UK surname

Kersh

A habitational surname derived from a place name and referring to someone from an area called "kersh."

In the 1881 census there were 9 people recorded with the Kersh surname, ranking it #32,416 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 120, ranked #27,563, up from #32,416 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Over, Hull Holy Trinity and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bury, Liverpool and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kersh is 126 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1233.3%.

1881 census count

Ranked #32,416

Modern count

120

2016, ranked #27,563

Peak year

2015

126 bearers

Map years

1911 to 2016

Key insights

• Kersh had 9 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,416 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016, ranked #27,563.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 116 in 1911.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Map

Kersh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kersh surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Kersh 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
1861	historical	25	#30,804
1881	historical	9	#32,416
1891	historical	47	#30,566
1901	historical	66	#26,794
1911	historical	116	#20,850
1997	modern	108	#25,788
1998	modern	116	#25,332
1999	modern	118	#25,227
2000	modern	115	#25,591
2001	modern	108	#26,184
2002	modern	113	#26,024
2003	modern	112	#25,948
2004	modern	105	#27,181
2005	modern	109	#26,583
2006	modern	108	#27,015
2007	modern	110	#27,087
2008	modern	109	#27,533
2009	modern	113	#27,520
2010	modern	114	#28,017
2011	modern	121	#26,789
2012	modern	117	#27,394
2013	modern	120	#27,406
2014	modern	122	#27,358
2015	modern	126	#26,654
2016	modern	120	#27,563

Geography

Where Kershs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Over, Hull Holy Trinity, Manchester, Loders, Allington and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bury, Liverpool, North Lincolnshire and Manchester. 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	Over	Cheshire
2	Hull Holy Trinity	Yorkshire, East Riding
3	Manchester	Lancashire
4	Loders, Allington	Dorset
5	Bishop Wearmouth	Durham

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Bury 019	Bury
2	Bury 026	Bury
3	Liverpool 052	Liverpool
4	North Lincolnshire 003	North Lincolnshire
5	Manchester 004	Manchester

Forenames

First names often paired with Kersh

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

Historical female names

Rachel Annie Sarah Matilda Ada Emma Etty Betsy Dora Eliza

Historical male names

Samuel Alfred Isaac Joseph Moses Harry Hyman Morris Abraham David

Recent female names

Michelle Julia Sarah Joan Lisa Emily Elle Shirley Katie Janet

Recent male names

Oliver David Stewart Daniel Dennis Jonathan Alan Matthew Lloyd Nigel

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Kersh

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Kersh surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Kersh household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Kersh is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Kersh is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kersh falls in decile 6 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.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kersh 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.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - British

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Kersh

The surname KERSH has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in England and Wales. It is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century as a locational name, derived from the Old English words "cerse" or "cyrse," which refer to a watercress or cress plant.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it appears as "Kershe." This suggests that the name was likely associated with a place where watercress grew abundantly, such as a stream or a marsh.

In the 14th century, variations of the name started to appear in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where it is spelled as "Kershe," and the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire in 1379, where it appears as "Kersh."

During the medieval period, the KERSH surname was particularly concentrated in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey, where many places bore names derived from the Old English word "cerse." For instance, the village of Kershaws in Surrey was once known as "Kershalwe," which means "the nook or corner where cress grows."

One notable individual bearing the KERSH surname was William Kersh, a merchant from Kent who was born in the late 15th century and whose will was recorded in 1522. Another early example is John Kersh, a yeoman from Sussex who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1524.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname began to spread to other parts of England and Wales. One person of note was Richard Kersh, a wealthy landowner from Gloucestershire who was born around 1580 and whose family held significant estates in the region.

During the English Civil War, a Captain John Kersh fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was recorded as being present at the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

As the KERSH surname continued to establish itself in various regions, it also underwent several variations in spelling, including Kershaw, Kershowe, and Kershawe, among others.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, the name had become well-established across Britain, and individuals with the KERSH surname could be found in various professions and walks of life. Notable examples include William Kersh, a prominent banker from London who lived in the late 18th century, and James Kersh, a renowned architect from Yorkshire who designed several important buildings in the early 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Kersh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kersh 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 9 Kershs recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.65x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Lancashire	9	0.00%	8.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 9 Kershs recorded in 1881 and an index of 192.31x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Manchester	9	0.01%	192.31x

Top female names

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

Name	Count
Betsy	1
Emma	1
Hannah	1
Marley	1
Matilda	1

Top male names

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

Name	Count
Israel	1
Joseph	1
Myer	1
Samuel	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 Kersh households.

Occupation	Count
Tailor	2
Button Hole Hand (T)	1
Cap Maker	1
Wholesale Clothier Tailor	1

FAQ

Kersh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kersh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9 people were recorded with the Kersh surname. That placed it at #32,416 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kersh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016. That gives Kersh a modern rank of #27,563.

What does the Kersh surname mean?