NameCensus.

UK surname

Asquith

A surname derived from a place name referring to ash trees near a stream.

In the 1881 census there were 1,753 people recorded with the Asquith surname, ranking it #2,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,262, ranked #2,871, down from #2,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, Batley and Wakefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Kirklees and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Asquith is 2,295 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.0%.

1881 census count

1,753

Ranked #2,467

Modern count

2,262

2016, ranked #2,871

Peak year

2010

2,295 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Asquith had 1,753 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,262 in 2016, ranked #2,871.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,142 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Asquith surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Asquith surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Asquith 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 1,055 #2,653
1861 historical 1,107 #2,531
1881 historical 1,753 #2,467
1891 historical 1,840 #2,494
1901 historical 2,092 #2,562
1911 historical 2,142 #2,347
1997 modern 2,145 #2,879
1998 modern 2,206 #2,911
1999 modern 2,269 #2,857
2000 modern 2,270 #2,843
2001 modern 2,232 #2,830
2002 modern 2,274 #2,836
2003 modern 2,216 #2,847
2004 modern 2,186 #2,883
2005 modern 2,160 #2,879
2006 modern 2,163 #2,874
2007 modern 2,179 #2,879
2008 modern 2,182 #2,901
2009 modern 2,239 #2,905
2010 modern 2,295 #2,906
2011 modern 2,286 #2,870
2012 modern 2,230 #2,887
2013 modern 2,290 #2,868
2014 modern 2,293 #2,877
2015 modern 2,263 #2,880
2016 modern 2,262 #2,871

Geography

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Where Asquiths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, Batley, Wakefield, Dewsbury and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Kirklees and Wakefield. 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 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Dewsbury Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 007 Barnsley
2 Kirklees 009 Kirklees
3 Kirklees 005 Kirklees
4 Wakefield 008 Wakefield
5 Wakefield 007 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Asquith

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Asquith

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Asquith surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Asquith household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Asquith 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

Asquith 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

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

Meaning and origin of Asquith

The surname Asquith is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name, most likely a village or hamlet in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire or Lancashire. The name Asquith is thought to derive from the Old English words "æsc" meaning ash tree, and "wiþig" meaning willow wood or meadow, suggesting that the original settlement was situated near an ash tree or in a willow meadow.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Asquith can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Asquitebi" or "Asquitebia." This entry indicates that the name was already in use during the Norman conquest and the subsequent compilation of the great survey.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved into its more recognizable form, with variations such as "Askwith," "Asquith," and "Askwyth" appearing in various historical records and documents. One notable early bearer of the name was Sir William Asquith, a knight who served under King Edward I and participated in the Scottish Wars of Independence in the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the Asquith family gained prominence in the Yorkshire region, with several members holding positions of local importance. One such figure was John Asquith, who served as the High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1568.

The 19th century saw the rise of one of the most famous individuals to bear the Asquith surname, Herbert Henry Asquith (1852-1928). Asquith was a prominent British statesman and Liberal politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916, leading the country through the early years of World War I.

Other notable figures with the surname Asquith include Sir Cyril Asquith (1890-1954), a British lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Justice of Appeal, and his brother Raymond Asquith (1878-1916), a writer and soldier who was killed in action during World War I.

In addition to these historical figures, the name Asquith has also been associated with various place names, such as Askwith in West Yorkshire, which likely derives from the same linguistic roots as the surname itself.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Asquith families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Asquith 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,460 Asquiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.62x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,460 8.62x
Lancashire 152 0.75x
Cumberland 20 1.36x
Derbyshire 15 0.56x
Durham 15 0.30x
Surrey 15 0.18x
Kent 14 0.24x
Middlesex 14 0.08x
Hampshire 6 0.17x
Lincolnshire 5 0.18x
Staffordshire 5 0.09x
Cheshire 4 0.11x
Warwickshire 4 0.09x
Ayrshire 3 0.23x
Berkshire 3 0.23x
Devon 3 0.08x
Worcestershire 3 0.13x
Angus 2 0.13x
Northumberland 2 0.08x
Westmorland 2 0.53x
Anglesey 1 0.33x
Gloucestershire 1 0.03x
Shropshire 1 0.07x
Somerset 1 0.04x
Wiltshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe in Yorkshire leads with 81 Asquiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 102.95x.

