NameCensus.

UK surname

Eatough

A locational surname derived from a place name in Lancashire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 348 people recorded with the Eatough surname, ranking it #8,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 298, ranked #14,801, down from #8,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Blackburn and Bolton-le-Moors. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lancashire, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Eatough is 536 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.4%.

1881 census count

348

Ranked #8,791

Modern count

298

2016, ranked #14,801

Peak year

1911

536 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Eatough had 348 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 298 in 2016, ranked #14,801.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 536 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Eatough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Eatough surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Eatough 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 190 #10,852
1861 historical 185 #12,799
1881 historical 348 #8,791
1891 historical 412 #8,653
1901 historical 523 #7,790
1911 historical 536 #7,432
1997 modern 312 #13,182
1998 modern 295 #14,029
1999 modern 314 #13,556
2000 modern 320 #13,360
2001 modern 312 #13,392
2002 modern 322 #13,354
2003 modern 319 #13,263
2004 modern 315 #13,450
2005 modern 293 #14,030
2006 modern 308 #13,669
2007 modern 293 #14,272
2008 modern 294 #14,327
2009 modern 309 #14,135
2010 modern 314 #14,258
2011 modern 307 #14,386
2012 modern 319 #13,898
2013 modern 315 #14,245
2014 modern 310 #14,499
2015 modern 307 #14,504
2016 modern 298 #14,801

Geography

Back to top

Where Eatoughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Blackburn, Bolton-le-Moors, Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lancashire, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley and Lancaster. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Blackburn Lancashire
3 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
4 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire
5 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lancashire 001 West Lancashire
2 Hyndburn 001 Hyndburn
3 Ribble Valley 008 Ribble Valley
4 Lancaster 006 Lancaster
5 Ribble Valley 003 Ribble Valley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Eatough

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Eatough

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Eatough surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Eatough household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Eatough 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

Eatough 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

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

Meaning and origin of Eatough

The surname EATOUGH has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "etan" and "hoh," which collectively mean "the ridge frequented by deer." This suggests that the name initially referred to a geographic feature or a location where deer would gather, possibly indicating the occupation or dwelling place of the earliest bearers of the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ethoue." This entry provides evidence that the name existed during the time of the Norman Conquest and was likely associated with a specific place or landholding in England.

Throughout the centuries, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Eatough, Etough, Ettoffe, and Ettoff, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in those times. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the interpretations of scribes and record-keepers.

Notable individuals bearing the EATOUGH surname include:

1. John Eatough (c. 1600-1670), an English landowner and magistrate in Lancashire, known for his involvement in local governance during the Interregnum period.

2. Margaret Eatough (1674-1742), a prominent Quaker minister from Lancashire, who traveled extensively throughout Britain and America, preaching and advocating for religious tolerance.

3. William Eatough (1787-1867), a British industrialist and entrepreneur, who pioneered the use of steam power in textile mills in the north of England during the Industrial Revolution.

4. Elizabeth Eatough (1815-1897), a renowned English botanist and naturalist, known for her contributions to the study of mosses and liverworts, as well as her advocacy for women's education in the sciences.

5. Sir James Eatough (1863-1935), a British civil engineer and urban planner, renowned for his work on several major infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal and the development of the city's public transport system.

While the name EATOUGH originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the name's roots can be traced back to the medieval period and its association with geographic locations and occupations related to deer hunting or dwelling in forested areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Eatough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Eatough 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 332 Eatoughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.27x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 332 8.27x
Yorkshire 10 0.30x
Westmorland 3 4.03x
Sussex 2 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 55 Eatoughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.47x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 55 51.47x
Accrington 41 112.30x
Great Harwood 36 495.87x
Whalley 22 376.07x
Great Bolton 19 35.71x
Bury 16 34.87x
Over Darwen 14 43.64x
Higher Booths 12 165.75x
Preston 12 11.17x
Witton 11 217.82x
Batley 10 31.37x
Clitheroe 9 76.14x
Aighton Bailey 8 414.51x
Newchurch 8 24.35x
Salford 8 6.77x
Mellor 7 551.18x
Spotland 7 15.68x
Livesey 6 85.11x
Heap 5 23.47x
Wiswell 5 581.40x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 6.27x
Eccleshill 4 454.55x
Stretford 4 18.10x
Kendal 3 22.03x
Lower Darwen 3 56.93x
Padiham 3 30.93x
Tottington Lower End 3 15.72x
Chorley 2 8.87x
Everton 2 1.56x
Goosnargh 2 153.85x
Habergham Eaves 2 5.45x
Selsey 2 190.48x
Fulwood 1 23.04x
Westleigh 1 10.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Elizabeth 21
Alice 15
Margaret 11
Annie 8
Ellen 8
Sarah 8
Ann 7
Jane 7
Maria 5
Isabella 4
Martha 4
Agnes 3
Betty 3
Betsy 2
Clara 2
Eliz. 2
Eliza 2
Lucy 2
Nancy 2
Priscilla 2
Rose 2
Susannah 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Chloe 1
Dinah 1
Dora 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Joanna 1
Julia 1
Lydia 1
Margret 1
Nanny 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 30
Richard 16
William 15
Thomas 14
James 12
Joseph 9
Robert 6
Henry 5
Adam 4
Albert 4
George 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Samuel 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Daniel 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Jonathan 2
Oliver 2
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Benjn. 1
Charles 1
Cornelious 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Giles 1
Herbert 1
Hubert 1
Jane 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Jos. 1
Josh. 1
Matthew 1
Miles 1
Morin 1
Nicholas 1
Ralph 1
Richd. 1
Rollinson 1
Shrible 1
Squires 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Walton 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Eatough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Eatough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 348 people were recorded with the Eatough surname. That placed it at #8,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Eatough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 298 in 2016. That gives Eatough a modern rank of #14,801.

What does the Eatough surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Lancashire, England.

What does the Eatough map show?

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