.42x
Selattyn 6 223.05x
Barnacre With Bonds 5 232.56x
Burghclere 5 279.33x
Ellel 5 119.05x
Halliwell 5 16.86x
Latton 5 909.09x
Poulton Le Fylde 5 173.01x
Rowsley Great 5 746.27x
Windle 5 10.91x
Wolverton 5 58.21x
Kendal 4 14.48x
Leicester St Margaret 4 2.15x
Leicester St Mary 4 6.50x
Parr 4 13.72x
Stretford 4 8.92x
Thurnham 4 317.46x
West Ham 4 1.34x
Aldcliffe 3 1363.64x
Battersea 3 1.19x
Eton 3 31.88x
Hatton 3 131.00x
Llanfair Fechan 3 62.50x
Matlock 3 20.78x
Newton 3 4.78x
Richmond 3 28.22x
Scarborough 3 4.85x
Walmersley Cum 3 23.04x
Westminster St Margaret 3 9.06x
Clayton Le Moors 2 12.65x
Crumpsall 2 10.41x
Great Amwell 2 42.11x
Great Bolton 2 1.85x
Hunslet 2 1.88x
Llandudno 2 20.20x
Rottingdean 2 50.51x
Stockton On Tees 2 2.03x
Strickland Roger 2 196.08x
Sutton Cum Duckmanton 2 178.57x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 2 8.53x
Windley 2 444.44x
Barrow In Furness 1 0.90x
Burnley 1 1.46x
Elswick 1 1.23x
Great Bowden 1 14.43x
Kirkdale 1 0.73x
Livesey 1 6.99x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 0.91x
Ribchester 1 32.47x
Whiston 1 15.72x
Wrightington 1 28.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 63
Elizabeth 32
Ellen 26
Alice 25
Margaret 22
Jane 19
Sarah 19
Ann 11
Annie 9
Hannah 9
Agnes 8
Maria 6
Emma 5
Catherine 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Caroline 3
Dorothy 3
Emily 3
Evelyn 3
Fanny 3
Isabella 3
Betsy 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
F.E. 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Margt. 2
Sophia 2
Susannah 2
Bertha 1
Betty 1
Clare 1
Clementina 1
Constance 1
Diana 1
Dinah 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1
Eveline 1
F. 1
F.A. 1
Frances 1
Geraldine 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 45
John 44
James 33
Thomas 30
Robert 20
Richard 16
Joseph 10
Charles 9
George 8
Henry 8
Peter 7
Arthur 6
Francis 5
Frederick 5
Thos. 5
Wm. 4
Edward 3
Stephen 3
Walter 3
Abraham 2
Alfred 2
Denis 2
Fredk. 2
Godfrey 2
Herbert 2
Jas. 2
Loftus 2
Reginald 2
Robt. 2
Silvester 2
Alan 1
Aloysius 1
Bernard 1
Bertrum 1
Cecil 1
Cyil 1
Ellen 1
Ernest 1
Eustace 1
Ferdenand 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Hugh 1
Isaih 1
J. 1
Jas.Henry 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Jos 1
Jos. 1

FAQ

Arkwright surname: questions and answers

How common was the Arkwright surname in 1881?

In 1881, 705 people were recorded with the Arkwright surname. That placed it at #5,155 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Arkwright surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 651 in 2016. That gives Arkwright a modern rank of #8,175.

What does the Arkwright surname mean?

An English surname derived from the words "ark" and "wright", referring to a maker of chests or arks.

What does the Arkwright map show?

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