NameCensus.

UK surname

Ashenden

An English locational surname derived from the place name Ashenden in Kent.

In the 1881 census there were 265 people recorded with the Ashenden surname, ranking it #10,612 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 393, ranked #12,032, down from #10,612 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northfleet, Meopham and Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hastings, Tunbridge Wells and Daventry.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ashenden is 453 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.3%.

1881 census count

265

Ranked #10,612

Modern count

393

2016, ranked #12,032

Peak year

2000

453 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ashenden had 265 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,612 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 393 in 2016, ranked #12,032.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 373 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ashenden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ashenden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ashenden 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 207 #10,148
1861 historical 212 #11,466
1881 historical 265 #10,612
1891 historical 280 #11,665
1901 historical 359 #10,242
1911 historical 373 #9,787
1997 modern 440 #10,247
1998 modern 448 #10,442
1999 modern 448 #10,482
2000 modern 453 #10,371
2001 modern 440 #10,434
2002 modern 446 #10,521
2003 modern 435 #10,571
2004 modern 451 #10,301
2005 modern 433 #10,516
2006 modern 414 #10,946
2007 modern 420 #10,943
2008 modern 420 #11,033
2009 modern 429 #11,094
2010 modern 439 #11,121
2011 modern 429 #11,197
2012 modern 404 #11,647
2013 modern 415 #11,604
2014 modern 416 #11,660
2015 modern 401 #11,889
2016 modern 393 #12,032

Geography

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Where Ashendens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northfleet, Meopham, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Northiam and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hastings, Tunbridge Wells, Daventry and Tendring. 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 Northfleet Kent
2 Meopham Kent
3 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
4 Northiam Sussex
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hastings 003 Hastings
2 Hastings 008 Hastings
3 Tunbridge Wells 006 Tunbridge Wells
4 Daventry 001 Daventry
5 Tendring 006 Tendring

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ashenden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ashenden

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Ashenden is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ashenden is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ashenden falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ashenden 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 Ashenden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ashenden

The surname Ashenden is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words 'aesc' meaning ash tree and 'denu' meaning valley or hollow. It is a locational surname, indicating that early bearers of this name likely hailed from a place called Ashenden or a settlement situated within an ash-filled valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ashenden surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex, dating back to 1195, where it appeared as 'Assenden'. This suggests that the name had already been established in this region by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Ashenden surname appeared in various records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which documented several individuals bearing this name in Kent and Sussex. One notable entry was that of Richard de Assyndene, whose name reflected the older spelling of the surname.

The Ashenden name has also been linked to several place names, such as Ashenden in Kent, which was formerly known as 'Assyndene' in the Domesday Book of 1086. This connection further reinforces the locational origins of the surname.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Ashenden surname. One of the earliest recorded was John Ashenden (c. 1300-1370), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Sussex in the 14th century.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir William Ashenden (1505-1568), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Canterbury during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the literary world, the name is associated with W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), the renowned English novelist, playwright, and short story writer, who published a collection of spy stories titled 'Ashenden: Or the British Agent' in 1928, featuring the fictional character John Ashenden.

The Ashenden surname has also been carried by notable figures in more recent times, such as Frederick Ashenden (1886-1957), a British Army officer and author, and Edward Ashenden (1901-1988), a prominent English film producer and screenwriter.

While the Ashenden surname may have evolved over time, its roots can be traced back to the ash-filled valleys of England, where it originated as a locational identifier for the earliest bearers of this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ashenden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ashenden 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. Kent leads with 147 Ashendens recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.60x.

County Total Index
Kent 147 16.60x
Sussex 44 10.06x
Middlesex 31 1.19x
Surrey 30 2.37x
Lancashire 6 0.19x
Shropshire 2 0.89x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.29x
Royal Navy 1 3.23x
Somerset 1 0.24x
Staffordshire 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. Northfleet in Kent leads with 19 Ashendens recorded in 1881 and an index of 243.59x.

Place Total Index
Northfleet 19 243.59x
Northiam 17 1588.79x
Meopham 16 1454.55x
Beckley 12 1100.92x
Bermondsey 11 14.24x
Wrotham 10 341.30x
Gravesend 9 120.00x
Chelsea London 8 10.23x
Cuxton 7 2000.00x
Dartford 7 77.35x
Hastings St Leonards 7 108.86x
Camberwell 6 3.62x
Canterbury St Peter 6 600.00x
Heston 6 69.61x
Ramsgate 6 41.52x
St Lawrence 5 82.10x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 5.94x
Battersea 4 4.19x
Bromley London 4 7.01x
Canterbury All Sts 4 1250.00x
Canterbury St Mildred 4 190.48x
Faversham 4 47.39x
Hastings St Clement 4 97.09x
Lewisham 4 8.47x
Milton In Gravesend 4 30.12x
Newington 4 4.17x
Rochester St Margaret 4 42.83x
Crayford 3 77.52x
Dover St Mary Virgin 3 35.01x
Greenwich 3 7.26x
Hollingbourn 3 294.12x
Maidstone 3 11.38x
Stone In Dartford 3 132.16x
Ashford 2 23.20x
Eynsford 2 131.58x
Farningham 2 253.16x
Hampstead London 2 4.95x
Horton In Bradford 2 4.98x
Hougham 2 38.02x
Islington London 2 0.80x
Ratcliffe London 2 13.96x
Rochester St Nicholas 2 72.73x
Rusholme 2 24.36x
Shoreham 2 158.73x
St Martin 2 79.68x
Strood 2 39.60x
Ulcombe 2 344.83x
Bedminster 1 2.55x
Chartham 1 45.25x
Chislehurst 1 21.05x
Cranbrook 1 26.67x
Croydon 1 1.42x
Fazeley 1 62.89x
Hastings St Mary 1 9.18x
Kensington London 1 0.69x
Lambeth 1 0.44x
Lewes St John Southover 1 34.01x
Ore 1 30.67x
Reigate Foreign 1 7.30x
Richmond 1 5.64x
Royal Navy 1 3.78x
Rye 1 24.04x
Sevenoaks 1 13.93x
Shoreditch London 1 0.89x
Southwell 1 39.22x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.19x
St Martin In Fields 1 6.44x
St Marylebone London 1 0.72x
Sutton 1 10.93x
Westminster St James 1 3.75x
Whitechapel London 1 3.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 15
Emily 10
Mary 9
Ellen 6
Sarah 6
Ann 5
Charlotte 5
Eliza 5
Annie 4
Emma 4
Jane 4
Louisa 4
Ada 3
Edith 3
Frances 3
Harriet 3
Alice 2
Constance 2
Harriett 2
Harriott 2
Henrietta 2
Julia 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Amy 1
Caroline 1
Carry 1
Celia 1
Clara 1
Daisy 1
Eda 1
Elsie 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Francoise 1
Hanna 1
Harreitt 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Katie 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Lissie 1
Lydia 1
Maggie 1
Mahala 1
Margt. 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
George 12
John 11
Charles 9
James 8
Arthur 7
Edward 7
Henry 7
Thomas 7
Richard 6
Frederick 5
Alfred 3
David 3
Stephen 3
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Percy 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Bernard 1
Ernest 1
Ezekiel 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Joseph 1
Leonard 1
Newton 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Spencer 1
Walter 1
Willm.Jas. 1

FAQ

Ashenden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ashenden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 265 people were recorded with the Ashenden surname. That placed it at #10,612 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ashenden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 393 in 2016. That gives Ashenden a modern rank of #12,032.

What does the Ashenden surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from the place name Ashenden in Kent.

What does the Ashenden map show?

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