NameCensus.

UK surname

Atherton

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places called Atherton in England.

In the 1881 census there were 5,404 people recorded with the Atherton surname, ranking it #822 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,036, ranked #824, down from #822 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bolton-le-Moors, Preston and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Atherton is 8,524 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.7%.

1881 census count

5,404

Ranked #822

Modern count

8,036

2016, ranked #824

Peak year

2010

8,524 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Atherton had 5,404 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #822 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,036 in 2016, ranked #824.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,970 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Atherton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Atherton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Atherton 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 2,784 #1,049
1861 historical 3,160 #915
1881 historical 5,404 #822
1891 historical 5,529 #855
1901 historical 7,074 #778
1911 historical 7,970 #636
1997 modern 8,103 #785
1998 modern 8,307 #794
1999 modern 8,500 #785
2000 modern 8,488 #786
2001 modern 8,316 #781
2002 modern 8,477 #783
2003 modern 8,191 #792
2004 modern 8,125 #798
2005 modern 8,028 #798
2006 modern 8,054 #797
2007 modern 8,112 #798
2008 modern 8,152 #797
2009 modern 8,341 #796
2010 modern 8,524 #795
2011 modern 8,335 #803
2012 modern 8,019 #817
2013 modern 8,138 #818
2014 modern 8,178 #820
2015 modern 8,082 #823
2016 modern 8,036 #824

Geography

Back to top

Where Athertons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bolton-le-Moors, Preston, Wigan and Prescot. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan 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 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Prescot Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 018 Wigan
2 Wigan 014 Wigan
3 Wigan 010 Wigan
4 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
5 St. Helens 014 St. Helens

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Atherton

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Atherton

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Atherton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Atherton 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Atherton 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

Atherton 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

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

Meaning and origin of Atherton

The surname Atherton originates from England, specifically in the county of Lancashire. It is a locational name derived from the place name Atherton, a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. The name is believed to have originated in the Old English language, with "Atherton" meaning "the farmstead or village where oats were grown."

The earliest recorded mention of the name Atherton dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Atherton." This suggests that the name and the settlement were already well-established by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, various records mention individuals with the surname Atherton, such as William de Atherton, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. The prefix "de" in his name indicates a locational surname, linking him to the place of Atherton.

During the 14th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form, "Atherton." In the Wigan Court Rolls of 1347, a Richard Atherton was mentioned as holding lands in the area.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Atherton was Sir William Atherton (c.1530-1610), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

In the 17th century, John Atherton (1598-1640) gained recognition as an English Puritan clergyman and one of the earliest settlers of Dorchester, Massachusetts. He played a significant role in the early history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Another prominent figure was James Atherton (1660-1738), a British lawyer and Whig politician who served as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies, including Wigan and Newton.

In the 19th century, William Atherton (1775-1842) was a notable English poet and schoolmaster who published several works, including "The Fall of Nineveh" and "The Last Days of Herculaneum."

One of the most celebrated individuals with the Atherton surname was Gertrude Atherton (1857-1948), an American novelist and literary critic. She was a prolific writer and is best known for her novels depicting the social and cultural life of California in the late 19th century.

These examples illustrate the long history and prominence of the surname Atherton, which has its roots firmly planted in the English county of Lancashire and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Atherton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Atherton 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 3,909 Athertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.27x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 3,909 6.27x
Cheshire 583 5.03x
Yorkshire 152 0.29x
Somerset 119 1.41x
Middlesex 92 0.18x
Cumberland 35 0.77x
Gloucestershire 33 0.32x
Staffordshire 32 0.18x
Warwickshire 31 0.23x
Essex 29 0.28x
Cambridgeshire 27 0.81x
Durham 27 0.17x
Glamorgan 27 0.30x
Flintshire 24 1.70x
Kent 24 0.13x
Surrey 23 0.09x
Suffolk 22 0.34x
Norfolk 21 0.26x
Nottinghamshire 21 0.30x
Wiltshire 18 0.39x
Caernarfonshire 17 0.80x
Berkshire 14 0.36x
Devon 11 0.10x
Lanarkshire 11 0.06x
Northumberland 11 0.14x
Shropshire 11 0.24x
Channel Islands 8 0.51x
Oxfordshire 8 0.25x
Lincolnshire 7 0.08x
Derbyshire 5 0.06x
Sussex 5 0.06x
Hampshire 4 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.24x
Worcestershire 4 0.06x
Anglesey 3 0.32x
Hertfordshire 3 0.08x
Dorset 2 0.06x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Herefordshire 1 0.05x
Leicestershire 1 0.02x
Monmouthshire 1 0.03x
Shetland 1 0.19x
Westmorland 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wigan in Lancashire leads with 332 Athertons recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.13x.

