NameCensus.

UK surname

Ashford

A locational surname referring to someone from Ashford, England, meaning "ford near the ash trees."

In the 1881 census there were 2,954 people recorded with the Ashford surname, ranking it #1,513 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,109, ranked #1,651, down from #1,513 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon, Solihull and Isles of Scilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ashford is 4,553 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.1%.

1881 census count

2,954

Ranked #1,513

Modern count

4,109

2016, ranked #1,651

Peak year

1999

4,553 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ashford had 2,954 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,513 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,109 in 2016, ranked #1,651.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,020 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ashford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ashford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ashford 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 1,872 #1,543
1861 historical 1,965 #1,485
1881 historical 2,954 #1,513
1891 historical 3,379 #1,415
1901 historical 3,655 #1,536
1911 historical 4,020 #1,273
1997 modern 4,345 #1,503
1998 modern 4,485 #1,509
1999 modern 4,553 #1,500
2000 modern 4,426 #1,529
2001 modern 4,337 #1,528
2002 modern 4,487 #1,508
2003 modern 4,354 #1,519
2004 modern 4,322 #1,528
2005 modern 4,209 #1,549
2006 modern 4,199 #1,555
2007 modern 4,179 #1,579
2008 modern 4,207 #1,575
2009 modern 4,250 #1,602
2010 modern 4,293 #1,617
2011 modern 4,279 #1,602
2012 modern 4,114 #1,630
2013 modern 4,213 #1,622
2014 modern 4,209 #1,633
2015 modern 4,154 #1,638
2016 modern 4,109 #1,651

Geography

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Where Ashfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Martin, St Mary, Trescoe, Bryher, Sampson, St Agnes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon, Solihull, Isles of Scilly, Birmingham and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Martin, St Mary, Trescoe, Bryher, Sampson, St Agnes Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 004 North Devon
2 Solihull 005 Solihull
3 Isles of Scilly 001 Isles of Scilly
4 Birmingham 011 Birmingham
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 016 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ashford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ashford

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ashford 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

Ashford is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ashford falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ashford

The surname Ashford originated in England and dates back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "æsc" meaning ash tree and "ford" referring to a shallow river crossing. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place where ash trees grew near a ford or river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Ashford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Esseford" and "Asseford". This medieval record documented landholdings and property owners throughout England following the Norman Conquest.

In the 12th century, the name Ashford was found in various counties across England, including Kent, Middlesex, and Derbyshire. The spelling variations included Asheford, Assheford, and Asshford, reflecting the phonetic changes in the English language over time.

Notable individuals with the surname Ashford throughout history include:

1. Sir Edmund Ashford (c. 1510-1585), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1587.

2. Thomas Ashford (1570-1634), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of St. Benet's Church in Cambridge.

3. Mary Ashford (1793-1817), an English woman whose murder in 1817 became a notorious case in Lincolnshire, leading to the execution of Abraham Thornton for her killing.

4. William Ashford (1792-1858), an English painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.

5. Daisy Ashford (1881-1972), an English writer and novelist best known for her novella "The Young Visiters" written at the age of nine.

