NameCensus.

UK surname

Ashton

From an English place name meaning "ash tree town," referring to a town or village near ash trees.

In the 1881 census there were 14,675 people recorded with the Ashton surname, ranking it #273 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17,422, ranked #354, down from #273 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Blackburn and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hyndburn, Rochdale and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ashton is 19,251 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.7%.

1881 census count

14,675

Ranked #273

Modern count

17,422

2016, ranked #354

Peak year

1911

19,251 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ashton had 14,675 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #273 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 17,422 in 2016, ranked #354.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 19,251 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Ashton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ashton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ashton 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 9,672 #266
1861 historical 10,580 #238
1881 historical 14,675 #273
1891 historical 16,088 #260
1901 historical 17,670 #286
1911 historical 19,251 #234
1997 modern 17,551 #335
1998 modern 18,090 #339
1999 modern 18,243 #335
2000 modern 18,100 #336
2001 modern 17,699 #336
2002 modern 17,931 #341
2003 modern 17,504 #340
2004 modern 17,402 #343
2005 modern 17,067 #343
2006 modern 17,067 #342
2007 modern 17,194 #342
2008 modern 17,252 #344
2009 modern 17,679 #344
2010 modern 18,003 #346
2011 modern 17,757 #345
2012 modern 17,334 #347
2013 modern 17,732 #348
2014 modern 17,745 #352
2015 modern 17,569 #352
2016 modern 17,422 #354

Geography

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Where Ashtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Blackburn, London parishes, Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hyndburn, Rochdale and St. Helens. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Blackburn Lancashire
3 London parishes London 2
4 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hyndburn 002 Hyndburn
2 Rochdale 018 Rochdale
3 St. Helens 020 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 022 St. Helens
5 St. Helens 016 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ashton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ashton

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Ashton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ashton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Ashton 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

Ashton is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Ashton

The surname Ashton originated in England and derives from the Old English words "æsc" meaning ash tree and "tun" meaning town or settlement. It refers to a place where ash trees grew abundantly. The name was first recorded in Leicestershire, England in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Aisetone" and "Aisctune."

The earliest known bearer of the name was William de Aiston, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. The name also appeared as Aystun in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1275. Over time, the spelling evolved to Ashton, which became the most common form by the 16th century.

In the 13th century, the Ashtons of Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire emerged as a prominent family. Sir John Ashton (1442-1513) was a notable member of this family, serving as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales under Henry VII and Henry VIII.

Another significant historical figure was Sir Ralph Ashton (1563-1619), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Middleton, Lancashire. He served as High Sheriff of Lancashire and was involved in the local government.

Sir Thomas Ashton (1633-1718) was a successful merchant and politician from Leyton, Essex. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1693 and was knighted by William III.

In the 18th century, Sir Thomas Ashton (1786-1861) was a notable English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench.

