NameCensus.

UK surname

Barrowclough

A locational surname referring to someone from a place with an ancient burial mound or burial hill.

In the 1881 census there were 530 people recorded with the Barrowclough surname, ranking it #6,481 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 362, ranked #12,810, down from #6,481 in 1881.

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

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barrowclough is 543 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 31.7%.

1881 census count

530

Ranked #6,481

Modern count

362

2016, ranked #12,810

Peak year

1891

543 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Barrowclough had 530 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,481 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016, ranked #12,810.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 543 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Barrowclough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Barrowclough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Barrowclough 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 288 #7,884
1861 historical 368 #6,935
1881 historical 530 #6,481
1891 historical 543 #6,951
1901 historical 478 #8,329
1911 historical 431 #8,789
1997 modern 364 #11,827
1998 modern 365 #12,175
1999 modern 382 #11,843
2000 modern 374 #11,976
2001 modern 363 #12,057
2002 modern 366 #12,221
2003 modern 368 #11,963
2004 modern 369 #11,967
2005 modern 379 #11,662
2006 modern 380 #11,666
2007 modern 382 #11,775
2008 modern 383 #11,876
2009 modern 386 #12,044
2010 modern 391 #12,207
2011 modern 378 #12,363
2012 modern 368 #12,468
2013 modern 372 #12,570
2014 modern 378 #12,512
2015 modern 372 #12,544
2016 modern 362 #12,810

Geography

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Where Barrowcloughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mirfield, Silkstone, Kirkburton, Whalley 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 Kirklees, Barnsley and Tameside. 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 Mirfield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Kirkburton Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Whalley Lancashire
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
2 Kirklees 055 Kirklees
3 Barnsley 010 Barnsley
4 Tameside 004 Tameside
5 Barnsley 008 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Barrowclough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Barrowclough

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Barrowclough, 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 Barrowclough surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Barrowclough 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Barrowclough is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Barrowclough is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Barrowclough falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Barrowclough 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 Barrowclough, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Barrowclough

The surname Barrowclough is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "bearu" meaning grove or wood, and "cloh" meaning ravine or valley. It is a locational surname, suggesting that the name originated from a place named Barrowclough, likely referring to a wooded ravine or valley.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 13th century in the county of Lancashire, England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Baroclough, mentioned in the Lancashire Assize Rolls in 1292.

In the 16th century, the name was also found in the neighboring county of Yorkshire, where variations like Baraclough and Baroclough were recorded. A notable bearer from this time was John Barrowclough, who was listed as a landowner in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines in 1585.

The Barrowclough surname is closely associated with the town of Barrowclough in Lancashire, which was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Baroclove." This place name likely influenced the development of the surname.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Barrowclough have achieved notable standing. James Barrowclough (1737-1808) was a British Methodist minister and author, known for his work "The Chief Heads of the Arguments Against the Book of the Revelations." William Barrowclough (1835-1903) was a prominent English architect, responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the North of England.

Other notable bearers of the name include John Barrowclough (1890-1975), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, and Thomas Barrowclough (1865-1925), a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gorton from 1918 to 1922.

The surname Barrowclough continues to be most prevalent in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, where it originated, but has also spread to other parts of England and beyond through migration and settlement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Barrowclough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Barrowclough 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 326 Barrowcloughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.36x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 326 6.36x
Lancashire 164 2.67x
Cheshire 23 2.02x
Durham 7 0.46x
Oxfordshire 3 0.94x
Lanarkshire 2 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.29x
Gloucestershire 1 0.10x
Staffordshire 1 0.06x
Worcestershire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fulstone in Yorkshire leads with 36 Barrowcloughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 960.00x.

