NameCensus.

UK surname

Ascroft

In the 1881 census there were 428 people recorded with the Ascroft surname, ranking it #7,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 473, ranked #10,409, down from #7,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rufford, Wigan and Tarleton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lancashire, Barnsley and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ascroft is 600 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.5%.

1881 census count

428

Ranked #7,587

Modern count

473

2016, ranked #10,409

Peak year

1911

600 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ascroft had 428 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 473 in 2016, ranked #10,409.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 600 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Ascroft surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ascroft surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ascroft 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 318 #7,293
1861 historical 460 #5,647
1881 historical 428 #7,587
1891 historical 546 #6,925
1901 historical 456 #8,624
1911 historical 600 #6,841
1997 modern 491 #9,425
1998 modern 466 #10,140
1999 modern 490 #9,811
2000 modern 471 #10,073
2001 modern 466 #9,984
2002 modern 500 #9,625
2003 modern 516 #9,275
2004 modern 485 #9,716
2005 modern 470 #9,879
2006 modern 479 #9,788
2007 modern 476 #9,916
2008 modern 486 #9,852
2009 modern 482 #10,131
2010 modern 492 #10,178
2011 modern 490 #10,114
2012 modern 481 #10,145
2013 modern 492 #10,138
2014 modern 496 #10,124
2015 modern 489 #10,168
2016 modern 473 #10,409

Geography

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Where Ascrofts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rufford, Wigan, Tarleton, Preston and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lancashire, Barnsley 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 Rufford Lancashire
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Tarleton Lancashire
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lancashire 002 West Lancashire
2 West Lancashire 001 West Lancashire
3 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
4 Wigan 014 Wigan
5 Wigan 008 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ascroft

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ascroft

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Ascroft surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Ascroft household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Ascroft 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

Ascroft 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

Ascroft falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ascroft is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Ascroft families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ascroft 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 380 Ascrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.67x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 380 7.67x
Nottinghamshire 18 3.20x
Durham 7 0.56x
Middlesex 5 0.12x
Cheshire 4 0.43x
Surrey 4 0.20x
Westmorland 3 3.27x
Derbyshire 2 0.31x
Northumberland 2 0.32x
Yorkshire 2 0.05x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pemberton in Lancashire leads with 54 Ascrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 273.42x.

Place Total Index
Pemberton 54 273.42x
Tarleton 52 1911.76x
Wigan 45 65.00x
Bootle Cum Linacre 35 88.97x
Preston 32 24.14x
Billinge Higher End 20 995.02x
Croston 14 546.88x
Sutton In Ashfield 14 114.66x
Ashton In Makerfield 9 63.78x
Upholland 9 141.73x
Oldham 8 5.00x
Heap 7 26.64x
Ince In Makerfield 7 30.37x
Litherland 7 67.57x
Middleton In Oldham 7 47.14x
Rufford 7 542.64x
Whitworth 7 77.01x
Dalton In Wigan 6 845.07x
Ormskirk 6 63.29x
Medlar With Wesham 5 335.57x
Aughton 4 81.47x
Bretherton 4 396.04x
Chelsea London 4 3.18x
Fishwick 4 130.72x
Golborne 4 61.92x
Hulme 4 3.87x
Lathom 4 66.89x
Lytham 4 52.91x
Walton Le Dale 4 30.05x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 2.77x
Great Crosby 3 22.21x
Kendal 3 17.86x
Ashover 2 61.54x
Askham 2 645.16x
Hale 2 62.89x
Harlow Hill 2 1538.46x
Lambeth 2 0.55x
North Meols 2 4.12x
Orrell 2 32.47x
Thornton In Bradford 2 14.52x
Toxteth Park 2 1.19x
Wrightington 2 92.59x
Arnold 1 12.18x
Basford 1 3.86x
Battersea 1 0.65x
Grappenhall 1 88.50x
Hindley 1 4.73x
Holy Trinity Cambridge 1 34.84x
Liverpool 1 0.33x
Marton 1 30.40x
Newington 1 0.65x
Over 1 10.67x
St Stephen Coleman Street 1 68.49x
Warton 1 175.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 38
Elizabeth 25
Margaret 16
Ellen 14
Jane 13
Sarah 13
Ann 10
Alice 6
Catherine 6
Annie 4
Clara 4
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Emma 4
Anne 3
Hannah 3
Kate 3
Agnes 2
Eleanor 2
Eliz. 2
Esther 2
Florence 2
Louisa 2
Margeret 2
Margt. 2
Martha 2
Wilhelmina 2
Barbara 1
Bridget 1
Christiana 1
Constance 1
Elizebeth 1
Elizh. 1
Faith 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Hettie 1
Hilda 1
Janey 1
Jessie 1
Joyce 1
Lavena 1
Louis 1
M. 1
Mabel 1
Margary 1
Margret 1
Marian 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 38
John 26
Thomas 22
James 19
Henry 15
Peter 11
Robert 7
George 6
Joseph 6
Charles 4
Edward 4
Richard 4
Alexander 2
Gerard 2
Giles 2
Hugh 2
Tom 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Alonzo 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
Danl. 1
David 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
G. 1
Harold 1
Jno.Willm. 1
Lambert 1
Mark 1
Mathias 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Moses 1
Philip 1
Rbt. 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Ascroft surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ascroft surname in 1881?

In 1881, 428 people were recorded with the Ascroft surname. That placed it at #7,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ascroft surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 473 in 2016. That gives Ascroft a modern rank of #10,409.

What does the Ascroft map show?

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