NameCensus.

UK surname

Carruth

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a red-colored ford or crossing of a river.

In the 1881 census there were 179 people recorded with the Carruth surname, ranking it #13,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 263, ranked #16,210, down from #13,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, Kilmacolm, Quarriers, Greenock Upper East/Central and Carntyne West and Haghill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carruth is 267 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.9%.

1881 census count

179

Ranked #13,787

Modern count

263

2016, ranked #16,210

Peak year

2015

267 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carruth had 179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016, ranked #16,210.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 205 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Carruth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carruth surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Carruth 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 139 #13,659
1861 historical 155 #14,881
1881 historical 179 #13,787
1891 historical 205 #14,649
1901 historical 192 #15,518
1911 historical 9 #32,754
1997 modern 251 #15,236
1998 modern 249 #15,720
1999 modern 245 #16,012
2000 modern 242 #16,101
2001 modern 242 #15,832
2002 modern 258 #15,485
2003 modern 248 #15,695
2004 modern 243 #16,004
2005 modern 234 #16,388
2006 modern 228 #16,789
2007 modern 228 #16,984
2008 modern 234 #16,827
2009 modern 252 #16,323
2010 modern 258 #16,432
2011 modern 255 #16,428
2012 modern 251 #16,467
2013 modern 252 #16,689
2014 modern 261 #16,421
2015 modern 267 #16,050
2016 modern 263 #16,210

Geography

Back to top

Where Carruths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Glasgow, Paisley Abbey, Renfrew and Kilbarchan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, Kilmacolm, Quarriers, Greenock Upper East/Central, Carntyne West and Haghill, Cross Stobbs and Renfrewshire Rural North and Langbank. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Glasgow Lanark
3 Paisley Abbey Renfrew
4 Renfrew Renfrew
5 Kilbarchan Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 007 Sunderland
2 Kilmacolm, Quarriers, Greenock Upper East/Central Inverclyde
3 Carntyne West and Haghill Glasgow City
4 Cross Stobbs East Renfrewshire
5 Renfrewshire Rural North and Langbank Renfrewshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Carruth

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Carruth

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Carruth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Carruth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Carruth 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

Carruth is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carruth falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Carruth is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Carruth, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Carruth

The surname Carruth has its origins in Scotland and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word 'carragh', meaning a rocky hill or cairn, and 'ath', meaning a ford or shallow river crossing. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a rocky hill or cairn by a ford or river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Carruth name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it appears as 'Carruther'. This was a record of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name is also mentioned in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of the 14th century, spelled as 'Carrutheris'.

In the 16th century, the Carruths were a prominent family in the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the counties of Dumfriesshire and Roxburghshire. They held lands and estates in places like Holmains and Mouswald. One notable member of the family was John Carruth of Holmains, who lived in the late 16th century and was known for his involvement in local politics and affairs.

Another noteworthy figure was George Carruth, a Scottish minister and writer who was born in Ayrshire in 1639. He published several works on religious and theological topics, including a book titled 'The Dreadful Blasphemer' in 1698.

In the 18th century, the Carruth name began to spread beyond Scotland as some members of the family emigrated to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One such individual was William Carruth, who was born in Scotland in 1748 and later settled in County Down, Ireland, where he worked as a farmer and landowner.

As the centuries progressed, the Carruth surname continued to be found across Scotland, with concentrations in areas like Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, and the Scottish Borders. Notable individuals with the name include William Herbert Carruth, an American poet and academic who lived from 1859 to 1924, and William Wallace Carruth, a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Carruth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carruth 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. Renfrewshire leads with 80 Carruths recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.12x.

County Total Index
Renfrewshire 80 59.12x
Lanarkshire 65 11.51x
Ayrshire 10 7.65x
Lancashire 10 0.48x
Stirlingshire 7 10.87x
Wigtownshire 4 17.25x
Angus 1 0.62x
Dunbartonshire 1 2.13x
Midlothian 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 27 Carruths recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.89x.

Place Total Index
Barony 27 18.89x
Glasgow 23 22.94x
Kilbarchan 18 437.96x
Abbey 15 72.64x
Paisley Low Church 15 350.47x
Govan 13 9.31x
Paisley High Church 12 111.42x
Campsie 7 198.30x
Renfrew 7 156.60x
Pendleton In Salford 6 24.30x
Riccarton Hurlford 6 262.01x
Liverpool 4 3.18x
Paisley Middle Church 4 50.76x
Dalry 3 48.78x
Inch 3 132.74x
Lochwinnoch 3 148.51x
West Greenock 3 12.35x
Houston Killallan 2 152.67x
Beith 1 25.64x
Bothwell 1 6.53x
Dundee 1 1.66x
Edinburgh Canongate 1 16.81x
Erskine 1 102.04x
Maryhill 1 9.05x
Row 1 16.47x
Stranraer 1 47.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Mary 2
Catherine 1
Janet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Alexander 1
Frank 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Carruth households.

FAQ

Carruth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carruth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 179 people were recorded with the Carruth surname. That placed it at #13,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carruth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016. That gives Carruth a modern rank of #16,210.

What does the Carruth surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a red-colored ford or crossing of a river.

What does the Carruth map show?

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