NameCensus.

UK surname

Kershaw

From the Old English elements "cēo," meaning cow, and "sceaga," meaning wood, likely referring to a pasture for cattle.

In the 1881 census there were 9,666 people recorded with the Kershaw surname, ranking it #444 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,725, ranked #860, down from #444 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Halifax and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochdale and Rossendale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kershaw is 11,097 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.1%.

1881 census count

9,666

Ranked #444

Modern count

7,725

2016, ranked #860

Peak year

1911

11,097 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kershaw had 9,666 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #444 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,725 in 2016, ranked #860.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,097 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Kershaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kershaw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kershaw 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 5,907 #470
1861 historical 4,680 #606
1881 historical 9,666 #444
1891 historical 9,014 #490
1901 historical 10,939 #475
1911 historical 11,097 #439
1997 modern 7,852 #822
1998 modern 8,158 #822
1999 modern 8,237 #821
2000 modern 8,152 #821
2001 modern 7,947 #822
2002 modern 8,073 #828
2003 modern 7,851 #829
2004 modern 7,845 #828
2005 modern 7,771 #823
2006 modern 7,706 #833
2007 modern 7,783 #831
2008 modern 7,733 #843
2009 modern 7,932 #841
2010 modern 8,047 #853
2011 modern 7,871 #860
2012 modern 7,770 #849
2013 modern 7,848 #857
2014 modern 7,864 #859
2015 modern 7,781 #858
2016 modern 7,725 #860

Geography

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Where Kershaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Halifax, Bradford, Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) and Ashton-under-Lyne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochdale and Rossendale. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire
5 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochdale 001 Rochdale
2 Rossendale 009 Rossendale
3 Rochdale 009 Rochdale
4 Rochdale 010 Rochdale
5 Rochdale 004 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kershaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kershaw

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Kershaw is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Kershaw is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Kershaw

The surname Kershaw is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "cyre" meaning a turning or winding and "sceaga" meaning a small wood or grove. It is a locational surname, indicating that the first bearers of the name hailed from a place called Kershaw, likely a winding grove or a settlement near a winding wood.

The name is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, where several places bear the name Kershaw or variations thereof, such as Kershaw Moor and Kershaw House. The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the late 12th century, appearing as "de Kershawe" in the Lancashire Pipe Rolls of 1194.

Kershaw is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a historical manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror, which documented the landholdings and estates across much of England and parts of Wales. This suggests that the name has its roots in the medieval era, potentially even before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kershaw was William de Kershaw, who was listed in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. Another early bearer of the name was John de Kereshawe, whose name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Kershaw, including:

1. John Kershaw (1616-1690), an English Puritan minister and author. 2. James Kershaw (1789-1847), a British civil engineer and inventor of the first practical hand-operated mule spinning machine. 3. Mark Kershaw (1829-1900), a British painter and etcher known for his landscapes and architectural scenes. 4. Joseph Kershaw (1851-1937), an English cricketer who played for Lancashire and England in the late 19th century. 5. Alister Kershaw (1921-2008), a British diplomat and Ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1979 to 1982.

