NameCensus.

UK surname

Pickford

Possibly derived from a locality name meaning "ford by the picked or enclosed land".

In the 1881 census there were 2,436 people recorded with the Pickford surname, ranking it #1,822 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,954, ranked #2,281, down from #1,822 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Stockport and Glossop. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, Kirklees and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pickford is 3,288 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.3%.

1881 census count

2,436

Ranked #1,822

Modern count

2,954

2016, ranked #2,281

Peak year

1999

3,288 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pickford had 2,436 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,822 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,954 in 2016, ranked #2,281.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,181 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pickford surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pickford surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pickford 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 1,605 #1,795
1861 historical 1,413 #2,023
1881 historical 2,436 #1,822
1891 historical 2,494 #1,898
1901 historical 3,047 #1,838
1911 historical 3,181 #1,639
1997 modern 3,036 #2,113
1998 modern 3,248 #2,065
1999 modern 3,288 #2,060
2000 modern 3,237 #2,077
2001 modern 3,155 #2,084
2002 modern 3,254 #2,067
2003 modern 3,115 #2,108
2004 modern 3,113 #2,106
2005 modern 3,038 #2,130
2006 modern 3,035 #2,138
2007 modern 3,008 #2,170
2008 modern 3,010 #2,182
2009 modern 3,056 #2,206
2010 modern 3,111 #2,217
2011 modern 3,051 #2,227
2012 modern 2,958 #2,261
2013 modern 3,034 #2,245
2014 modern 3,023 #2,268
2015 modern 2,980 #2,274
2016 modern 2,954 #2,281

Geography

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Where Pickfords are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Stockport, Glossop, Leek and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, Kirklees and High Peak. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Glossop Derbyshire
4 Leek Staffordshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 001 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Kirklees 057 Kirklees
5 High Peak 011 High Peak

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pickford

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pickford

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Pickford 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

Pickford is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Pickford

The surname Pickford originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "pic" meaning a hill or peak, and "ford" referring to a shallow river crossing. The name is believed to have originated as a topographic surname, describing someone who lived near a hill or peak by a ford or river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pickford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is recorded as "Picford" in this document, referring to a settlement in Cheshire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Pykford" and "Pikford" in historical records from counties like Lancashire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire. This suggests that the name was particularly prevalent in the northwest regions of England during this period.

One notable bearer of the Pickford surname was John Pickford, who lived in the 15th century and was appointed as the Mayor of Coventry in 1458. Another early record mentions a William Pickford, born around 1530, who was a landowner in the village of Adlington, Cheshire.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Mary Pickford (1892-1979), a Canadian-American actress and producer who was a pioneering figure in the early days of Hollywood. She was known as "America's Sweetheart" and was one of the most popular actresses of the silent film era.

Other notable individuals with the Pickford surname include James Pickford (1737-1805), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, and Edward Pickford (1750-1819), an English inventor and engineer who patented several agricultural machines.

Throughout history, the surname Pickford has been associated with various place names and locations, including Pickford Green in Cheshire, Pickford Brook in Staffordshire, and Pickford Hill in Shropshire, all of which are likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname itself.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pickford families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pickford 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. Cheshire leads with 458 Pickfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.72x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 458 8.72x
Lancashire 381 1.35x
Staffordshire 305 3.80x
Somerset 252 6.58x
Middlesex 191 0.80x
Derbyshire 133 3.57x
Yorkshire 133 0.56x
Surrey 57 0.49x
Gloucestershire 50 1.07x
Dorset 49 3.14x
Hampshire 39 0.80x
Warwickshire 39 0.65x
Glamorgan 38 0.92x
Wiltshire 36 1.71x
Aberdeenshire 34 1.54x
Northamptonshire 34 1.52x
Monmouthshire 32 1.86x
Durham 28 0.40x
Kent 21 0.26x
Devon 17 0.34x
Essex 16 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.28x
Sussex 9 0.22x
Lanarkshire 8 0.10x
Worcestershire 8 0.26x
Leicestershire 7 0.27x
Northumberland 6 0.17x
Shropshire 6 0.29x
Berkshire 5 0.28x
Brecknockshire 5 1.05x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.35x
Lincolnshire 5 0.13x
Royal Navy 4 1.41x
Suffolk 4 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.26x
Stirlingshire 2 0.23x
Angus 1 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Caithness 1 0.31x
Cornwall 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.11x
Herefordshire 1 0.10x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.21x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 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. Leek Lowe in Staffordshire leads with 95 Pickfords recorded in 1881 and an index of 88.94x.