The name Ashford has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Ashford in Kent, Ashford in Middlesex, and Ashford in Derbyshire, further reflecting the locational origins of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ashford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ashford 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. Warwickshire leads with 476 Ashfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.53x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 476 6.53x
Middlesex 356 1.23x
Somerset 273 5.87x
Devon 238 3.96x
Surrey 206 1.46x
Suffolk 163 4.63x
Staffordshire 113 1.16x
Dorset 88 4.64x
Yorkshire 73 0.25x
Hampshire 71 1.20x
Kent 69 0.70x
Glamorgan 68 1.35x
Lancashire 62 0.18x
Worcestershire 58 1.54x
Gloucestershire 55 0.97x
Cornwall 52 1.59x
Essex 44 0.77x
Lincolnshire 43 0.93x
Huntingdonshire 40 6.97x
Sussex 37 0.76x
Cambridgeshire 36 1.97x
Derbyshire 31 0.69x
Monmouthshire 30 1.44x
Hertfordshire 25 1.26x
Lanarkshire 25 0.27x
Wiltshire 25 0.98x
Durham 23 0.27x
Northamptonshire 23 0.85x
Nottinghamshire 22 0.56x
Cheshire 18 0.28x
Leicestershire 16 0.50x
Cumberland 15 0.60x
Angus 13 0.49x
Denbighshire 11 1.01x
Northumberland 11 0.26x
Montgomeryshire 10 1.51x
Berkshire 8 0.37x
Caernarfonshire 8 0.68x
Royal Navy 8 2.32x
Norfolk 6 0.14x
Kincardineshire 4 1.14x
Channel Islands 2 0.23x
Midlothian 2 0.05x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.22x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.06x
Flintshire 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 248 Ashfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.21x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 248 10.21x
Aston 146 7.28x
Lambeth 44 1.75x
Islington London 42 1.50x
Kensington London 41 2.55x
Battersea 35 3.29x
Chelsea London 33 3.79x
Kings Norton 31 9.16x
Stalbridge 30 166.48x
Camberwell 29 1.57x
Harborne 29 9.28x
Scilly Islands St Martin 29 1676.30x
St Pancras London 29 1.25x
Clapham 27 7.47x
Edgbaston 27 11.95x
Witham Friary 25 520.83x
Little Paxton 24 869.57x
Scilly Islands St Mary 22 172.28x
Bromley London 21 3.30x
Saxstead 21 628.74x
Shoreditch London 20 1.60x
Ditcheat 18 225.28x
Hackney London 18 1.11x
Mile End Old Town London 18 2.93x
Portsea 18 1.55x
Sedgley 18 4.97x
West Ham 18 1.43x
Wolverhampton 18 2.40x
Ashcott 17 239.44x
Deptford St Paul 17 2.24x
Swansea Town 17 4.12x
Bethnal Green London 16 1.27x
North Cheriton 16 695.65x
Portishead 16 46.28x
Wattisfield 16 335.43x
Bourn 15 186.80x
Cleator 15 14.49x
Nunney 15 148.96x
Walsall Foreign 15 2.98x
Caldicot 14 101.01x
Llanwonno 14 7.74x
Morthoe 14 329.41x
Paddington London 14 1.32x
Badingham 13 195.20x
Dunkeswell 13 334.19x
Misterton 13 196.97x
Newchurch 13 4.63x
Broxbourne 12 30.40x
Gittisham 12 270.88x
Hammersmith London 12 1.69x
Saxmundham 12 91.88x
Tonbridge 12 3.38x
Bermondsey 11 1.28x
Charlton Adam 11 267.64x
East Budleigh 11 38.81x
Exeter St Sidwell 11 7.99x
Exeter St Thomas The 11 17.94x
Glasgow 11 0.66x
Holbeach 11 21.38x
Osmington 11 291.78x
Southoe 11 408.92x
Sutton Coldfield 11 14.36x
Wembdon 11 79.94x
Yeovil 11 11.64x
Armley 10 7.92x
Bow London 10 2.72x
Brighton 10 1.02x
Bruton 10 54.64x
Clifton 10 3.49x
East Worlington 10 480.77x
Eckington 10 9.10x
Holy Trinity 10 1.45x
Ipswich St Margaret 10 8.37x
Old Stratford 10 24.24x
Ottery St Mary 10 25.35x
Twerton 10 20.85x
Aberdare 9 2.61x
Holton 9 538.92x
Lowestoft 9 5.41x
Northfield 9 12.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 195
Elizabeth 106
Sarah 78
Emma 66
Jane 60
Ellen 54
Emily 51
Ann 48
Alice 45
Eliza 44
Harriet 31
Annie 29
Charlotte 27
Florence 24
Louisa 24
Ada 23
Caroline 23
Maria 20
Margaret 19
Martha 19
Hannah 18
Kate 16
Rose 16
Amelia 14
Catherine 14
Clara 14
Fanny 14
Edith 13
Laura 13
Susan 13
Agnes 12
Minnie 11
Lucy 10
Amy 9
Harriett 9
Selina 9
Julia 8
Matilda 8
Rebecca 8
Anne 7
Frances 7
Maud 7
Bessie 6
Elizth. 6
Isabella 6
Susannah 6
Ethel 5
Eva 5
Flora 5
Nellie 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 163
John 141
Thomas 98
George 95
Charles 83
Henry 81
James 62
Joseph 56
Alfred 47
Walter 39
Edward 36
Albert 32
Arthur 32
Frederick 32
Samuel 31
Harry 26
Robert 19
Frank 18
Edwin 16
Ernest 13
David 12
Richard 11
Stephen 11
Francis 10
Herbert 10
Thos. 8
Chas. 7
Isaac 6
Percy 6
Tom 6
Wm. 6
Earnest 5
Fredrick 5
Emanuel 4
Geo. 4
Jno. 4
Sydney 4
Willm. 4
Benjamin 3
Edgar 3
Edmund 3
Fred 3
Sidney 3
Timothy 3
Ambrose 2
Daniel 2
Mark 2
Owen 2
Reginald 2
Rowland 2

FAQ

Ashford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ashford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,954 people were recorded with the Ashford surname. That placed it at #1,513 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ashford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,109 in 2016. That gives Ashford a modern rank of #1,651.

What does the Ashford surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Ashford, England, meaning "ford near the ash trees."

What does the Ashford map show?

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