NameCensus.

UK surname

Pickston

In the 1881 census there were 133 people recorded with the Pickston surname, ranking it #16,676 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 131, ranked #26,004, down from #16,676 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Warrington and Plemonstall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochdale, North East Lincolnshire and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pickston is 165 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 1.5%.

1881 census count

133

Ranked #16,676

Modern count

131

2016, ranked #26,004

Peak year

1911

165 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pickston had 133 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,676 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016, ranked #26,004.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 165 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Pickston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pickston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pickston 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 53 #23,739
1861 historical 80 #23,566
1881 historical 133 #16,676
1891 historical 147 #18,592
1901 historical 151 #17,988
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 154 #20,780
1998 modern 162 #20,673
1999 modern 161 #20,868
2000 modern 154 #21,415
2001 modern 151 #21,375
2002 modern 150 #21,913
2003 modern 148 #21,866
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 153 #21,490
2006 modern 153 #21,643
2007 modern 146 #22,596
2008 modern 145 #22,929
2009 modern 153 #22,611
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 152 #23,101
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 144 #24,323
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 134 #25,607
2016 modern 131 #26,004

Geography

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Where Pickstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Warrington, Plemonstall and Bowdon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochdale, North East Lincolnshire, Cheshire West and Chester, Staffordshire Moorlands and Isle of Anglesey. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Warrington Lancashire
3 Manchester Cheshire
4 Plemonstall Cheshire
5 Bowdon Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochdale 018 Rochdale
2 North East Lincolnshire 007 North East Lincolnshire
3 Cheshire West and Chester 006 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Isle of Anglesey 001 Isle of Anglesey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pickston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pickston

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

Ageing Communities

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

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Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Pickston is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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.

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Group profile

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Pickston is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pickston falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Pickston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pickston 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 85 Pickstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 85 5.65x
Cheshire 37 13.22x
Denbighshire 6 12.53x
Hampshire 2 0.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mickle Bridge in Cheshire leads with 14 Pickstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10769.23x.

Place Total Index
Mickle Bridge 14 10769.23x
Tottington Higher End 11 643.27x
Altrincham 10 204.50x
Manchester 10 14.78x
Salford 8 18.08x
Warrington 8 44.84x
Heaton Norris 7 81.78x
Aberwheeler 6 3333.33x
Broughton In Salford 6 43.60x
Great Bolton 6 30.11x
Hale 6 618.56x
Liverpool 6 6.57x
Windle 6 70.84x
Little Bolton 5 25.85x
Hoole 4 377.36x
Blackley 2 75.76x
Bury 2 11.63x
Hulme 2 6.37x
Norbury 2 307.69x
Tonge With Haulgh 2 68.26x
Alverstoke 1 10.63x
Droylsden 1 20.37x
Mobberley 1 156.25x
Moss Side 1 12.63x
Oldham 1 2.06x
Pendleton In Salford 1 5.58x
Portsmouth 1 16.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Sarah 5
Ada 3
Eliza 3
Elizabeth 3
Hannah 3
Ellen 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Barbara 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Franklin 1
Geogina 1
Isabella 1
James 1
Jane 1
Lizzie 1
Margaret 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Roseanne 1
Selina 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 9
George 6
James 4
Thomas 4
Joseph 3
Arthur 2
Robert 2
Saml. 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Henery 1
Henry 1
Job 1
Joshua 1
Percy 1
Stanley 1

FAQ

Pickston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pickston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 133 people were recorded with the Pickston surname. That placed it at #16,676 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pickston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016. That gives Pickston a modern rank of #26,004.

What does the Pickston map show?

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