NameCensus.

UK surname

Astwood

A locative surname referring to someone who lived near an ash tree wood.

In the 1881 census there were 92 people recorded with the Astwood surname, ranking it #20,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 144, ranked #24,390, down from #20,709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Masham, Otley and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire and Richmond upon Thames.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Astwood is 171 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.5%.

1881 census count

92

Ranked #20,709

Modern count

144

2016, ranked #24,390

Peak year

2011

171 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Astwood had 92 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016, ranked #24,390.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Astwood surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Astwood surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Astwood 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 92 #20,709
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 122 #20,344
1911 historical 123 #20,128
1997 modern 155 #20,684
1998 modern 168 #20,181
1999 modern 167 #20,374
2000 modern 163 #20,657
2001 modern 166 #20,129
2002 modern 155 #21,431
2003 modern 152 #21,486
2004 modern 153 #21,528
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 147 #22,221
2007 modern 144 #22,804
2008 modern 151 #22,323
2009 modern 157 #22,271
2010 modern 161 #22,385
2011 modern 171 #21,337
2012 modern 155 #22,762
2013 modern 155 #23,108
2014 modern 151 #23,745
2015 modern 146 #24,148
2016 modern 144 #24,390

Geography

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Where Astwoods are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Masham, Otley, Halifax, Chesterfield and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire, Richmond upon Thames, Hambleton and Richmondshire. 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 Masham Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Otley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Chesterfield Derbyshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 031 Doncaster
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Richmond upon Thames 001 Richmond upon Thames
4 Hambleton 006 Hambleton
5 Richmondshire 003 Richmondshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Astwood

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Astwood

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

Astwood is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Astwood

The surname Astwood originates from England, specifically deriving from the parish of Astwood in Worcestershire. The name likely dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period, as the prefix "ast" is an Old English word meaning "ash tree." The addition of "wood" refers to a wooded area or forest, indicating that the name likely described someone who lived near an ash wood.

One of the earliest known records of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Astwode." This entry suggests that the name was already established in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, a Robert de Astwode is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex, dated 1277. This indicates that the name had spread to different regions of England by this time.

During the 14th century, a notable figure named John Astwood (c. 1310 - c. 1380) was a prominent English clergyman and theologian. He served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1345 to 1361.

In the 16th century, a variant spelling of the name appears in the form of "Astwood." A record from 1586 mentions a Thomas Astwood, who was a landowner in the village of Astwood, Worcestershire.

Another notable individual with this surname was Sir Ralph Astwood (1580 - 1654), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Coventry during the English Civil War period.

Moving into the 17th century, the famous English botanist and naturalist John Parkinson (1567 - 1650) made reference to the "Astwood Pear" in his influential work "Paradisi in Sole Paradisus Terrestris" (1629), suggesting that the name was associated with a particular variety of pear cultivated in the area.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure was Sir Isaac Astwood (1713 - 1789), a British naval officer who achieved the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy and served with distinction during the Seven Years' War.

Overall, the surname Astwood has a long and rich history in England, particularly in the Worcestershire region, with records spanning several centuries and individuals of note from various fields, including religion, politics, and the military.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Astwood families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Astwood 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 66 Astwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.42x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 66 7.42x
Derbyshire 13 9.25x
Lancashire 4 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 4 3.31x
Staffordshire 3 0.99x
Glamorgan 1 0.64x
Warwickshire 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brightside Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 9 Astwoods recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.61x.

Place Total Index
Brightside Bierlow 9 51.61x
Chesterfield 8 151.80x
Clayton 7 321.10x
East Witton Within 6 7500.00x
Rotherham 6 119.76x
Northowram 5 80.13x
Gilling 4 1481.48x
Patrck Brmptn Newton 4 2500.00x
Southowram 4 147.60x
Burnley 3 33.44x
East Retford 3 285.71x
East Witton Without 3 4285.71x
Ecclesfield 3 46.01x
Nether Hallam 3 24.94x
Newbold Dunston 3 223.88x
Tamworth 3 185.19x
Brampton 2 102.04x
Holy Trinity 2 9.35x
Idle 2 48.54x
Masham 2 606.06x
Otley 2 92.59x
Birmingham 1 1.33x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 5.91x
Leeds 1 1.99x
Leyburn 1 333.33x
Morley 1 21.65x
Ordsall 1 107.53x
Sheffield 1 3.53x
Swansea Town 1 7.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 7
Mary 4
Emma 3
Esther 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Beatrice 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Julia 1
Louea 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Miriam 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1
Susannah 1
W. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 4
Edward 4
George 4
William 3
Arthur 2
David 2
Fred 2
James 2
John 2
Joseph 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Bairstow 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
Irvine 1
Lorenzo 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Astwood surname: questions and answers

How common was the Astwood surname in 1881?

In 1881, 92 people were recorded with the Astwood surname. That placed it at #20,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Astwood surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 144 in 2016. That gives Astwood a modern rank of #24,390.

What does the Astwood surname mean?

A locative surname referring to someone who lived near an ash tree wood.

What does the Astwood map show?

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