NameCensus.

UK surname

Oldershaw

An English locational surname referring to a place near an elder tree plantation.

In the 1881 census there were 414 people recorded with the Oldershaw surname, ranking it #7,778 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 555, ranked #9,223, down from #7,778 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stapleford, Sandiacre, Dale Abbey and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Sheffield and Erewash.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oldershaw is 601 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.1%.

1881 census count

414

Ranked #7,778

Modern count

555

2016, ranked #9,223

Peak year

1901

601 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oldershaw had 414 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,778 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 555 in 2016, ranked #9,223.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 601 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Oldershaw surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oldershaw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oldershaw 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 285 #7,952
1861 historical 311 #8,151
1881 historical 414 #7,778
1891 historical 504 #7,377
1901 historical 601 #7,068
1911 historical 569 #7,112
1997 modern 554 #8,610
1998 modern 562 #8,765
1999 modern 563 #8,812
2000 modern 555 #8,883
2001 modern 548 #8,820
2002 modern 561 #8,845
2003 modern 559 #8,725
2004 modern 557 #8,783
2005 modern 573 #8,544
2006 modern 550 #8,814
2007 modern 547 #8,941
2008 modern 531 #9,211
2009 modern 551 #9,155
2010 modern 568 #9,134
2011 modern 567 #9,055
2012 modern 558 #9,071
2013 modern 554 #9,279
2014 modern 561 #9,242
2015 modern 550 #9,308
2016 modern 555 #9,223

Geography

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Where Oldershaws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stapleford, Sandiacre, Dale Abbey, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham St Mary and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Sheffield, Erewash and Amber Valley. 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 Stapleford Derbyshire
2 Sandiacre, Dale Abbey Derbyshire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 004 South Holland
2 Sheffield 025 Sheffield
3 Erewash 008 Erewash
4 Erewash 012 Erewash
5 Amber Valley 002 Amber Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oldershaw

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oldershaw

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Oldershaw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Oldershaw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Oldershaw 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

Oldershaw is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Oldershaw falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Oldershaw is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Oldershaw

The surname Oldershaw originates from England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'eald' meaning old and 'sceaga' meaning shaw or small wood, essentially translating to 'old shaw' or 'old wooded area'.

The earliest known bearer of the name was William de Oldreschaghe, who was mentioned in the Lancashire Assize Rolls in 1285. This suggests the name likely originated in the Lancashire region of northwest England. Variations in spelling over the centuries include Oldershagh, Oldershaw, and Oldershawe.

In the 16th century, records show an Oldershaw family residing in Oldham, a town near Manchester. A notable member was John Oldershaw, born around 1540, who was a successful wool merchant and landowner. His descendants continued to reside in Oldham for generations.

The Oldershaw name also appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1674 for Cheshire, indicating the presence of the family in that county as well. One entry lists a Thomas Oldershaw as a householder in the parish of Prestbury.

An early example of the name in literature can be found in the 1787 publication "The History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster" by Edward Baines, which mentions an Oldershaw family residing in Oldham at that time.

Several notable individuals with the Oldershaw surname include:

1. Richard Oldershaw (1651-1728), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. 2. John Oldershaw (1775-1859), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. 3. William Oldershaw (1816-1887), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in Lancashire. 4. Samuel Oldershaw (1840-1909), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Oldham Orphanage in 1869. 5. Arthur Oldershaw (1871-1942), a British author and journalist who wrote extensively on travel and exploration in South America.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oldershaw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oldershaw 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 79 Oldershaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.48x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 79 14.48x
Derbyshire 74 11.68x
Leicestershire 72 16.04x
Lincolnshire 33 5.10x
Staffordshire 33 2.41x
Surrey 26 1.32x
Lancashire 22 0.46x
Middlesex 17 0.42x
Yorkshire 14 0.35x
East Lothian 9 16.78x
Hampshire 9 1.08x
Midlothian 9 1.66x
Sussex 6 0.88x
Warwickshire 5 0.49x
Hertfordshire 4 1.43x
Channel Islands 1 0.83x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Essex 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stapleford in Nottinghamshire leads with 32 Oldershaws recorded in 1881 and an index of 722.35x.

