NameCensus.

UK surname

Charleston

A locational surname referring to someone from the city or town of Charleston.

In the 1881 census there were 206 people recorded with the Charleston surname, ranking it #12,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 409, ranked #11,694, up from #12,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edinburgh, Uphall and Camborne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Babergh, Toryglen and Oatlands and Merthyr Tydfil.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Charleston is 423 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 98.5%.

1881 census count

206

Ranked #12,596

Modern count

409

2016, ranked #11,694

Peak year

2009

423 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Charleston had 206 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 409 in 2016, ranked #11,694.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 306 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Charleston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Charleston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Charleston 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 95 #17,707
1861 historical 169 #13,823
1881 historical 206 #12,596
1891 historical 278 #11,746
1901 historical 306 #11,494
1911 historical 202 #14,871
1997 modern 369 #11,690
1998 modern 370 #12,052
1999 modern 378 #11,935
2000 modern 369 #12,106
2001 modern 365 #12,014
2002 modern 379 #11,913
2003 modern 384 #11,589
2004 modern 391 #11,468
2005 modern 395 #11,292
2006 modern 403 #11,187
2007 modern 406 #11,249
2008 modern 410 #11,245
2009 modern 423 #11,204
2010 modern 414 #11,673
2011 modern 402 #11,828
2012 modern 389 #11,963
2013 modern 409 #11,714
2014 modern 410 #11,788
2015 modern 400 #11,909
2016 modern 409 #11,694

Geography

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Where Charlestons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edinburgh, Uphall, Camborne, Grangemouth and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Babergh, Toryglen and Oatlands, Merthyr Tydfil, Cornwall and Swindon. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
2 Uphall Linlithgow
3 Camborne Cornwall
4 Grangemouth Stirling
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Babergh 009 Babergh
2 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
3 Merthyr Tydfil 004 Merthyr Tydfil
4 Cornwall 073 Cornwall
5 Swindon 013 Swindon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Charleston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Charleston

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Charleston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Charleston household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Charleston is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Charleston is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Charleston falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Charleston

The surname Charleston originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words 'cealc' meaning chalk and 'tun' meaning settlement or enclosure, referring to a chalky area or a settlement near chalk hills. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Chalketon in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Chalketon, Chalkton, Chalktoun, and eventually Charleston. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Chalketon, a landowner mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1194.

The Charleston surname is also associated with the city of Charleston, South Carolina, which was founded in 1670 and named after King Charles II of England. However, the city's name and the surname are not directly related, as the surname predates the establishment of the city.

Notable individuals with the surname Charleston include:

1. Thomas Charleston (c. 1370-1445), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Kent in the early 15th century. 2. John Charleston (c. 1550-1615), an English explorer and navigator who was part of the expedition that discovered the island of Bermuda in 1609. 3. Anne Charleston (1663-1728), an English poet and writer known for her work "The Ladies' Calling," which advocated for the education of women. 4. Robert Charleston (1810-1885), an American politician who served as the 11th Governor of West Virginia from 1869 to 1873. 5. Dorothy Charleston (1888-1973), an English actress and singer who appeared in various plays and musicals in the early 20th century.

The Charleston surname has a rich history rooted in the medieval English landscape, and its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Charleston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Charleston 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 41 Charlestons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.72x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 41 1.72x
West Lothian 36 118.97x
Cornwall 33 14.51x
Cheshire 22 4.96x
Stirlingshire 16 21.59x
Midlothian 14 5.20x
Durham 8 1.34x
Surrey 8 0.82x
Devon 7 1.67x
Perthshire 6 6.65x
Caithness 4 14.54x
Kent 3 0.44x
Lanarkshire 3 0.46x
Monmouthshire 2 1.38x
Yorkshire 2 0.10x
Middlesex 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Erth in Cornwall leads with 24 Charlestons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1739.13x.

Place Total Index
St Erth 24 1739.13x
Uphall 17 510.51x
Falkirk 15 86.46x
Great Bolton 15 47.50x
Linlithgow 9 231.96x
Runcorn 9 87.98x
Birkenhead 8 22.62x
Camborne 8 85.38x
Oldham 8 10.40x
Stockton On Tees 8 27.77x
Croydon 7 12.88x
Kirkliston 7 397.73x
Ratho 7 555.56x
Dunblane 6 277.78x
Stoke Damerel 6 20.50x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 5 72.89x
Latheron 4 86.96x
Liverpool 4 2.76x
Chatham 3 15.91x
Hyde 3 22.92x
Queensferry 3 405.41x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 3.84x
Barony 2 1.22x
Dukinfield 2 9.76x
Leeds 2 1.78x
Liberton 2 48.19x
South Leith 2 6.60x
Spotland 2 7.54x
Aberystruth 1 7.81x
Ashton In Makerfield 1 14.73x
Corstorphine 1 67.57x
Duddingston 1 18.52x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 8.35x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.92x
Elton 1 12.14x
Govan 1 0.62x
Haydock 1 24.33x
Lambeth 1 0.57x
Madron Penzance 1 12.09x
Plymstock 1 45.66x
Salford 1 1.43x
St Ninians 1 13.61x
St Pancras London 1 0.62x
Trevethin 1 7.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 12
James 11
Thomas 7
Charles 4
William 4
Joseph 2
Emanuel 1
George 1
Harry 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Sydney 1
Thelfall 1

FAQ

Charleston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Charleston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 206 people were recorded with the Charleston surname. That placed it at #12,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Charleston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 409 in 2016. That gives Charleston a modern rank of #11,694.

What does the Charleston surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the city or town of Charleston.

What does the Charleston map show?

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