NameCensus.

UK surname

Aspinwall

Originally referred to someone living near a place where aspens grew.

In the 1881 census there were 301 people recorded with the Aspinwall surname, ranking it #9,694 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 348, ranked #13,233, down from #9,694 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to North Meols, Preston and Ormskirk. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lancashire, Barnsley and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Aspinwall is 442 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.6%.

1881 census count

301

Ranked #9,694

Modern count

348

2016, ranked #13,233

Peak year

1911

442 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Aspinwall had 301 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,694 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 348 in 2016, ranked #13,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 442 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Aspinwall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Aspinwall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Aspinwall 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 208 #10,107
1861 historical 327 #7,788
1881 historical 301 #9,694
1891 historical 386 #9,138
1901 historical 400 #9,483
1911 historical 442 #8,625
1997 modern 351 #12,145
1998 modern 355 #12,418
1999 modern 361 #12,347
2000 modern 365 #12,196
2001 modern 366 #11,998
2002 modern 366 #12,221
2003 modern 360 #12,152
2004 modern 358 #12,252
2005 modern 344 #12,521
2006 modern 338 #12,779
2007 modern 342 #12,809
2008 modern 343 #12,899
2009 modern 356 #12,800
2010 modern 367 #12,775
2011 modern 365 #12,694
2012 modern 342 #13,184
2013 modern 353 #13,104
2014 modern 349 #13,293
2015 modern 346 #13,284
2016 modern 348 #13,233

Geography

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Where Aspinwalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around North Meols, Preston, Ormskirk, Aughton and Bolton-le-Moors. 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, Wigan, St. Helens and Ribble Valley. 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 North Meols Lancashire
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Ormskirk Lancashire
4 Aughton Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lancashire 008 West Lancashire
2 Barnsley 007 Barnsley
3 Wigan 024 Wigan
4 St. Helens 013 St. Helens
5 Ribble Valley 002 Ribble Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Aspinwall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Aspinwall

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Periphery

Within London, Aspinwall is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Aspinwall 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

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

Meaning and origin of Aspinwall

The surname Aspinwall has its origins in England, likely emerging during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "aespyn" meaning "aspen tree" and "walh" meaning "stranger" or "foreigner." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a grove of aspen trees or to someone who had come to England from another land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aspinwall appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, which mention a John de Aspynwall. The "de" prefix indicates that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to a place called Aspinwall.

In the 15th century, the name is found in the records of the township of Aspull, near Wigan in Lancashire. This suggests a possible connection between the surname Aspinwall and the place name Aspull, which may have been derived from the same Old English roots.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Aspinwall, as it primarily recorded landowners and tenants rather than surnames. However, it does mention several places with names that may have contributed to the formation of this surname, such as Aspeley (Bedfordshire) and Aspenden (Hertfordshire).

Notable individuals with the surname Aspinwall include:

1. Thomas Aspinwall (1639-1704), an early settler in Muddy River (now Brookline), Massachusetts, and a prominent landowner and merchant.

2. William Aspinwall (1629-1662), an English merchant and founder of the first European trading post on the island of Madagascar.

3. Stanhope Aspinwall (1782-1852), an American politician who served as a United States Representative from New York.

4. Thomas Aspinwall (1786-1876), an English surgeon and inventor of the Aspinwall potato planter.

5. William H. Aspinwall (1807-1875), an American businessman and co-founder of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, which operated a shipping line between Panama and the West Coast of the United States during the California Gold Rush.

While the surname Aspinwall is not among the most common in England or the United States, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its Old English roots and potential connections to various place names in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Aspinwall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Aspinwall 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 264 Aspinwalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 264 7.65x
Cheshire 16 2.49x
Yorkshire 8 0.28x
Middlesex 6 0.21x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.85x
Durham 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Staffordshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lathom in Lancashire leads with 35 Aspinwalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 839.33x.

Place Total Index
Lathom 35 839.33x
Skelmersdale 31 539.13x
Great Bolton 30 65.66x
Little Bolton 16 36.08x
Preston 14 15.17x
North Meols 13 38.51x
Halsall 11 808.82x
Macclesfield 11 38.57x
Everton 9 8.19x
Kirkdale 9 15.51x
Maghull 9 629.37x
Burscough 8 1509.43x
Ormskirk 8 121.21x
Scarisbrick 8 200.00x
Toxteth Park 7 5.99x
Windle 7 36.06x
Bickerstaffe 6 265.49x
Upholland 6 135.75x
Aughton 5 146.20x
Gorton 5 15.42x
Liverpool 5 2.39x
Manchester 5 3.22x
Sheffield 5 5.45x
Aintree 4 1428.57x
Darcy Lever 4 201.01x
Layton With Warbreck 3 23.70x
Paddington London 3 2.81x
Sale 3 38.12x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 3.65x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 3.41x
Aldershot 1 5.01x
Beswick 1 11.34x
Birkenhead 1 1.96x
Christ Church Newgate 1 74.07x
Esh 1 15.90x
Hampstead London 1 2.21x
Kirkby 1 71.43x
Lancaster 1 4.87x
Little Lever 1 22.68x
Llanbeblig 1 8.38x
Manningham 1 2.82x
Tranmere 1 4.24x
Westminster St Margaret 1 7.13x
Wolverhampton 1 1.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 19
Mary 18
Margaret 15
Alice 13
Ellen 10
Jane 9
Ann 7
Hannah 7
Sarah 6
Anne 3
Clara 3
Eleanor 3
Isabella 3
Louisa 3
Annie 2
Edith 2
Fanny 2
Isabel 2
Margt. 2
Susannah 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Beatrice 1
Catherine 1
Elena 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
June 1
Lillie 1
Lily 1
Lottie 1
Lydia 1
Madeleine 1
Margareth 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
May 1
Nancy 1
Norah 1
Rachel 1
Ruth 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 27
John 22
Thomas 16
Henry 10
James 9
Richard 7
Alfred 5
George 5
Peter 5
Charles 4
Joseph 4
Frederick 2
Reginald 2
Robert 2
Robt. 2
Samuel 2
Arthur 1
Chas.Oldfield 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Geo. 1
Hy. 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Jno. 1
Philip 1
Ruth 1
Stephen 1
Willmore 1

FAQ

Aspinwall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Aspinwall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 301 people were recorded with the Aspinwall surname. That placed it at #9,694 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Aspinwall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 348 in 2016. That gives Aspinwall a modern rank of #13,233.

What does the Aspinwall surname mean?

Originally referred to someone living near a place where aspens grew.

What does the Aspinwall map show?

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