NameCensus.

UK surname

Eckford

A locational surname derived from a place in Roxburghshire, Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 319 people recorded with the Eckford surname, ranking it #9,326 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 261, ranked #16,309, down from #9,326 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kelso, Langholm and Hawick and Wilton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gloucester, Stockport and Harrogate.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Eckford is 374 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 18.2%.

1881 census count

319

Ranked #9,326

Modern count

261

2016, ranked #16,309

Peak year

1901

374 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Eckford had 319 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,326 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016, ranked #16,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 374 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Eckford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Eckford surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Eckford 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 230 #9,368
1861 historical 219 #11,124
1881 historical 319 #9,326
1891 historical 347 #9,894
1901 historical 374 #9,930
1911 historical 222 #13,992
1997 modern 306 #13,353
1998 modern 317 #13,392
1999 modern 306 #13,782
2000 modern 318 #13,415
2001 modern 313 #13,361
2002 modern 302 #13,938
2003 modern 288 #14,192
2004 modern 290 #14,178
2005 modern 281 #14,411
2006 modern 266 #15,076
2007 modern 266 #15,261
2008 modern 259 #15,688
2009 modern 267 #15,661
2010 modern 277 #15,595
2011 modern 276 #15,471
2012 modern 262 #16,001
2013 modern 270 #15,911
2014 modern 269 #16,059
2015 modern 268 #16,007
2016 modern 261 #16,309

Geography

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Where Eckfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kelso, Langholm, Hawick and Wilton, London parishes and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gloucester, Stockport, Harrogate, Falkirk - Camelon West and Langside. 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 Kelso Roxburgh
2 Langholm Dumfries
3 Hawick and Wilton Roxburgh
4 London parishes London 3
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gloucester 011 Gloucester
2 Stockport 027 Stockport
3 Harrogate 012 Harrogate
4 Falkirk - Camelon West Falkirk
5 Langside Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Eckford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Eckford

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Eckford, 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 Eckford surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Eckford 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

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Eckford is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Eckford 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

Eckford falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Eckford

The surname ECKFORD has its origins in the United Kingdom, specifically in the Scottish Borders region. It is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century, derived from the Old English words "ęc" meaning oak and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing.

The earliest known record of the ECKFORD surname dates back to 1296, when a man named Richard de Ekeford is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of instruments of homage and fealty to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the name was already established in the Scottish Borders region by the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the ECKFORD name appears in various Scottish charters and records, often associated with landholdings in the Roxburghshire and Berwickshire areas. One notable example is John de Eckford, who is mentioned in a charter from 1357 as holding lands near the town of Eckford in Roxburghshire.

The town of Eckford, located in the Scottish Borders, is believed to have derived its name from the ECKFORD surname, rather than the other way around. This suggests that the ECKFORD family may have been among the earliest settlers in the area, possibly as landowners or influential figures.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals with the ECKFORD surname have made their mark in various fields. One such person was Henry Eckford (1775-1832), a Scottish-American shipbuilder and naval architect who designed and constructed several notable vessels, including the USS Franklin and USS Niagara.

Another prominent ECKFORD was Sir Donald Eckford (1868-1937), a British civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the Aswan Low Dam in Egypt and the Sennar Dam in Sudan.

In the literary world, Henry Eckford (1892-1965), a Scottish poet and writer, is remembered for his works that capture the lives and landscapes of the Scottish Borders region.

Other notable individuals with the ECKFORD surname include Robert Eckford (1767-1844), a Scottish businessman and entrepreneur who founded the successful mercantile firm of Eckford & Company in Montreal, Canada, and Alexander Eckford (1820-1885), a Scottish-American artist known for his landscape paintings of the American West.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Eckford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Eckford 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. Roxburghshire leads with 48 Eckfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 89.96x.

