NameCensus.

UK surname

Ashcroft

From residence near a grove of ash trees.

In the 1881 census there were 4,008 people recorded with the Ashcroft surname, ranking it #1,129 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,403, ranked #1,054, up from #1,129 in 1881.

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

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ashcroft is 6,681 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.8%.

1881 census count

4,008

Ranked #1,129

Modern count

6,403

2016, ranked #1,054

Peak year

1999

6,681 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ashcroft had 4,008 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,129 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,403 in 2016, ranked #1,054.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,769 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Ashcroft surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ashcroft surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ashcroft 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 1,990 #1,455
1861 historical 2,318 #1,273
1881 historical 4,008 #1,129
1891 historical 4,467 #1,057
1901 historical 5,270 #1,068
1911 historical 5,769 #906
1997 modern 6,444 #1,008
1998 modern 6,485 #1,050
1999 modern 6,681 #1,025
2000 modern 6,618 #1,031
2001 modern 6,440 #1,035
2002 modern 6,596 #1,034
2003 modern 6,392 #1,046
2004 modern 6,376 #1,046
2005 modern 6,230 #1,058
2006 modern 6,281 #1,045
2007 modern 6,345 #1,044
2008 modern 6,323 #1,049
2009 modern 6,492 #1,042
2010 modern 6,585 #1,053
2011 modern 6,528 #1,045
2012 modern 6,390 #1,046
2013 modern 6,538 #1,044
2014 modern 6,570 #1,046
2015 modern 6,479 #1,046
2016 modern 6,403 #1,054

Geography

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Where Ashcrofts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wigan, Manchester, Liverpool, West Derby and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan and West Lancashire. 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 Wigan Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 018 Wigan
2 Wigan 010 Wigan
3 West Lancashire 004 West Lancashire
4 Wigan 011 Wigan
5 West Lancashire 015 West Lancashire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ashcroft

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ashcroft

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

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Ashcroft surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Ashcroft 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ashcroft 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

Ashcroft is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Ashcroft

The surname Ashcroft has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "æsc" meaning ash tree and "croft" meaning a small enclosed field or meadow. The surname essentially means "dweller at the ash tree meadow."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199, where a William de Askecroft is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer for financial transactions and tax records.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire in 1246, which mentions a Richard de Askecroft. These rolls documented legal proceedings and disputes related to land ownership and inheritance.

The name was originally spelled in various ways, including Ascroft, Ashecroft, and Ashcroft, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. Some instances of the name were also recorded as de Askecroft or de Ascroft, indicating the family's place of origin.

In the 14th century, the Ashcroft surname appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John de Ascroft is mentioned in 1348. These rolls documented legal proceedings and transactions related to the manor's estates and tenants.

One notable bearer of the Ashcroft name was Sir Ralph Ashcroft (c. 1435–1512), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament from Lancashire. He served as High Sheriff of Lancashire and was involved in the Wars of the Roses, supporting the House of Lancaster.

Another influential figure was Sir Richard Ashcroft (1568–1632), an English judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer and held several influential positions during the reign of King James I.

In the 18th century, John Ashcroft (1692–1768) was a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of the moon's motion and the calculation of eclipses.

The Ashcroft name also gained prominence in the United States, with Robert Ashcroft (1775–1846) being a prominent early settler in Ohio and a representative in the state's legislature.

Finally, John Ashcroft (born 1942) is a notable American politician and lawyer who served as the 79th United States Attorney General under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ashcroft families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ashcroft 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 3,167 Ashcrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.83x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,167 6.83x
Durham 115 0.99x
Cheshire 107 1.24x
Staffordshire 89 0.67x
Worcestershire 74 1.45x
Yorkshire 52 0.13x
Lanarkshire 43 0.34x
Surrey 42 0.22x
Middlesex 33 0.08x
Huntingdonshire 25 3.22x
Kent 24 0.18x
Sussex 21 0.32x
Monmouthshire 20 0.71x
Hampshire 18 0.22x
Roxburghshire 15 2.12x
Herefordshire 14 0.87x
Gloucestershire 13 0.17x
Lincolnshire 12 0.19x
Midlothian 11 0.21x
Renfrewshire 11 0.36x
Warwickshire 11 0.11x
Cumberland 10 0.30x
Essex 10 0.13x
Northumberland 10 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 8 0.32x
Flintshire 8 0.76x
Glamorgan 6 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.11x
Derbyshire 5 0.08x
Selkirkshire 4 1.13x
Somerset 4 0.06x
Angus 3 0.08x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.35x
Bedfordshire 1 0.05x
Buteshire 1 0.42x
Devon 1 0.01x
East Lothian 1 0.19x
Hertfordshire 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.14x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.18x
Leicestershire 1 0.02x
Norfolk 1 0.02x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 0.21x
Shropshire 1 0.03x
Westmorland 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Derby in Lancashire leads with 151 Ashcrofts recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.13x.