Place Total Index
Stapleford 32 722.35x
Nottingham St Mary 27 19.13x
Leicester St Margaret 22 20.10x
Sandiacre 19 840.71x
Chaddesden 14 1647.06x
Heanor 14 147.68x
Leicester St Martin 10 332.23x
Wolverhampton 10 9.52x
Doncaster 9 30.71x
Kegworth 9 302.01x
Prestonpans 9 250.00x
Kirkby 8 412.37x
Manchester 8 3.70x
Newington 8 5.35x
Aldershot 7 25.18x
Leicester All Sts 7 79.46x
Burton Extra 6 76.63x
Clapham 6 11.86x
Clee With Weelsby 6 42.34x
Derby St Alkmund 6 31.60x
Gedney 6 227.27x
Graffham 6 1052.63x
Long Eaton 6 71.68x
Bramcote 5 480.77x
Croydon 5 4.57x
East Leake 5 381.68x
East Retford 5 105.71x
Hemington 5 943.40x
Lichfield St Mary 5 126.90x
North Leith 5 19.92x
Rippingdale 5 657.89x
Spalding 5 38.91x
Aston 4 1.42x
Belgrave 4 39.49x
Bramley 4 229.89x
Breedon On The Hill 4 296.30x
Burton Upon Trent 4 12.51x
Countesthorpe 4 261.44x
Duffield 4 80.00x
Hampstead London 4 6.34x
Shoreditch London 4 2.28x
St Maryle Wigford 4 79.52x
Strelley 4 1142.86x
Ardwick 3 6.92x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 3 8.03x
Castle Donnington 3 80.65x
Cheshunt 3 30.77x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 3.93x
Normanton 3 56.07x
St Marylebone London 3 1.39x
Upper Penn 3 87.72x
Freshwater 2 52.77x
Gosberton 2 69.44x
Heriot 2 333.33x
Holbeach 2 27.74x
Leicester St Mary 2 5.52x
Mapperley 2 333.33x
Peatling Magna 2 740.74x
Rowley Regis 2 5.25x
St Luke London 2 3.08x
Wakefield 2 6.49x
Abbots Langley 1 24.15x
Basford 1 3.98x
Birkenhead 1 1.40x
Birmingham 1 0.29x
Christ Church Newgate 1 53.19x
Cranleigh 1 34.60x
Crichton 1 66.23x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.46x
Fleet 1 54.35x
Harwick St Nicholas 1 79.37x
Hazelwood 1 188.68x
Islington London 1 0.25x
Lichfield St Michael 1 23.31x
Ockbrook 1 37.17x
Parwich 1 153.85x
South Common Lincoln 1 294.12x
St Martin 1 13.61x
Thursley 1 70.42x
Tutbury 1 30.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Sarah 24
Elizabeth 16
Emma 10
Annie 8
Eliza 6
Hannah 6
Alice 5
Ann 5
Ada 4
Emily 4
Jane 4
Martha 4
Anne 3
Dorothy 3
Ellen 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Julia 3
Maria 3
Millicent 3
Abigail 2
Bertha 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Harriett 2
Mabel 2
Rebecca 2
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Cecilia 1
Edith 1
Eleanore 1
Eliz.Ellen 1
Elizth. 1
Eveline 1
Evelyn 1
Fanny 1
Harriette 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Jessie 1
Lauretta 1
Liddy 1
Lillie 1
Lottie 1
M. 1
Marion 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 28
William 19
Thomas 15
George 13
Henry 12
Samuel 10
Joseph 8
Walter 8
Charles 6
James 6
Arthur 5
Alfred 4
Christopher 3
Harry 3
Isaac 3
Albert 2
Augustus 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Robt. 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Burrell 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Geo. 1
Geo.W. 1
Geor. 1
Herbert 1
Hy. 1
Isacc 1
Israel 1
J.Henry 1
Jno. 1
Lucian 1
Mark 1
Pilgrim 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Richd.H. 1
Richd.H.J. 1
Robert 1
Saml. 1
Stewart 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Vincent 1
Watson 1

FAQ

Oldershaw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oldershaw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 414 people were recorded with the Oldershaw surname. That placed it at #7,778 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oldershaw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 555 in 2016. That gives Oldershaw a modern rank of #9,223.

What does the Oldershaw surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to a place near an elder tree plantation.

What does the Oldershaw map show?

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