County Total Index
Roxburghshire 48 89.96x
Midlothian 47 11.91x
Peeblesshire 23 165.95x
Durham 17 1.94x
Middlesex 16 0.54x
Dumfriesshire 14 21.51x
Lanarkshire 14 1.47x
Northumberland 13 2.97x
Fife 11 6.31x
Selkirkshire 11 41.28x
Yorkshire 11 0.38x
Gloucestershire 10 1.73x
Cheshire 8 1.23x
Angus 7 2.56x
Hampshire 7 1.16x
Bedfordshire 6 3.93x
Channel Islands 6 6.87x
Lancashire 6 0.17x
Berwickshire 4 11.21x
Suffolk 4 1.11x
Warwickshire 4 0.54x
Ayrshire 3 1.36x
Cumberland 3 1.18x
Dunbartonshire 3 3.79x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.73x
Essex 1 0.17x
Kent 1 0.10x
Somerset 1 0.21x
Surrey 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Innerleithen in Peeblesshire leads with 22 Eckfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 597.83x.

Place Total Index
Innerleithen 22 597.83x
South Leith 17 38.28x
Kelso 16 300.75x
Langholm 13 277.78x
Hawick 12 100.50x
Wemyss 11 149.05x
Gateshead 10 15.24x
North Leith 10 54.76x
Glasgow 8 4.73x
Tranmere 8 33.47x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 4.41x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 18.44x
Jesmond 7 113.45x
Leeds 7 4.25x
Portsea 7 5.92x
Barony 6 2.49x
Bedford St Paul 6 57.36x
Cheltenham 6 13.46x
Edinburgh High Church 6 241.94x
Islington London 6 2.10x
Melrose 6 89.42x
St Saviour 6 124.22x
Wilton 6 102.56x
Jedburgh 5 95.60x
Liff Benvie 5 12.07x
Bury St Edmunds St James 4 41.75x
Edinburgh St Marys 4 52.15x
Elswick 4 11.44x
Westminster St John 4 11.15x
Wolston Marston 4 714.29x
Caldewgate 3 21.58x
Dowdeswell 3 600.00x
Dumbarton 3 27.22x
Ednam 3 483.87x
Great Crosby 3 31.48x
Largs 3 57.80x
Sprouston 3 288.46x
Yarrow 3 461.54x
Aberdeen Old Machar 2 3.51x
Acton 2 11.58x
Barrow In Furness 2 4.21x
Dundee 2 1.96x
Mexborough 2 34.54x
Nenthorn 2 434.78x
Stitchel 2 571.43x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 10.76x
Bristol St Peter 1 48.31x
Colinton 1 22.73x
Cramond 1 33.44x
Earlston 1 55.87x
Galashiels 1 10.15x
Godalming 1 11.06x
Greenwich 1 2.13x
Isleworth 1 7.63x
Kirkdale 1 1.70x
Kirkpatrick Juxta 1 94.34x
Legerwood 1 178.57x
Liberton 1 16.42x
Lilliesleaf 1 138.89x
Selkirk 1 13.32x
St Martin In Fields 1 5.67x
St Pancras London 1 0.42x
Traquair 1 129.87x
Tynemouth 1 4.26x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 1 26.18x
Westminster St Margaret 1 7.04x
Woodford 1 15.20x
York St Martin Mklgt W 1 151.52x
York St Mary 1 8.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Alice 3
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Margaret 3
E. 2
Elinor 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
H.M. 2
Helen 2
Isabel 2
Isabella 2
Joan 2
Maria 2
A. 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
B.L. 1
Beatrice 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Elizebeth 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
J. 1
Jane 1
Janet 1
K. 1
Letitia 1
M.J. 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 8
John 8
William 7
Thomas 4
George 3
Henry 3
Charles 2
E. 2
Peter 2
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Ashton 1
C. 1
D. 1
David 1
G. 1
Harry 1
Norman 1
P. 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
T. 1
Walter 1
Wm.T. 1

FAQ

Eckford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Eckford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 319 people were recorded with the Eckford surname. That placed it at #9,326 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Eckford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016. That gives Eckford a modern rank of #16,309.

What does the Eckford surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place in Roxburghshire, Scotland.

What does the Eckford map show?

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