Place Total Index
Fulstone 36 960.00x
Habergham Eaves 30 53.50x
Mirfield 25 88.87x
Ashton Under Lyne 24 17.90x
Wooldale 20 230.15x
Barrowford Booth 17 250.37x
Heaton Norris 17 48.68x
Denby 16 579.71x
Higham With West Close 11 827.07x
North Bierley 11 39.77x
Rastrick 11 77.30x
Saddleworth 11 27.83x
Morley 10 37.54x
Burnley 9 17.42x
Dukinfield 9 17.06x
Ecclesall Bierlow 9 8.64x
Austonley 8 275.86x
Huddersfield 8 10.72x
Hulme 8 6.25x
Thurlstone 8 158.42x
Worsbrough 8 53.30x
Barnsley 7 13.25x
Cartworth 7 165.09x
Cleckheaton 7 37.10x
Hunwick Helmington 7 189.70x
Newchurch 7 13.95x
Oldham 7 3.54x
Shelley 7 233.33x
Shepley 7 248.23x
Tintwistle 7 114.75x
Meltham 6 75.28x
Preston 6 3.66x
Scarborough 6 12.89x
Thurstonland 6 338.98x
Almondbury 5 20.19x
Churwell 5 143.27x
Dalton In Huddersfield 5 43.55x
Halifax 5 6.65x
Honley 5 55.74x
Hunslet 5 6.26x
Linthwaite 5 46.43x
Newton 5 282.49x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 5 27.32x
Rawmarsh 5 27.62x
Rotherham 5 17.31x
Sheffield 5 3.07x
Tong 5 50.51x
Gomersal 4 16.73x
Liversedge 4 17.54x
Manchester 4 1.45x
Over Darwen 4 8.16x
Stretford 4 11.85x
Brampton En Le Morthen 3 2727.27x
Chipping Norton 3 40.65x
Dewsbury 3 5.71x
Wortley In Wortley 3 149.25x
Barugh 2 46.19x
Cliviger 2 57.97x
Droylsden 2 10.00x
Goldshaw Booth 2 317.46x
Govan 2 0.48x
Kildwick 2 42.92x
Netherthong 2 120.48x
Reedley Hallows 2 169.49x
Alton 1 53.19x
Birkenhead 1 1.10x
Carburton 1 294.12x
Darton 1 19.05x
Dodworth 1 18.80x
East Broughton 1 57.14x
Gorton 1 1.73x
Hartlebury 1 24.88x
Heptonstall 1 13.91x
Huncoat 1 60.61x
Leeds 1 0.35x
Newton In Ashton Under 1 8.88x
Openshaw 1 3.48x
Parlington 1 263.16x
Withington 1 5.06x
Wombwell 1 6.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Sarah 23
Elizabeth 20
Ann 15
Alice 13
Hannah 13
Eliza 11
Jane 11
Annie 10
Ellen 9
Emma 8
Ada 6
Martha 6
Clara 5
Florence 4
Caroline 3
Eleanor 3
Lydia 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Catherine 2
Christiana 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Lilly 2
Nancy 2
Ruth 2
Susannah 2
Adelaide 1
Betty 1
Elizebth 1
Elizth. 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Evelyn 1
Everlda 1
Judith 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lavinia 1
Levina 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Lygetta 1
Maggie 1
Zilpha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 32
William 19
James 16
George 10
Joseph 10
Thomas 9
Henry 8
Arthur 7
Jno. 7
David 6
Fred 6
Harry 6
Richard 6
Alfred 5
Charles 5
Herbert 5
Joe 5
Jonas 5
Joshua 5
Wm. 5
Walter 4
Benjamin 3
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Robert 3
Abraham 2
Albert 2
Chas. 2
Edgar 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Gledhill 2
Lewis 2
Sam 2
Samuel 2
Tom 2
Uriah 2
Wilson 2
Amos 1
Christopher 1
Dan 1
Emor 1
Enos 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Freedom 1
Geo. 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Johon 1

FAQ

Barrowclough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Barrowclough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 530 people were recorded with the Barrowclough surname. That placed it at #6,481 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Barrowclough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016. That gives Barrowclough a modern rank of #12,810.

What does the Barrowclough surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place with an ancient burial mound or burial hill.

What does the Barrowclough map show?

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