Place Total Index
Leek Lowe 95 88.94x
Stockport 79 29.24x
Macclesfield 78 33.43x
Gorton 50 18.85x
Frome 46 50.24x
Islington London 39 1.69x
Congleton 37 40.79x
Glossop Dale 35 20.07x
Hyde 35 22.59x
Norton In Moors 32 75.31x
Ardwick 27 10.61x
Sutton In Macclesfield 27 49.56x
Oldham 26 2.85x
Heaton Norris 25 15.56x
Titteworth 25 202.92x
Dukinfield 24 9.89x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 23 5.58x
Burslem 22 9.57x
Cheadle 22 21.94x
Ecclesall Bierlow 21 4.38x
St Pancras London 21 1.10x
Litton 19 320.95x
Brinnington 18 36.70x
Cameley 18 419.58x
Cheddleton 18 107.14x
Leek Frith 18 269.46x
Manchester 18 1.42x
Shoreditch London 18 1.75x
Ashton Under Lyne 17 2.76x
Birmingham 17 0.85x
Saddleworth 17 9.35x
Buglawton 16 126.68x
Bury 16 4.96x
Chorlton On Medlock 16 3.57x
Hulme 16 2.72x
Moulton 16 128.62x
Wolverhampton 16 2.59x
Leeds 15 1.13x
Monks Coppenhall 15 7.57x
Salford 15 1.81x
Aberystruth 14 9.24x
St Marylebone London 14 1.10x
Biddulph 13 28.70x
Buxton 13 41.26x
Camerton 13 116.70x
Denton 13 20.79x
Fulham London 13 3.77x
Heathylee 13 381.23x
Portsea 13 1.36x
Quarnford 13 365.17x
Croydon 12 1.87x
Glastonbury 12 38.41x
Motcombe 12 104.44x
Wildboarclough 12 645.16x
Baddiley 11 474.14x
Elm 11 378.01x
Liverpool 11 0.64x
Swansea Town 11 3.24x
Aston 10 0.61x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 10 40.82x
Beckington 10 132.45x
Bradnop Cawdry 10 277.01x
Bramhall 10 46.00x
Camberwell 10 0.66x
Chelsea London 10 1.40x
Hunshelf 10 86.58x
Newington 10 1.14x
Penarth 10 24.71x
Rusholme 10 13.29x
Sheffield 10 1.33x
Bethnal Green London 9 0.87x
Bristol St Peter 9 53.96x
Drumoak 9 118.73x
Dunkerton 9 108.43x
Elton 9 214.29x
Ilchester 9 161.87x
Middleton In Oldham 9 10.64x
Mile End Old Town 9 2.40x
Openshaw 9 6.81x
St Woollos 9 4.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 174
Sarah 118
Elizabeth 98
Hannah 52
Jane 51
Ann 43
Emma 42
Alice 34
Eliza 34
Ellen 34
Annie 33
Martha 32
Emily 31
Harriet 29
Maria 20
Fanny 16
Louisa 16
Clara 14
Margaret 14
Ada 13
Edith 12
Florence 11
Caroline 10
Amelia 9
Charlotte 9
Harriett 9
Kate 9
Esther 8
Lucy 8
Matilda 7
Rose 7
Agnes 6
Anne 6
Catherine 6
Frances 6
Lydia 6
Amy 5
Isabella 5
Phoebe 5
Anna 4
Beatrice 4
Elizth. 4
Helen 4
Jessie 4
Julia 4
Lilian 4
Lizzie 4
Priscilla 4
Rachel 4
Rebecca 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 137
John 133
George 90
James 90
Thomas 84
Joseph 57
Charles 42
Henry 41
Samuel 39
Edward 25
Arthur 24
Alfred 21
Frederick 21
Walter 21
Frank 15
Herbert 14
Robert 12
Harry 11
Edwin 8
Ernest 8
Francis 8
Richard 8
Wm. 8
Albert 7
Isaac 7
Matthew 7
Benjamin 6
David 6
Mathew 6
Fred 5
Ralph 5
Chas. 4
Daniel 4
Edgar 4
Josiah 4
Moses 4
Percy 4
Thos. 4
Tom 4
Earnest 3
Enoch 3
Fredk. 3
Harold 3
Jas. 3
Job 3
Philip 3
Clement 2
Jonah 2
Owen 2
Peter 2

FAQ

Pickford surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pickford surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,436 people were recorded with the Pickford surname. That placed it at #1,822 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pickford surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,954 in 2016. That gives Pickford a modern rank of #2,281.

What does the Pickford surname mean?

Possibly derived from a locality name meaning "ford by the picked or enclosed land".

What does the Pickford map show?

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