Place Total Index
West Derby 151 11.13x
Preston 112 9.03x
Everton 107 7.24x
Eccleston In Prescot 106 45.52x
Liverpool 99 3.51x
Manchester 82 3.93x
Wigan 82 12.65x
Pemberton 74 40.01x
Barton Upon Irwell 73 20.91x
Kirkdale 70 8.97x
Windle 67 25.67x
Upholland 65 109.37x
Rufford 63 519.80x
Tarleton 63 247.06x
Little Bolton 62 10.40x
Orrell 58 100.57x
Ince In Makerfield 57 26.41x
Salford 57 4.18x
Ormskirk 55 61.97x
Toxteth Park 54 3.44x
Great Bolton 47 7.65x
Halliwell 46 27.25x
Bootle Cum Linacre 44 11.95x
Aughton 43 93.62x
Parr 43 25.91x
Ashton Under Lyne 42 4.14x
Hindley 41 20.73x
Blackburn 38 3.08x
Golborne 37 61.21x
Skelmersdale 37 47.87x
Lathom 36 64.27x
North Meols 36 7.93x
Warrington 36 6.55x
Chorlton On Medlock 35 4.75x
Walton On Hill 35 13.93x
Sutton 34 21.86x
Sedgley 29 5.92x
Leyland 28 34.70x
Hulme 27 2.79x
Rainford 27 53.83x
Bickerstaffe 25 82.35x
Kirkby 25 133.19x
Prescot 25 29.80x
Govan 24 0.77x
Barrow In Furness 22 3.49x
Chadderton 22 9.70x
Garston 22 16.07x
Oldham 22 1.47x
Hartlepool 21 12.71x
Openshaw 21 9.67x
Ribbesford 21 49.44x
Scarisbrick 21 39.00x
Little Lever 20 33.72x
Wavertree 20 13.47x
Ardwick 18 4.30x
Gateshead 18 2.07x
Castleton 17 3.67x
Great Crosby 17 13.44x
Moss Side 17 6.97x
Stoke Upon Trent 17 1.22x
Birkenhead 16 2.33x
Hesketh Cum Becconsall 16 137.93x
Maghull 16 83.16x
Worsley 16 5.60x
Newton In Makerfield 15 10.56x
Shevington 15 70.72x
Witton Gilbert 15 32.67x
Gorton 14 3.21x
Runcorn 14 7.04x
West Bromwich 14 1.85x
Wrightington 14 69.17x
Barnsley 13 3.25x
Oswaldtwistle 13 7.93x
Simonswood 13 209.00x
Standish With Langtree 13 22.76x
Stranton 13 3.32x
Westleigh 13 12.34x
Cavers 12 67.80x
Thornton In Bradford 12 9.31x
Tranmere 12 3.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 314
Elizabeth 183
Alice 124
Sarah 123
Jane 120
Ann 119
Ellen 114
Margaret 105
Martha 44
Annie 41
Catherine 31
Eliza 31
Emma 31
Hannah 29
Esther 24
Emily 23
Edith 16
Maria 16
Frances 15
Clara 14
Isabella 14
Agnes 13
Louisa 13
Charlotte 12
Elizth. 12
Florence 11
Ada 10
Caroline 10
Lucy 10
Margt. 10
Susannah 10
Amelia 9
Kate 9
Betsy 8
Betty 8
Gertrude 8
Harriet 8
Ruth 8
Susan 8
Anne 7
Fanny 7
Nancy 7
Rachel 7
Dorothy 6
Beatrice 5
Francis 5
Grace 5
Julia 5
Lydia 5
Minnie 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 272
William 229
James 222
Thomas 203
Henry 115
George 70
Robert 68
Richard 63
Joseph 62
Edward 54
Peter 52
Charles 40
Alfred 34
Samuel 27
Walter 20
Arthur 17
Hugh 16
Albert 14
Edwin 13
David 12
Wm. 11
Edmund 10
Philip 10
Thos. 10
Harry 9
Ralph 9
Frank 8
Herbert 8
Jno. 8
Abraham 7
Daniel 7
Isaac 7
Roger 7
Stephen 7
Andrew 6
Benjamin 6
Frederick 6
Reuben 6
Richd. 6
Joshua 5
Moses 5
Enoch 4
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Michael 4
Timothy 4
Edgar 3
Jonathan 3
Josiah 3
Lawrence 3

FAQ

Ashcroft surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ashcroft surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,008 people were recorded with the Ashcroft surname. That placed it at #1,129 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ashcroft surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,403 in 2016. That gives Ashcroft a modern rank of #1,054.

What does the Ashcroft surname mean?

From residence near a grove of ash trees.

What does the Ashcroft map show?

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