The Ashtons of Wigan, Lancashire, were another influential family. One member, Thomas Ashton (1818-1898), was a wealthy cotton manufacturer and philanthropist who served as Mayor of Wigan and supported various educational and charitable causes.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ashton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ashton 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 6,643 Ashtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.91x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 6,643 3.91x
Yorkshire 1,840 1.30x
Cheshire 959 3.04x
Middlesex 894 0.62x
Derbyshire 464 2.07x
Lincolnshire 411 1.80x
Surrey 306 0.44x
Devon 262 0.88x
Kent 237 0.49x
Staffordshire 237 0.49x
Warwickshire 224 0.62x
Glamorgan 221 0.89x
Montgomeryshire 195 5.95x
Nottinghamshire 183 0.95x
Leicestershire 117 0.74x
Essex 113 0.40x
Durham 107 0.25x
Bedfordshire 104 1.40x
Hampshire 88 0.30x
Northamptonshire 83 0.62x
Somerset 70 0.30x
Cornwall 69 0.43x
Worcestershire 61 0.33x
Monmouthshire 60 0.58x
Gloucestershire 58 0.21x
Norfolk 57 0.26x
Wiltshire 54 0.43x
Huntingdonshire 53 1.87x
Northumberland 52 0.24x
Sussex 46 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 44 0.51x
Oxfordshire 32 0.36x
Lanarkshire 31 0.07x
Caernarfonshire 26 0.45x
Cambridgeshire 26 0.29x
Midlothian 24 0.13x
Shropshire 24 0.19x
Hertfordshire 23 0.23x
Carmarthenshire 16 0.27x
Perthshire 15 0.23x
Suffolk 14 0.08x
Berkshire 13 0.12x
Cumberland 11 0.09x
Merionethshire 10 0.38x
Royal Navy 10 0.59x
Brecknockshire 9 0.31x
Flintshire 9 0.23x
Anglesey 8 0.32x
Denbighshire 8 0.15x
Fife 7 0.08x
Banffshire 6 0.20x
Dorset 6 0.06x
Radnorshire 5 0.43x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 0.14x
Renfrewshire 3 0.03x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.02x
Ayrshire 2 0.02x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.05x
Herefordshire 2 0.03x
Isle of Man 2 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.04x
Rutland 2 0.19x
Roxburghshire 1 0.04x
Westmorland 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 454 Ashtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.28x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 454 8.28x
Ashton Under Lyne 375 10.10x
Blackburn 282 6.24x
Preston 235 5.17x
Heap 227 25.20x
Chadderton 204 24.57x
Manchester 198 2.59x
Wigan 172 7.25x
Dukinfield 146 10.00x
Liverpool 137 1.33x
West Derby 133 2.68x
Glossop Dale 113 10.77x
Birmingham 109 0.91x
Sheffield 104 2.30x
Ardwick 102 6.66x
Islington London 97 0.70x
Salford 96 1.92x
Warrington 94 4.67x
Everton 93 1.72x
Pendleton In Salford 93 4.60x
Stockport 86 5.29x
Ecclesall Bierlow 85 2.95x
Farnworth 84 8.26x
Great Bolton 84 3.73x
Little Bolton 82 3.76x
Hackney London 81 1.01x
Brightside Bierlow 79 2.84x
Lambeth 76 0.61x
Shoreditch London 76 1.22x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 76 15.55x
Windle 75 7.85x
Widnes 73 5.96x
Hindley 70 9.67x
Ecclesfield 69 6.64x
Newton In Ashton Under 68 21.81x
Bury 67 3.45x
Toxteth Park 67 1.17x
Bradford 64 8.05x
Llanidloes 64 26.33x
St Pancras London 64 0.56x
Over Darwen 63 4.64x
Aston 62 0.62x
Barrow In Furness 62 2.68x
Barton Upon Irwell 59 4.61x
Broughton In Salford 59 3.80x
Middleton In Oldham 59 11.59x
Chorlton On Medlock 57 2.11x
Prestwich 57 13.45x
Holy Trinity 55 1.61x
Leeds 55 0.69x
Little Hulton 55 19.56x
Nether Hallam 54 2.81x
Droylsden 53 9.57x
Heaton Norris 53 5.48x
West Ham 53 0.85x
Blackley 52 17.47x
Chorley 52 5.46x
Hopwood 51 22.97x
Hulme 49 1.38x
Newton 48 3.67x
Sutton 48 8.43x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 47 9.13x
Newington 46 0.87x
Pilkington 46 7.13x
Barnsley 45 3.08x
Castleton 45 2.65x
Latchford 45 21.44x
Louth 45 8.58x
Accrington 44 2.85x
Withington 44 8.04x
Kirkdale 42 1.47x
Stretford 42 4.50x
Clerkenwell London 41 1.21x
Eccleston In Prescot 41 4.81x
St Luke London 41 1.79x
Mile End Old Town London 40 1.31x
Scarisbrick 40 20.29x
Birkenhead 39 1.55x
Chelsea London 39 0.90x
Rusholme 39 8.61x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,122
Elizabeth 627
Sarah 552
Ann 380
Jane 318
Ellen 286
Alice 266
Margaret 228
Hannah 223
Annie 203
Martha 196
Eliza 184
Emma 179
Emily 150
Harriet 84
Edith 83
Catherine 81
Ada 78
Lucy 77
Maria 74
Clara 64
Fanny 63
Frances 58
Kate 58
Louisa 57
Florence 56
Charlotte 54
Anne 48
Betsy 45
Caroline 44
Betty 42
Esther 42
Agnes 38
Amelia 36
Elizth. 32
Isabella 32
Susan 31
Maud 28
Sophia 27
Harriett 26
Rachel 25
Ruth 25
Bertha 24
Amy 23
Susannah 23
Lydia 22
Nancy 22
Rose 22
Gertrude 21
Rebecca 21

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 985
William 808
Thomas 594
James 571
George 405
Joseph 390
Henry 244
Richard 215
Samuel 189
Charles 187
Robert 156
Edward 151
Alfred 112
Arthur 99
Frederick 92
Albert 90
Walter 90
Harry 72
Frank 70
David 67
Ernest 51
Peter 50
Edwin 48
Herbert 48
Fred 45
Wm. 45
Thos. 40
Daniel 37
Isaac 35
Benjamin 34
Francis 30
Ralph 28
Tom 28
Abraham 19
Edmund 19
Andrew 17
Fredk. 17
Saml. 17
Harold 15
Fredrick 14
Geo. 14
Hugh 13
Jno. 13
Jas. 12
Matthew 11
Richd. 11
Sidney 11
Robt. 10
Job 9
Philip 9

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Ashton households.

FAQ

Ashton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ashton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 14,675 people were recorded with the Ashton surname. That placed it at #273 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ashton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 17,422 in 2016. That gives Ashton a modern rank of #354.

What does the Ashton surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "ash tree town," referring to a town or village near ash trees.

What does the Ashton map show?

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