Place Total Index
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 81 102.95x
Leeds 76 7.95x
Batley 74 45.98x
Mirfield 60 64.53x
Dewsbury 58 33.39x
Morley 56 63.60x
Barnsley 55 31.48x
Cleckheaton 55 88.16x
Hunslet 46 17.42x
Thornhill 45 91.06x
Soothill 41 67.02x
North Bierley 34 37.18x
Shitlington 29 165.53x
Keighley 26 14.40x
West Ardsley 26 127.58x
Armley 25 33.47x
Halifax 25 10.06x
Shelf 25 154.51x
Pudsey 23 25.41x
Hipperholme Cum 22 29.57x
Horton In Bradford 22 8.32x
Bowling 20 11.92x
Headingley Cum Burley 20 18.35x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 19 31.41x
Manningham 17 8.15x
Castleton 16 7.90x
Pontefract 16 43.86x
Hunsworth 14 157.48x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 13 21.14x
Bradford 13 3.17x
Drighlington 13 52.70x
Liversedge 13 17.24x
Shipley 13 14.79x
Ecclesall Bierlow 12 3.48x
Featherstone 12 63.09x
Newbold Dunston 12 47.19x
Castleford 11 17.84x
Clayton 11 26.54x
Eccleshill 11 26.69x
Heaton Norris 11 9.53x
Methley 11 46.12x
Pannal 11 67.69x
Skircoat 11 16.47x
Bishopwearmouth 10 2.29x
Gomersal 10 12.65x
Holbeck 10 8.91x
Northowram 10 8.42x
Stainton 10 202.84x
Aiskew 9 185.19x
Heckmondwike 9 16.52x
Holy Trinity 9 2.21x
Knottingley 9 30.23x
Newington 9 1.43x
Owston 9 538.92x
Pendleton In Salford 9 3.73x
Wyke In Bradford 9 29.71x
Almondbury 8 9.77x
Lower Whitley 8 349.35x
Pendlebury 8 18.68x
Reddish 8 28.64x
Thornton In Bradford 8 14.19x
Wardleworth 8 6.90x
York St Mary 8 11.41x
Barnby On Don 7 216.72x
Barrow In Furness 7 2.54x
Beaghall 7 355.33x
Crompton 7 12.12x
Heeley 7 13.60x
Hulme 7 1.65x
Little Bolton 7 2.68x
Plumstead 7 3.60x
Wakefield 7 5.38x
Charlton Next Woolwich 6 9.87x
Chorlton On Medlock 6 1.86x
Colne 6 9.93x
Manchester 6 0.66x
Portsea 6 0.87x
Rawdon 6 30.09x
Southcoates 6 6.38x
Whitley Upper 6 245.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 127
Sarah 90
Elizabeth 65
Ann 49
Hannah 43
Martha 35
Emma 32
Jane 32
Annie 29
Eliza 25
Ellen 20
Emily 20
Ada 19
Alice 19
Edith 12
Clara 11
Frances 10
Harriet 10
Maria 10
Louisa 9
Caroline 8
Florence 8
Grace 8
Lucy 8
Betty 7
Margaret 7
Susannah 7
Anne 6
Charlotte 6
Kate 6
Esther 5
Isabella 5
Lilly 5
Phoebe 5
Sophia 5
Amelia 4
Amy 4
Catherine 4
Eliz. 4
Fanny 4
Lavinia 4
Rebecca 4
Rhoda 4
Rose 4
Ruth 4
Eleanor 3
Elizh. 3
Gertrude 3
Lizzie 3
Selina 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 104
William 83
George 48
Joseph 47
Thomas 43
James 41
Samuel 28
Charles 23
Henry 17
Alfred 16
Walter 16
Fred 15
David 14
Herbert 14
Albert 13
Benjamin 12
Robert 12
Edward 11
Arthur 10
Harry 10
Tom 10
Ben 9
Sam 9
Wm. 9
Edwin 7
Frederick 7
Joshua 7
Saml. 6
Ernest 5
Richard 5
Abraham 4
Daniel 4
Frank 4
Christopher 3
Earnest 3
Edmund 3
Ezra 3
Jabez 3
Joe 3
Mark 3
Seth 3
Stephen 3
Thos. 3
Willie 3
Amos 2
Arnold 2
Benjn. 2
Matthew 2
Midgley 2
Percy 2

FAQ

Asquith surname: questions and answers

How common was the Asquith surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,753 people were recorded with the Asquith surname. That placed it at #2,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Asquith surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,262 in 2016. That gives Asquith a modern rank of #2,871.

What does the Asquith surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name referring to ash trees near a stream.

What does the Asquith map show?

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