NameCensus.

UK surname

Owston

A habitational surname derived from a place name in Leicestershire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 199 people recorded with the Owston surname, ranking it #12,880 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 183, ranked #20,813, down from #12,880 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Thornton Dale, Ellerburn (Farmanby) and Sherburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Kingston upon Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Owston is 252 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.0%.

1881 census count

199

Ranked #12,880

Modern count

183

2016, ranked #20,813

Peak year

1891

252 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Owston had 199 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,880 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016, ranked #20,813.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 252 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Owston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Owston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Owston 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 152 #12,786
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 199 #12,880
1891 historical 252 #12,685
1901 historical 241 #13,417
1911 historical 235 #13,484
1997 modern 179 #18,889
1998 modern 179 #19,372
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 166 #20,426
2001 modern 163 #20,372
2002 modern 178 #19,671
2003 modern 165 #20,401
2004 modern 169 #20,206
2005 modern 163 #20,627
2006 modern 163 #20,789
2007 modern 166 #20,811
2008 modern 168 #20,828
2009 modern 185 #20,010
2010 modern 188 #20,235
2011 modern 179 #20,732
2012 modern 182 #20,440
2013 modern 183 #20,722
2014 modern 179 #21,186
2015 modern 176 #21,291
2016 modern 183 #20,813

Geography

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Where Owstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Thornton Dale, Ellerburn (Farmanby), Sherburn, Cayton and Scarborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Kingston upon Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Thornton Dale, Ellerburn (Farmanby) Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Sherburn Yorkshire, North Riding
4 Cayton Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 004 Ryedale
2 Kingston upon Hull 031 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Ryedale 001 Ryedale
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 008 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Kingston upon Hull 029 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Owston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Owston

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Owston is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Owston 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

Owston 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Owston

The surname Owston is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ofer" meaning "bank" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement". Owston likely originated as a place name referring to a settlement located on a riverbank or near a stream.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Ourestune". This entry refers to a village in Lincolnshire, which was likely the original place from which the surname originated.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Ouston, Oweston, and Owston. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling rules in the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Owston was John de Owston, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272. Another notable figure was William Owston, a merchant who lived in London in the 15th century and was recorded in the city's tax records.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Owston family settled in Yorkshire, where they became prominent landowners. One member of this branch, Richard Owston (c.1550-1620), was a wealthy wool merchant and served as a alderman in the city of York.

During the English Civil War, Captain Thomas Owston (c.1610-1670) fought on the Royalist side and played a role in the defense of Newark-on-Trent against Parliamentary forces.

In the 18th century, a notable figure was Robert Owston (1720-1798), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Lincolnshire. He established several schools and endowed scholarships for underprivileged children in his hometown.

Another individual of note was Sir William Owston (1789-1854), a successful industrialist and Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme in the early 19th century. He was knighted for his contributions to the local community and his support for various charitable causes.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Owston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Owston 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. Yorkshire leads with 160 Owstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.32x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 160 8.32x
Lincolnshire 10 3.22x
Surrey 10 1.06x
Durham 6 1.04x
Kent 6 0.91x
Middlesex 4 0.21x
Berkshire 1 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.38x
Staffordshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Scarborough in Yorkshire leads with 41 Owstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 234.55x.

Place Total Index
Scarborough 41 234.55x
Farmanby 13 3939.39x
Snainton 13 2500.00x
Sherburn 11 696.20x
Hunmanby 10 1111.11x
Lockton 8 2962.96x
Bracken 7 35000.00x
Horbling 7 2121.21x
Calverley Cum Farsley 6 109.89x
Rillington 6 1034.48x
Stapleton In Pontefract 6 7500.00x
York St Maurice 6 165.75x
Brandon Byshottles 5 69.16x
Caytn Deepdal Kilrby 5 1219.51x
Lambeth 5 2.95x
Brompton In Scarborough 4 869.57x
Lewisham 4 11.33x
Middleham 3 555.56x
Pirbright 3 625.00x
Bridlington 2 45.45x
Gate Fulford 2 44.54x
Holy Trinity 2 4.32x
Milton In Gravesend 2 20.14x
New Malton 2 86.96x
Scampston 2 1250.00x
Shoreditch London 2 2.38x
St Botolph Aldgate 2 75.47x
Bradford 1 2.15x
Burniston 1 434.78x
Burythorpe 1 588.24x
Camberwell 1 0.81x
Clayton 1 21.23x
Goole 1 31.06x
Hemsworth 1 90.91x
Kirby In Cleveland 1 625.00x
Mansfield 1 11.05x
Newborough 1 232.56x
North Carlton 1 909.09x
Norton 1 47.17x
Partney 1 344.83x
Pockley 1 769.23x
Sandhurst 1 35.46x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 2.56x
St Maryle Wigford 1 41.49x
Storwood 1 1666.67x
Thornton Dale 1 196.08x
York St Michael Le 1 161.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 8
Ann 7
Sarah 6
Jane 5
Annie 4
Fanny 4
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Hannah 3
Ada 2
Edith 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Bertha 1
Blanch 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Dennis 1
Eleanor 1
Emm. 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Jemimah 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Nancy 1
Naomi 1
Prescilla 1
Priscilla 1
Rachael 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1
Selinna 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 13
John 11
James 9
Thomas 9
Charles 6
Henry 6
George 4
Peter 4
Robert 4
Anthony 3
Francis 2
Richard 2
Alfred 1
Ambrose 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Isaac 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Samuel 1
Topham 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Owston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Owston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 199 people were recorded with the Owston surname. That placed it at #12,880 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Owston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016. That gives Owston a modern rank of #20,813.

What does the Owston surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name in Leicestershire, England.

What does the Owston map show?

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