The surname Kershaw has maintained a strong presence in Lancashire and other parts of northern England, with various places and landmarks bearing the name, further solidifying its historical roots in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kershaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kershaw 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 5,768 Kershaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.16x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 5,768 5.16x
Yorkshire 2,898 3.10x
Cheshire 192 0.92x
Middlesex 127 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 114 0.90x
Surrey 106 0.23x
Staffordshire 102 0.32x
Derbyshire 72 0.49x
Durham 38 0.14x
Lincolnshire 32 0.21x
Leicestershire 20 0.19x
Essex 19 0.10x
Warwickshire 19 0.08x
Worcestershire 15 0.12x
Kent 14 0.04x
Denbighshire 12 0.34x
Roxburghshire 11 0.64x
Lanarkshire 9 0.03x
Hampshire 8 0.04x
Somerset 8 0.05x
Sussex 8 0.05x
Bedfordshire 7 0.14x
Hertfordshire 7 0.11x
Norfolk 7 0.05x
Brecknockshire 5 0.27x
Northumberland 5 0.04x
Channel Islands 4 0.14x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.16x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.10x
Westmorland 3 0.14x
Ayrshire 2 0.03x
Berkshire 2 0.03x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.03x
Devon 2 0.01x
Fife 2 0.04x
Royal Navy 2 0.18x
Shropshire 2 0.02x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Angus 1 0.01x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.03x
Cumberland 1 0.01x
Glamorgan 1 0.01x
Gloucestershire 1 0.01x
Isle of Man 1 0.06x
Oxfordshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 814 Kershaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.56x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 814 22.56x
Castleton 452 40.48x
Spotland 340 27.35x
Ashton Under Lyne 297 12.15x
Wuerdle Wardle 282 83.09x
Wardleworth 258 40.38x
Blatchinworth 214 84.06x
Saddleworth 201 27.91x
Royton 163 47.66x
Bury 150 11.74x
Over Darwen 147 16.46x
Gomersal 144 33.04x
Newchurch 131 14.32x
Heap 120 20.24x
Leeds 120 2.28x
Bradford 117 5.18x
Crompton 117 36.75x
Halifax 116 8.46x
Butterworth 115 42.22x
Hipperholme Cum 111 27.06x
Horton In Bradford 104 7.13x
Manchester 103 2.05x
Northowram 94 14.36x
Salford 94 2.86x
Manningham 88 7.65x
Batley 84 9.47x
Nether Hallam 81 6.41x
Sowerby In Halifax 78 25.55x
Clayton 77 33.70x
Liversedge 72 17.32x
Bowling 65 7.03x
Todmorden Walsden 61 20.37x
Ovenden 59 14.20x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 58 17.11x
Soyland 57 50.89x
Blackburn 55 1.85x
Dukinfield 55 5.72x
Preston 54 1.81x
Chadderton 53 9.70x
Habergham Eaves 53 5.19x
North Meols 51 4.66x
Basford 48 8.20x
Heaton Norris 46 7.23x
Worsley 45 6.53x
Burnley 44 4.67x
Elton 41 10.61x
Huddersfield 41 3.01x
Skircoat 41 11.14x
Warley 41 15.19x
Formby 40 31.60x
Radcliffe 40 7.42x
North Bierley 39 7.74x
Nottingham St Mary 39 1.19x
Rastrick 39 15.04x
Turton 39 21.30x
Blackley 37 18.88x
Great Bolton 37 2.50x
Middleton In Oldham 37 11.04x
Wakefield 37 5.16x
Dewsbury 36 3.76x
Failsworth 36 14.07x
Haworth 36 16.22x
Rochdale 36 44.15x
Hulme 35 1.50x
Tottington Lower End 35 6.59x
Barrow In Furness 34 2.24x
Wyke In Bradford 34 20.36x
Farnworth 33 4.93x
Sharples 32 26.39x
Lockwood 31 9.23x
Stretford 31 5.04x
West Bromwich 31 1.70x
Kirkdale 30 1.60x
St Pancras London 30 0.40x
Cleckheaton 29 8.43x
Little Bolton 28 1.95x
Southowram 28 9.82x
Hunslet 27 1.85x
Mirfield 27 5.27x
Stayley 26 10.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 732
Sarah 509
Elizabeth 399
Alice 223
Hannah 212
Ann 199
Jane 180
Martha 157
Ellen 136
Emma 132
Annie 109
Emily 98
Eliza 91
Margaret 88
Betty 84
Clara 71
Harriet 58
Maria 55
Ada 51
Esther 44
Fanny 40
Edith 39
Lucy 39
Frances 34
Susannah 34
Agnes 32
Betsy 32
Florence 32
Louisa 31
Rachel 29
Ruth 28
Anne 27
Charlotte 27
Grace 26
Susan 26
Nancy 23
Isabella 21
Amelia 20
Caroline 20
Ethel 20
Rebecca 20
Bertha 19
Catherine 17
Selina 16
Amy 15
Kate 15
Minnie 15
Lydia 14
Elizth. 13
Sophia 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 673
James 455
William 421
Joseph 282
Thomas 275
Robert 164
George 151
Samuel 138
Charles 127
Henry 102
Edward 85
Arthur 80
Fred 70
Albert 65
Harry 65
Edmund 59
Alfred 58
Herbert 48
Richard 46
Edwin 41
Frank 41
Abraham 40
Walter 38
Frederick 35
Benjamin 33
Ernest 32
David 27
Tom 25
Sam 24
Wm. 21
Isaac 20
Jonathan 20
Ralph 20
Willie 20
Joshua 19
Thos. 16
Daniel 14
Joe 14
Saml. 14
Peter 12
Ben 11
Eli 11
Leonard 11
Amos 10
Hugh 10
Jacob 10
Squire 10
Andrew 8
Job 8
Robt. 8

FAQ

Kershaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kershaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,666 people were recorded with the Kershaw surname. That placed it at #444 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kershaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,725 in 2016. That gives Kershaw a modern rank of #860.

What does the Kershaw surname mean?

From the Old English elements "cēo," meaning cow, and "sceaga," meaning wood, likely referring to a pasture for cattle.

What does the Kershaw map show?

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