Place Total Index
Wigan 332 38.13x
Pemberton 166 66.81x
Ince In Makerfield 159 54.84x
Toxteth Park 127 6.02x
Orrell 126 162.64x
Preston 126 7.56x
Great Bolton 118 14.30x
Hindley 117 44.04x
Warrington 99 13.40x
Liverpool 92 2.43x
Parr 91 40.82x
Wharton 89 140.98x
Over 83 70.45x
Prescot 75 66.56x
Manchester 71 2.53x
Ashton In Makerfield 67 37.76x
Chorley 67 19.16x
Salford 67 3.66x
Little Bolton 64 7.99x
Hulme 63 4.84x
West Derby 63 3.46x
Widnes 60 13.35x
Billinge Chapel End 52 148.74x
Blackburn 52 3.14x
Everton 50 2.52x
Barton Upon Irwell 48 10.23x
Haydock 48 44.71x
Aspull 45 30.70x
Eccleston In Prescot 45 14.39x
Sutton 45 21.53x
Kirkdale 42 4.01x
Newton 37 7.70x
Birkenhead 36 3.90x
Over Darwen 36 7.23x
Westhoughton 34 20.45x
Ashton Under Lyne 33 2.42x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 33 18.40x
Chorlton On Medlock 32 3.23x
Windle 30 8.56x
Heaton Norris 29 8.18x
Openshaw 29 9.94x
Adlington 28 47.99x
Pilkington 28 11.83x
Skelmersdale 28 26.96x
Atherton 26 11.46x
Weston In Runcorn 25 82.97x
Fazakerley 24 248.19x
Kirkby 24 95.16x
Upholland 24 30.06x
Farnworth 23 6.16x
Fulwood 23 34.16x
Portishead 23 36.61x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 23 17.25x
Halliwell 22 9.70x
Aston 21 0.58x
Monks Coppenhall 21 4.80x
Whiston 21 43.21x
Liscard 20 9.58x
Coppull 19 57.23x
Frodsham 19 42.32x
Gorleston 18 11.08x
Lea Ashton Ingol 18 43.52x
Bedford 17 13.04x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 17 1.75x
Bury 17 2.39x
Gorton 17 2.90x
West Ham 17 0.74x
Huyton With Roby 16 21.91x
Saddleworth 16 3.99x
Abram 15 31.37x
Kearsley 15 11.44x
Walton On Hill 15 4.44x
Westleigh 15 10.60x
Blackrod 14 18.08x
Bootle Cum Linacre 14 2.83x
North Meols 14 2.30x
Oldham 14 0.70x
Speke 14 151.84x
Wolverhampton 14 1.03x
Yatton 14 42.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 434
Elizabeth 258
Sarah 174
Ann 145
Margaret 145
Ellen 142
Alice 136
Jane 130
Martha 80
Annie 71
Hannah 56
Emma 53
Eliza 42
Catherine 38
Emily 38
Maria 31
Louisa 28
Esther 22
Edith 20
Charlotte 19
Harriet 19
Ada 17
Amelia 17
Elizth. 17
Nancy 15
Agnes 14
Anne 14
Caroline 14
Clara 14
Isabella 14
Kate 13
Lucy 13
Margt. 13
Fanny 12
Susannah 12
Betsy 11
Frances 11
Florence 10
Selina 9
Jessie 8
Minnie 8
Ruth 8
Betty 7
Grace 7
Rachel 7
Susan 7
Anna 6
Bertha 6
Gertrude 6
Harriett 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 412
William 338
Thomas 284
James 279
Joseph 137
George 98
Henry 96
Robert 68
Edward 60
Peter 60
Richard 54
Samuel 54
Charles 47
Alfred 37
Arthur 28
Walter 28
Thos. 27
Frederick 26
Wm. 25
Albert 20
Frank 17
Ralph 17
Francis 16
David 15
Edwin 14
Ernest 14
Harry 14
Herbert 13
Isaac 10
Nathan 9
Fred 8
Daniel 7
Enoch 7
Jas. 7
Richd. 7
Robt. 7
Amos 6
Benjamin 6
Fredrick 6
Michael 6
Moses 6
Edmund 5
Geo. 5
Hugh 5
Stephen 5
Abel 4
Ambrose 4
Ignatius 4
Jabez 4
Martin 4

FAQ

Atherton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Atherton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,404 people were recorded with the Atherton surname. That placed it at #822 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Atherton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,036 in 2016. That gives Atherton a modern rank of #824.

What does the Atherton surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places called Atherton in England.

What does the Atherton map show?

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