NameCensus.

UK surname

Cawthra

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Cawthra or Cawthorne.

In the 1881 census there were 313 people recorded with the Cawthra surname, ranking it #9,436 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 323, ranked #13,997, down from #9,436 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Birstall, Bradford and Otley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harrogate, Wakefield and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cawthra is 421 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.2%.

1881 census count

313

Ranked #9,436

Modern count

323

2016, ranked #13,997

Peak year

1901

421 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cawthra had 313 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,436 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016, ranked #13,997.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 421 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Cawthra surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cawthra surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cawthra 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 184 #11,120
1861 historical 141 #16,072
1881 historical 313 #9,436
1891 historical 328 #10,348
1901 historical 421 #9,141
1911 historical 414 #9,062
1997 modern 365 #11,804
1998 modern 368 #12,096
1999 modern 376 #11,979
2000 modern 362 #12,264
2001 modern 359 #12,153
2002 modern 353 #12,512
2003 modern 333 #12,875
2004 modern 331 #12,973
2005 modern 337 #12,738
2006 modern 339 #12,754
2007 modern 338 #12,925
2008 modern 336 #13,095
2009 modern 343 #13,168
2010 modern 339 #13,523
2011 modern 347 #13,167
2012 modern 339 #13,271
2013 modern 333 #13,682
2014 modern 332 #13,807
2015 modern 331 #13,739
2016 modern 323 #13,997

Geography

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Where Cawthras are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Harrogate, Wakefield, Bradford and Kirklees. 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 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Otley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harrogate 004 Harrogate
2 Wakefield 001 Wakefield
3 Wakefield 027 Wakefield
4 Bradford 058 Bradford
5 Kirklees 005 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cawthra

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cawthra

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Cawthra is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cawthra is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cawthra falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cawthra

The surname Cawthra is of English origin, and it is derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England. The name is believed to be a combination of the Old English words "calew" and "thorn," which together mean "callow thorn" or "bare thorn." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive term for a person who lived near a thorn bush or a thorny area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cawthra can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it appears as "Cawethorne." This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

During the Middle Ages, the Cawthra family was associated with the village of Cawthorne in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Cawthorne is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Calvetorne," further highlighting the connection between the surname and the place name.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Cawthra name was John Cawthra, a merchant and alderman in the city of York. He was born around 1520 and played an influential role in the local community.

Another prominent individual was Joseph Cawthra, a British businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1719 to 1801. He made significant contributions to the city of Toronto, Canada, where he established several charitable institutions and supported various educational initiatives.

The Cawthra family also had connections to the United States. In the late 18th century, John Cawthra, born in 1761, immigrated to Philadelphia and became a successful merchant. His descendants played active roles in the city's business and social circles.

In the 19th century, William Cawthra, born in 1801, was a notable figure in Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada). He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly and was involved in various business ventures, including the establishment of a brewery in Toronto.

Throughout history, the Cawthra surname has been associated with various place names, such as Cawthorne in Yorkshire, Cawthorne Hill in Lancashire, and Cawthra's Bush in Toronto, which was named after the Cawthra family's land holdings in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cawthra families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cawthra 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 282 Cawthras recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.41x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 282 9.41x
Lancashire 27 0.75x
Gloucestershire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 35 Cawthras recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.25x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 35 48.25x
Horton In Bradford 33 70.53x
Northowram 33 157.07x
Liversedge 29 217.39x
Baildon 28 496.45x
Manningham 19 51.46x
Thornton In Bradford 17 170.34x
Huddersfield 11 25.19x
Manchester 11 6.82x
Halifax 10 22.73x
Bowling 8 26.95x
Calverley Cum Farsley 8 94.01x
Clayton 6 81.86x
Mirfield 6 36.47x
Allerton 5 130.89x
Armley 5 37.82x
Hipperholme Cum 5 37.97x
Ardwick 4 12.36x
Didsbury 4 84.03x
Heaton 4 124.22x
Leeds 4 2.36x
Broughton In Salford 2 6.10x
Dewsbury 2 6.51x
Drighlington 2 45.77x
Gomersal 2 14.30x
Liverpool 2 0.92x
Rusholme 2 20.90x
Tong 2 34.54x
Wortley In Bramley 2 8.43x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.05x
Burghwallis 1 434.78x
Clifton 1 3.34x
Hulme 1 1.33x
Idle 1 7.20x
Marske In Guisbrough 1 18.80x
Rawdon 1 28.33x
Skircoat 1 8.46x
Southcoates 1 6.01x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
Thomas 13
William 11
Henry 8
James 8
Joseph 8
Samuel 8
Arthur 7
Edwin 4
Fred 4
George 4
Alfred 3
Charles 3
David 3
Ernest 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Fred. 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Jonas 2
Richard 2
Willie 2
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Elijah 1
Foster 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Herbet 1
Herman 1
Israel 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Jonothan 1
Joshua 1
Laurence 1
Lindsay 1
Lowis 1
Miles 1
Preston 1
Procter 1
Randolph 1
Sam 1
Sidney 1
Silas 1
Sutcliffe 1
Tom 1
Victor 1

FAQ

Cawthra surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cawthra surname in 1881?

In 1881, 313 people were recorded with the Cawthra surname. That placed it at #9,436 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cawthra surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 323 in 2016. That gives Cawthra a modern rank of #13,997.

What does the Cawthra surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Cawthra or Cawthorne.

What does the Cawthra map show?

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